Restoration Techniques...

I guess it really depends on the condition of the original base paint.  If it is all chipped up under the repainted coat of paint, I would see no point in trying to save the original base paint. 

True...and I agree. What I'm hoping is to find a stripper that will remove the over-paint; then I can make a determination as to the condition of the original paint.

Mark in Oregon

Ain’t like a #10 is a million dollar piece worthy of a rescue, …..you’ll make yourself bananas trying to resurrect an antique lacquer paint job……go to bare metal, start from scratch….my .02 cents ….( BTW, given the current state of our economy my .02 cents are now 58 dollars …please remit )

Pat

That paint comes off pretty easily. Old aircraft stripper would have clean in a few minutes. The newer stuff will take longer but it should be clean in 30 minutes.

Pete

Mojave is WEAK in the best circumstance and stains readily. It stains with water. Permanently. Its a waste of time IMHO.... but it is your loco... do as you like!

@Rob English posted:

Mojave is WEAK in the best circumstance and stains readily. It stains with water. Permanently. Its a waste of time IMHO.... but it is your loco... do as you like!

The "Mohave" I mentioned was the original color of the 408E in the article; I think (judging by the eBay photos) that the #10 I'm getting was originally "Peacock".   Dunno if that's an easier color to "rescue"...

Mark in Oregon

Mark when I have done my tinplate restoration or fantasy paint scheme I use TSP, Trisodium Phosphate, to strip the paint off. Very easy to use and works fast and effectively. I just mix a few tablespoons in hot water in a plastic bin. Let it sit for 15 minutes or so, a light scrubbing with a toothbrush or scotch bright pad will bring you to bare metal.

Thanks Rich, but I'm hoping to only strip the "user applied" paint, leaving the original paint intact.

Maybe TSP for 5 minutes...?

Mark in Oregon

@harmonyards posted:

( BTW, given the current state of our economy my .02 cents are now 58 dollars …please remit )

Pat

ROTFLMAO!!

@Strummer posted:

The "Mohave" I mentioned was the original color of the 408E in the article; I think (judging by the eBay photos) that the #10 I'm getting was originally "Peacock".   Dunno if that's an easier color to "rescue"...

Mark in Oregon

OOPS well Peacock is essentially similar in nature. stains easily especially when the paint is oxidized (dull). comes off easily.

Thanks Rob; I really appreciate your participation on stuff I've been posting recently. Since I don't know anything about SG, you and others chiming in are a big help. 🙂

Guess all "we" can do is wait for the engine to arrive and take it from there...

Mark in Oregon

Mark... you are very welcome.

Okay, you'll be sorry you said that! 😄

Another question, this one regarding freight car size. The TCA book says the 112 gondola is part of the "Early Small Series" and is either 7" or 9 1/2" long.

Here is a picture of the 112 I got last week:

... it's clearly stamped "112". But here is a picture of its length:

...you can see it's 11 1/4".

So do I have an earlier "12" that's probably been refinished and stamped a later number?

Mark in Oregon

PS: still hoping to find some trucks for this...(hint,hint...). 😁

In a quick nutshell, look here for how I "restore" prewar Standard gauge: Memorial Diner in Honor of my Brother (warrenvillerailroad.com)

Just an example.

The paint Estes & Hennings sold in aerosol form was lacquer. The paint Hennings sells now is an alkyd enamel. Lionel did not bake their train cars etc.,  but ran them thru a dip paint trough on a moving hangar. The paint was enamel.  If an item is over sprayed w/ lacquer, it will bubble up the original enamel paint.  TSP is the home method to remove paint. We use aluminum oxide in a sand blasting cabinet for total restoration.   Harry 

The #10 arrived today, so rest assured I'll be asking a lot of questions.

First impression: this is the first "Super Motor" I've ever seen; it's quite different from the power unit in the #33. The wheels are in really good condition; on the non-geared side have raised lettering: "The Lionel Corporation New York." I guess these are the original wheels(?) After the usual cleaning and lube, it seems to run well, but since I don't know what these are supposed to be like, I'm merely guessing.

The body, although intact and straight, is going to need a complete stripping, including the original "Peacock" paint. How is the safest way to straighten (then re-flatten) all those little tabs?Back when I was into later Post War stuff, I had to take apart a 45N; in doing so, most of those tabs broke. How to avoid that happening this time?

One of the couplers is really bent and is missing a piece, so it'll have to be replaced: how does one go about doing that, since it's kind of riveted in place...

Place stand by for more of the same; thank you.

Mark in Oregon

To save the tabs just lift each a bit at a time. Don’t attempt to move it the full 90 degrees if possible. The metal has some flex so you pull it at an angle to release the tabs. Reassemble the same way and don’t try bending back to the original position. The less angle they are bent the more likely they will not break off.

Pete

Thank you Pete... 🙂

Mark in Oregon

Another question: how do you go about accessing the commutator brushes on one of these "Super Motors"?

Online research only shows how easy it is when the wheels are pulled and the frame is disassembled. I don't want to have to go to that extreme; there must be a way... 🤔

Mark in Oregon

PS: I was able to remove one of the brass side panels; so far so good. Funny: I've never had much luck with "Brasso", but it worked great on this...🙂

One trick with those tabs is to give them a SLIGHT twist when replacing the body instead of rebending them flat. Less chance of breakage that way.

Will do, thanks; any suggestions regarding those brushes? 🙂

Mark in Oregon

Whether Mojave, Peacock or any other color is more durable just doesn't matter.  Authentic replacement spray cans are readily available.  Go the trainenamels.com and you will see the full list of Lionel colors.  I have about 20 spray cans of their different colors. 

I always strip to bare metal.   My preferred paint remover is white vinegar.  I use super market aluminum baking tins and totally immerse the piece that I am stripping.  At $2.50-3.00 per gallon, I don't even think about the cost.  It is reusable.

The vinegar may leave a light rust residue, but that comes right off with vigorous brushing.

I don't use a primer.  You can always add another coat to the part that isn't fully covered.  I bake it for an hour in our kitchen oven at about 175.  If I wait four to five hours before baking, it won't be noticeable in the kitchen.  Even my wife who is extremely fussy about that kind of odor doesn't notice it.  The paint doesn't care if you wait before baking.

I've done several restoration projects this way.  It really does work.

Thank you for your input; the only "piece" I have to strip is the entire body, so I'll using a large bucket and whatever I end up using, either TSP or, as you suggested, white vinegar. That sounds like a good idea; we use that a lot around the house for cleaning...and it goes great with sliced cucumber! 😁

Mark in (wet and windy) Oregon

Mark here are some pics of a recent set I removed the paint using TSP. The paint practically fell off the metal.

@Rich Wiemann posted:

Mark here are some pics of a recent set I removed the paint using TSP. The paint practically fell off the metal.

Wow. Approximately how long did you have to "soak" these pieces? Thanks for your help. 👍

Mark in Oregon

Mark a few tablespoons of TSP in a pail with a few teapots of hot water, then let it soak 20 minutes. A little scrubbing with a toothbrush into the crevices, a quick rinse off with the hose and I was done.

@Rich Wiemann posted:

Mark a few tablespoons of TSP in a pail with a few teapots of hot water, then let it soak 20 minutes. A little scrubbing with a toothbrush into the crevices, a quick rinse off with the hose and I was done.

Only 20 minutes! Wow.

I use TIDE (powdered) in hot water and it takes overnight,

I'll try TSP next time

@Lionelski posted:

Only 20 minutes! Wow.

... that's what I was gonna say! 😲 🙂

Mark in Oregon

After 2 hours in TSP and hot water:

Am very pleased; thanks for the suggestion(s)! 👍

Mark in (drier today) Oregon

Mark that looks great 👍 glad it worked for you!

I got home a short time ago and seeing this reminds me that I left a Lionel truck 1915-16 vintage soaking in vinegar last night.  I'll make a quick trip to the basement now and see what happened.

Here's a summary of the results of my vinegar bath.  First two photos showing the intiial condition - npot the same truck, but one in the same original convition.

Now the vinegar soaked truck after toothbrush scrubbing.

Then some vigorous scrubbing of parts with this steel brush.

Here is a wheel after scrubbing with that tool

Here is a wheel after scrubbing with that tool

Here is a wheel after scrubbing with that tool

This light rust sometimes appears from the vinegar.  It whisks right off with  Dremel woe brush.

\My vinegar bucket wasn't quite deep enough and part of the wheel stuck out.

It's not yet finished, but now the remaining work is reasonable for the Dremel tool.  Another Dremel accessory that I fund handy for deep rust spot on a wheel is the sandpaper flapper.

Note that this is early standard gauged which is much more rugged than O gauge or some later sG.  For later trucks, I just pop the wheels out so I can work on wheels, axles and frames separately.  The problem with early SG is that the axle ends are swaged and you I don't see any easy way to take the wheels out of the frames.

After reading the comments about TSP, I'm inclined to do a test comparing it with the vinegar.  I have these two old O gauge cars from about 1920 in my restoration queue.  I'll do one with vinegar and one with TSP or a TSP substitute and compare the results - I hope sometime this week.

It appears that TSP cannot be legally sold  now in MA because of the problem of phosphorous pollution of our waterways.  Has anyone tried the similar products that are free of phosphorous ?

I cannot help you with your question; I can say it looks like vinegar works very well. I will be trying it on a pair of trucks off a #112 gondola and will let you know how that goes. My thought is: if TSP has been "outlawed" in MA, can OR be far behind? Might as well begin looking for alternatives.

Good stuff, this...I appreciate the participation. 👍

Mark in Oregon

So do I have an earlier "12" that's probably been refinished and stamped a later number?

Yes...I would think so.

@Strummer posted:

Thank you for your input; the only "piece" I have to strip is the entire body, so I'll using a large bucket and whatever I end up using, either TSP or, as you suggested, white vinegar. That sounds like a good idea; we use that a lot around the house for cleaning...and it goes great with sliced cucumber! 😁

Mark in (wet and windy) Oregon

I have used ZEP citrus degreaser for a while now. Takes longer, filter and reuse, better the TSP for the environment (i think it is anyway) and its VERY gentle on the piece.

@Strummer posted:

Thank you for your input; the only "piece" I have to strip is the entire body, so I'll using a large bucket ...

Mark in (wet and windy) Oregon

So Mark, I found a widow box made from plastic thats great for stripping at Menards. 8"x 8"x18" even has lil feet on it!

Or a drywall mud tray which is smaller.

Thanks guys; those are both good suggestions.

I first tried a 2 1/2 gallon pail, but the body was slightly too long to be completely submerged; I then transferred to a "5-er", which was big enough for the #10 body to sit level in the bucket, so no additional water was needed. 🙂

I'm still wondering about those motor brushes, by the way...🤔 How do you get to those without having to disassemble the entire chassis?

Mark in Oregon

You don't have to disassemble the whole chassis, but you do have to pull the wheels from one side to unscrew and pull out the brush holder.  Having done that, it is just four screws to take the side frame off and you can do a thorough inside cleaning.

To take the wheels off, you need something that will hold the bottom side  of the frame while you use a big hammer and a nail set to drive the axle out of the wheel on the top - slowly, carefully,  Be patient and it will come out.

I don't know what advice to give on resetting the wheels other than having an old vice like mine.  IT's an 80 year old vice (from y father's workshop) that has 2.5" between the jaws and is well squared.   Since the axles normally end at the wheel surface, it's easy to get the gauge right.  Don't know what modern tools will do the job.

ML

Yikes...so the only way to access the brushes means removing the wheels!?! 😲 🤨

If that's the case, I think I will leave it be for now; it's running, and I don't want to risk mucking it up. That's pretty disappointing... 😐

Mark in Oregon

@mlaughlinnyc posted:

You don't have to disassemble the whole chassis, but you do have to pull the wheels from one side to unscrew and pull out the brush holder.  Having done that,

Umm, on the drum (barrel) commutator super-motor there is a single screw on the motor side plate about 3/8" from the bottom in the middle of the side plate between the wheels. Remove that screw and pull the brush holder plate straight out. Hopefully there is enough wire on them to get it out, otherwise you'll have to loosen the wire from the wafer with manual reverse switch. There is a brush spring detent on each brush tube assemble to release tension when reinstalling the holder.

See here: http://themotordoctor.com/lionel_super_motor.htm

This is the screw you're referring to, I bet:

I will look into this tomorrow. In the meantime, thanks again, Rob!  👍

Mark in Oregon

Yup, thats the one!

A few more questions:

After I pull the brush plate out and replace the brushes, how does one get everything back in its proper place, since those brushes are under tension from their springs? How do you keep them "separated" enough from each other to then slide back onto the commutator? Stupid question I know, but still...

I'm working on a couple of #112 gondolas; after stripping and cleaning, what level of sheen should the truck frames have? I know it's probably a matter of preference, but I'm talking about the factory-applied finish. Gloss? Satin? Flat?  (If it matters, and according to the TCA book I have, these are "100 series type V" trucks for "later" series cars, with the blackened painted(?) side frames...)

As always, thank you!

Mark in Oregon

Here is a technique that I have used successfully for holding brushes while assembling certain motto types.   Make a two inch long piece if cardstock about the width of the spacing of the brushes.  Make a hole in the center for the shaft of the armature.  US the cardstock to compress the brushes into the holders and wrap it around the plate, holding in place with Scotch tape.

Place that assembly over the armature shaft and start the brush plate screws just enough to hold. Then tear out the cardstock, which will leave the brushes in contact with the armature.  Then tighten the screws.

@mlaughlinnyc posted:

Here is a technique that I have used successfully for holding brushes while assembling certain motto types.   Make a two inch long piece if cardstock about the width of the spacing of the brushes.  Make a hole in the center for the shaft of the armature.  US the cardstock to compress the brushes into the holders and wrap it around the plate, holding in place with Scotch tape.

Place that assembly over the armature shaft and start the brush plate screws just enough to hold. Then tear out the cardstock, which will leave the brushes in contact with the armature.  Then tighten the screws.

Thanks.

I'm trying to visualize what you describe and it sounds like the chassis has been taken apart (?)... something I'm hoping to avoid having to do...

Please correct me if I'm getting it wrong.  🙂

Mark in Oregon

I've got several motors of the right type on my workbench.  sometime in the next 24 hours, I'll play with a brush plate and take a few photos of the technique.

@mlaughlinnyc posted:

I've got several motors of the right type on my workbench.  sometime in the next 24 hours, I'll play with a brush plate and take a few photos of the technique.

That would be awesome, thank you. 🙂

Mark in Oregon

Work continues on this #10 project.

before:

...and so far:

...the lighting makes it look "bluer" than it really is.

Since I'm not a body repair guy, and there are still a few minor anomalies, I guess it's better if I call this a "rescue", as opposed to a "restoration"...

Mark in Oregon

I call them character! Looks great, what kind of paint are you using? Keep the pics coming.  

@Rich Wiemann posted:

I call them character! Looks great, what kind of paint are you using? Keep the pics coming.  

Thanks Rich.

I used Rust-Oleum "Lagoon"; it was the closest to the Lionel "Peacock" I could find. Not exact, but close enough... for me, anyway. 😊

Just need to address those motor brushes, attach the headlights and re-assemble.

One of the things that struck me is what heavy gauge this stuff was made from. It's real metal! 😁 Lots of fun to work on...

Mark in Oregon

Headlights installed and working:

...even this turned out to be an adventure; the slot/holes for the casting and the fiber contact piece was not large enough for both items to fit, so I had to do a little CAREFUL filing on the body to enlarge those openings.

Managed to do that without damaging the body and/or the paint, so we're good to go.

Mark in Oregon

Here is a sequence of photos showing how I deal with the springs when mounting the brush plate.

Cut a piece of card stock as shown long enough to wrap around the plate.  Make a hole in the middle to fit the armature shaft. (I had to add a piece to the one shown.

Put the brushes in the holder using the cardstock to hold them against the springs.  Tape the cardstock around the brush holder, aligning the hole with the hole in the plate.

Place the brush holder in position   While holding the assembly remove the cardstock - use scissors to cut through one side and tear it from the other.

Replace the screws and you're ready to go.

For use w/ the open-faced brush holders, I have a simple fix.  Take a normal paper clip, bend out 1 leg straight, then bend the straight end into a "U" shape.  Now you can install the brush holder w/o the brushes attached, but with the springs in place. When re-mounted, use the paper clip tool to 'lift' the spring arm, and insert your brush in the holder, then just slide the clip tool out.  The Old Man   

P.S.  I will demonstrate on our next video podcast that the boys do every couple of weeks.   

The Train Shop Weekly - youtube

On a lot of the early motors where you can remove the armature w/o gear interference,   load the brush holder w/ the brushes, and place the armature face up against the brush holder. Now you can carefully  place back into the motor cavity.  Harry 

What Harry suggests might be a better solution than mine for the locomotive I used for my demonstration.  That was a 1664 that has widely spaced drivers.  It would not work with a 1666.

On some motors, I've used the pull back the spring method using tweezers.  It was one of the F-3 or NW-2 motors that caused me to use the cardstock method.

What is a podcast and how do I get to it and how will I know about it ?

I believe Harry is referring to their YouTube channel. They have a series called The Train Shop Weekly, in which they talk about new products into the shop, demo products, run trains and Harry/Harry III showcases various hands on techniques, such as rebuilding E-Units, changing prewar wheels, etc.  

I appreciate everyone's input, I really do.

On the engine in question (a Standard Gauge #10) the armature is of a different type than the one shown in the above photos. I'm hoping someone reading this will know what I mean and can clarify...

In the meantime, here it is, looking bluer than ever (🤔) in the display case:

Still need to find a replacement coupler for one end, but as of now, everything seems to be working.

It's been a very interesting project. 🙂

Mark in Oregon

Mark sounds like you have an older style “Barrel” commutator.

Here is a link that discusses the importance of the phenolic washer, which holds the three commutator segments together, and how to epoxy them if its broken.  It sits above the solder ball on the left side of the pic, on top of the horizontal lip of the segments.

You should inspect this to make sure you aren’t going to have a blown commutator.
https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...matures-commentators

Here is a pic of an engine I had picked up that suffered from a broken ring.

Fortunately all three segments were still in the motor. I was able to clean this up, and used a ring of heat shrink tubing in place of the ring. I also placed a drop of super glue on the back of each segment to the shaft. So far so good with its performance. Unfortunately I hadn’t taken any pics of the finished product  

In the ‘before’ photo the grates (or whatever) on the side were a different color than the body. Was that a non-original mod?

@texgeekboy posted:

In the ‘before’ photo the grates (or whatever) on the side were a different color than the body. Was that a non-original mod?

Those "vents" were, as far as I can tell, always the same color as the rest of the body; but I'm new to Standard Gauge, so don't take my word for it.

Hopefully, someone who knows about SG will be able to give you a definitive answer...

Rich

Thanks for your response; yep, that's the kind I was referring to. 🙂

Fortunately, my armature looks to be in good condition; I just would like to know the best way to change the brushes without having to pull the wheels and disassemble the entire thing.

Mark in Oregon

My observation of many locomotives says to me that the way Lionel had number plates or other parts a different color from the body was by use of inserts.  Using two colors on the same part would have complicated the production process.

@mlaughlinnyc,

Yep, makes sense.  I couldn't tell if the vents were part of the body, or had been screwed on.

@mlaughlinnyc posted:

What is a podcast and how do I get to it and how will I know about it ?

It is a video YouTube channel "The Train Shop Weekly" that the boys do here. Right now because of time schedules they are doing every couple weeks. You can see all the past episodes here:

The Train Shop Weekly - Youtube

Earlier in this thread it was suggested to use white vinegar for cleaning old, rusty parts; this didn't surprise me, as we use it for general cleaning around the house.

Anyway, a few days ago I dropped some wheels, axles and truck frames into a small container of it, then promptly spaced it out until this morning. Here are the results, after a simple wiping down of the surfaces and before any wire brushing:

It totally blew me away how well it worked. Thanks to all who suggested it!

Mark in Oregon

Dilute Molasses works too. Might take a few weeks though.

Pete

Bob Phillips, the host of TM Books & Video's You Can Do It series, has suggested cotton swabs and rubbing alcohol to de-gunk motors in every postwar engine. I'm wanting to buy said equipment from the stores in my area (Bed, Bath, & Beyond, Home Depot, etc. (plus online shopping)).

...I might add here the vinegar did an equally terrific job on the truck frames. Here is a pic of what began as (2) very funky and rusty pieces:

I suppose giving them a light coating of some kind of wax or oil might keep them from rusting again(?) After all, the Oregon Coast is in what is considered a "temperate rain forest" type of climate...

Mark in Oregon

Re-painted the #10 in a color which I think (hope!) is closer to Lionel's "Peacock".

The first color I tried was too blue:

Wattaya  think?

Mark in Oregon

@Strummer posted:

Re-painted the #10 in a color which I think (hope!) is closer to Lionel's "Peacock".

The first color I tried was too blue:

Wattaya  think?

Mark in Oregon

Mark it’s hard to tell from the pictures but the peacock certainly is closer than the blue. Both colors look great. What were the names of the colors you used?

Rich

Thanks. In natural light, the "new" color looks pretty good.

Blue is "Lagoon" by Rust O Leum; the greener color is "Island Girl", made by a company in Fresno, California called "Color Shot". I found it at Michaels...

Mark in Oregon

Perception of any color is dependent on the lighting in which the object is shown, thus the variations under different lighting conditions. It should further be noted that the patina of an original Peacock loco would have faded somewhat over the decades due to exposure to UV light and other factors that would favor oxidation.

@Tinplate Art posted:

Perception of any color is dependent on the lighting in which the object is shown, thus the variations under different lighting conditions. It should further be noted that the patina of an original Peacock loco would have faded somewhat over the decades due to exposure to UV light and other factors that would favor oxidation.

Very true. Although this newer color is better (in that it's less blue and more green), it still doesn't match the color sample from the TCA book.

Perhaps I should have gone with a tan finish...🤪 🙂

At least I got through it, and it runs well! 😁

Mark in Oregon

The name of this thread could be "The many shades of peacock", but I do want to keep it with "Restoration".  The photos embedded below are peacock shades from five sources.  All were taken today with my iPad and color checked against the originals.

The baseline for this is the 352E set that was given to my my around 1930. It was only 30 years old when I first saw it, not time for the color to have changed much.  It has always looked green to me.

Here is my set.

Peacock is somewhere between light blue and medium green.  Here is the 10E labeled peacock on page 69 of the 1976 TCA book.  It's sort of blue, distorted by the low resolution printing.

Here is one from Greenbug's new Standard gauge book.

I'd label it blue. 

Now Doyle's book.  Looks light green with a blueish tint.

Then there is the problem of lighting.  My photos are usually with incandescent.  Here's one of the cars under an LED lamp.

Looks like a greater blue tint.

Now back to my train which I'm preparing to sell as we get ready to move to a senior living community.  The sides and ends are almost C-7 but the roofs don't look good, and I want to repaint them to match the sides.  I have found Trainenamels to do a very good job of reproducing original colors. 

Their 10-peacock looks green, but it's not the same as my green.

As may be observed in the animal kingdom, one should not put two male birds together, especially peacocks.  So I hope my train will be bought by someone who doesn't have a clashing peacock    

Original Lionel Peacock always looked green to me under incandescent lighting. I once owned two excellent original Peacock #10 locos and they looked more green than blue.

If you try to strip off the new paint it could wind up looking like this (photo #1 & #2) any way. So why not strip it down to bare metal and repaint. It will look brand new. I strip everything down, prime with an automotive etching primer, spray paint the finish coat and bake 30 minutes at 200 degrees.

They look great and wear well.

PS the diner was made from a Lionel #610 junk car.

Well...

I thought this thread was dead, but I guess not; the observations regarding "Peacock" make a lot of sense to me, and I thank you all for your input.

I just picked up another #10; this one looks to be in great condition cosmetically, but the motor has no wiring and (2) of the wheels will need to be replaced. Here it is:

It's also missing this handrail:

...anyone have a spare, or can suggest a place that might have this? Hennings, maybe?

I guess it's time to get one of those "faucet pullers" and see if I can completely destroy this model...2 of the wheels had been replaced at some point in time, so that's good.

The big Greenberg book doesn't list a #10 in green, so I guess this is an older repaint...(?)

The fun continues.

Mark in Oregon

That looks just like my peacock 10E - what I think green would look like with a bit of blue tint.

Looking through several parts of Greenburg's book, I see several shades of peacock including some more green than blue.                                                       

None of my references mention green for a 10E except for the dark green frame.

That dark green is something else.  I had always thought that my 10E had a black frame, but recently I saw mention of the dark green.. Looking very carefully at mine next to known black, I could see the green.  I have some GG-1's that present the same problem.  They are very dark green, but from several feet away or in poor light they look black

Have you ever tried our Peacock? Our colors were matched w/ new original Lionel pieces that Lou Shaw from Madison Hardware had in stock, unopened,  Lou was kind enough to lend me the pieces for paint match. We matched the colors, painted a 9 x 11 sheet of gloss paper stock, to use as a color check periodically when we run a new batch of paint. Our paint runs are limited to 1 quart ( 4  1/2 pint cans at a time), so that our stock is always fresh. We do not offer aerosol cans, but the Spray Valve sets are only $10.00 and do a great job.  Harry 

Thanks for your help, Harry. The "spray valve" you mentioned; is that something that attaches to the paint bottle/can?

Also, do you carry any handrail pieces/ sets? I need that one piece for this #10, but would buy an entire set if necessary... 🙂

Thanks again.

Mark in Oregon

The spray system is "PREVAL". It is a reusable spray top/power valve, w/ a 3 oz. glass jar which after you fill the jar w/ paint, screws on to the power valve assy.  Extra power valve assy. are sold, as is extra storage glass or plastic jars for paint storage.  Available at Lowes, Home Depot and most paint shops.  Harry

Thank you...

Mark in (warm today) Oregon

Update:

The 2 original non-geared wheels were in such poor condition that they pulled off the axles without needing any "puller"- type tool. 🙂

The "direction disc" is missing, so I wired it together just so the motor can be tested. It runs "okay", but there is a "chattering" sound I haven't been able to find the source of. I've had it apart numerous times but just can't figure it out. Removed a little bit of brass from the brush tubes, just to make sure there's no chance of them contacting the armature.

Am putting together a parts order for Hennings...👍

Now that I've had a chance to really see how a "Super Motor" is assembled, I have to say that they couldn't be simpler or more user friendly. Good on the designers who dreamt up these things...

Mark in (smoky) Oregon

Parts from Hennings arrived yesterday (already!)👍 😊

Along with the new wheels I ordered a set of brushes and springs; I had already replaced the brushes, but I wanted to see if new springs would help (I figured they couldn't hurt).

Turns out the "chattering" noise was due to (I think) uneven brush pressure: with the new springs this is running much smoother and quieter.

My neighbor (retired millwright) is returning home tomorrow; my plan is to ask him to press those new wheels for me. He has the tools and will do a good job...and I know he will be careful and precise. 🙂

Fun stuff...

Mark in Oregon

Another update...in case there's any interest.

I saw a Youtube video where a guy was restoring a #8; in it he put the wheels onto the axles with a simple "twisting" motion. I tried this and it worked, so it's now track-ready.

Was able to pick up some #12 gauge brass wire from Michaels: it took (3) tries before I did one I thought was good enough. Here's a "before" and "after":

(...this is after I cleaned the body as well...)

Hennings tells me it'll be some time before they'll have die-cast headlights available again, so I guess this little project is done for the time being.

Thanks for indulging me...

Mark in Oregon

No indulgence, simply our pleasure! 😃

I happened to stumble upon this topic and even though I have zero Standard Gauge equipment, I found it very interesting and helpful, especially using vinegar for rust removal. Thanks for sharing the ideas.

Tom

...and especially when Harry Henning talks...I listen. Like the old EF Hutton commercials of many years ago!

Tom

For handrail shaping prewar and postwar both, several pairs of pliers will help.  Go to Western Optical and order a pair of 3 jaw pliers perfect for making neat 90 degree bends without crimping the wire different radii .  A flat and round plier is also useful for adjusting bends and the third is one with 3 nylon curved jaws for shaping wide bends to match boiler and or hood contours.  Other optical suppliers are far more expensive  Hilco and Vigor come to mind.

Ed Samsen

Vita Sine Litris Mors Est (Adelphi Academy Brooklyn, NY)

One of the most useful handrail adjusting tools that I have is a large bench vise.  It has four inch wide jaws and is perfectly square.  Put wire in vise, bend with hands and finish with a hammer and I have a perfext 90 degree bend.

The vise is also good for straightening handrails  I put 4" across the jaws and tighten.  The rotate90 degrees (using existing bend) and tighten jaws again.  Several repetitions give me a straight handrail.

Fortunately the vise is square enough that I can use it to press wheels on axles.

@Ed Samsen posted:

For handrail shaping prewar and postwar both, several pairs of pliers will help.  Go to Western Optical and order a pair of 3 jaw pliers perfect for making neat 90 degree bends without crimping the wire different radii .  A flat and round plier is also useful for adjusting bends and the third is one with 3 nylon curved jaws for shaping wide bends to match boiler and or hood contours.  Other optical suppliers are far more expensive  Hilco and Vigor come to mind.

Ed Samsen

Vita Sine Litris Mors Est (Adelphi Academy Brooklyn, NY)

Ed  - do you have a part number for the 3 jaw plier? I don't see it in their catalog on line.

@PRR8976 posted:

...and especially when Harry Henning talks...I listen. Like the old EF Hutton commercials of many years ago!

Tom

Time to start buying, Tom!

@Jim Waterman posted:

Time to start buying, Tom!

“Potter isn’t selling, he’s buying.”

@Jim Waterman posted:

Time to start buying, Tom!

Don't worry...I am going broke fast enough with my prewar Lionel steam switchers!

Tom