Resurrection of Lionel tinplate cars

Looking forward to your story.  I've got many cars of that vintage in my restoration queue and always looking for the best way to work with them.,

Same thing in my collection. It seems like restoration projects pile up quickly. Just seems like this is the perfect time to work on these projects.

                                               Trainfam

My problem is I start new ones without finishing old ones lol

Likely a widely shared problem.  At the moment I'm being forced to actually finish a few projects to make space to store the new ones that keep flowing in.

I store lots of mine in shoe boxes as they tend to be a perfect stack-able size and generally will hold an engine and tender or a  set of passenger cars.  With three kids we end up with a lot of shoe boxes lol

‘Tis true, I have a 440N right now that has been waiting to be repaired for nearly a year now. 

                                               Trainfam

Dennis Holler posted:

I store lots of mine in shoe boxes as they tend to be a perfect stack-able size and generally will hold an engine and tender or a  set of passenger cars.  With three kids we end up with a lot of shoe boxes lol

 

Seems like you’ve got a pretty good game plan going. I like to use the shipping boxes I received the pieces in to store them.

                                               Trainfam

Dennis Holler posted:

I store lots of mine in shoe boxes as they tend to be a perfect stack-able size and generally will hold an engine and tender or a  set of passenger cars.  With three kids we end up with a lot of shoe boxes lol

 

I do the same as I purchase the Home Depot  boxes for about a $1.00 each. I start then put them in the box then label the box also order the parts I need and place them in the box too. I keep trying not to buy future rebuilds but it is hard to pass up a god deals?

It’s a very hard thing to pass up especially right now with a lot of time to kill. I got the whole car apart, And will post pictures later. 

                                              Trainfam

TrainFam posted:

Dennis Holler posted:

I store lots of mine in shoe boxes as they tend to be a perfect stack-able size and generally will hold an engine and tender or a  set of passenger cars.  With three kids we end up with a lot of shoe boxes lol

 

Seems like you’ve got a pretty good game plan going. I like to use the shipping boxes I received the pieces in to store them.

                                               Trainfam

 

I have a great game plan for getting boxes.  Have a wife who does all of her shopping on-line.  I get a great assortment of sizes and shapes and can often find something just right for shipping when I sell an odd shaped Lionel accessory.

Front showing new paint:

Here is the window trim for the 612 observation before repainting. On the other side you can still see the original maroon paint.

back showing original paint:

                                             Trainfam

So with all of this repainting being done I am going to have to find some place to buy paint. Does anyone have any suggestions on where I can buy the paint? Keep in mind that I am wanting to repaint the car it’s original colors (maroon and green). 

                                             Trainfam

Thankfully, most of the unpainted parts ( wheels, axles, pickup rollers, ect) are not badly rusted and are fairly clean. However I am still cleaning them in vinegar. I will take pictures when they dry.

                                                  Trainfam 

Here’s the pickup roller after cleaning:

                                                   Trainfam 

Here’s one set of wheels:

Nice and shiny!

                                            Trainfam

@TrainFam posted:

So with all of this repainting being done I am going to have to find some place to buy paint. Does anyone have any suggestions on where I can buy the paint? Keep in mind that I am wanting to repaint the car it’s original colors (maroon and green). 

 

                                             Trainfam

You can have custom colors in a spray can made at auto parts stores like Napa. They are pricey but you can get any color you want....I have found a lot of close matches in auto parts stores. I kind of go with my feelings of what I'm doing at the time. 

@TrainFam posted:

Thankfully, most of the unpainted parts ( wheels, axles, pickup rollers, ect) are not badly rusted and are fairly clean. However I am still cleaning them in vinegar. I will take pictures when they dry.

 

                                                  Trainfam 

There are two good places to go for reproduction colors.

trainenamels.com   I've talked with their proprietor - nice fellow.

Hennings - talk with Harry.  He gave me a lot of useful advice.

Both have done a lot of research to do correct reproductions of Lionel colors.  Between the two, not much is missing.

I know I posted these years ago, but it's a set I did before MTH did their passenger set and these are 600 cars and a 249E. Used Eastwood Chem blackening kit on the motor and trucks.  I later sold it and now wish to do another lol

@Dennis Holler posted:

I know I posted these years ago, but it's a set I did before MTH did their passenger set and these are 600 cars and a 249E. Used Eastwood Chem blackening kit on the motor and trucks.  I later sold it and now wish to do another lol

Amazing transformation! What did you use to clean the rust off trucks? Or is that part of the blackening kit? Is this it?

@Will posted:

Amazing transformation! What did you use to clean the rust off trucks? Or is that part of the blackening kit? Is this it?

Thanks Will,  I think at that time I was experimenting with Evaporust which works great! The contents of my kit from Eastwood look a little different than that but it's been several years so they could have changed packaging, size of bottles etc.  I think it was less than $50 at the time but again, was long ago.  I still have some and still use it occasionally if I need to re-blacken stuff.  

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, I will look into buying some new paint here as soon as I can, the problem now is that the paint that the previous owner used to repaint this in is a pain to get off. Any suggestions as to how I can safely take the paint off?

                                                  Trainfam

I still have my 259E that I restored...I hope my Grand kids will enjoy it.

What a pretty arrays of colors that you used gene. Where did you get the stamps for the milk car? I’m going to need some for my cars because some genus’s decided to paint over the original stamps.

                                                 Trainfam

The Hood's Milk logo was designed by my Grandfather back in the 1930's. I made decals from his original drawings. I am enclosing some other milk company logo's, you can use them to make your own decals. This logo is also on the Lionel Hood's milk car #19894.

@gene maag posted:

The Hood's Milk logo was designed by my Grandfather back in the 1930's. I made decals from his original drawings. I am enclosing some other milk company logo's, you can use them to make your own decals. This logo is also on the Lionel Hood's milk car #19894.

 

Thank you gene, these are great!

been using my crock pot lately

@gene maag posted:

The Hood's Milk logo was designed by my Grandfather back in the 1930's. I made decals from his original drawings. I am enclosing some other milk company logo's, you can use them to make your own decals. This logo is also on the Lionel Hood's milk car #19894.

 

Would you happen to have the Hood's North Beverly logo in color?  That particular logo was for Cherry Hill farm, Hoods experimental Dairy farm located in North Beverly MA. I visited Cherry Hill often as a child and even learned to milk a cow there, I was raised about a mile from it. I'd really like to do a refrigerator car with that logo on it.

That is really nice of you Gene, the art work is very cool, thanks for sharing with the forum.

Charlie

Thank you....I really think it fits in well with the tinplate era on my tinplate tender converted to a milk car. I'm sure my Grand father would be happy that someone liked his work so far into the future.

All I have is the black and white originals, I don't think, as a mater of fact I'm pretty sure, there isn't any thing in color from that period of time. I did copy the Lionel Hood's logo from their Hood's box car. It copies well from Lionel's catalog, as you can see it on my Hood's building picture. If you go to Boston there is a huge Hood's milk bottle there with that picture on it, maybe you can photograph it.

@gene maag posted:

The Hood's Milk logo was designed by my Grandfather back in the 1930's. I made decals from his original drawings. I am enclosing some other milk company logo's, you can use them to make your own decals. This logo is also on the Lionel Hood's milk car #19894.

 

Gene, what a fantastic job you’re grandfather did designing these drawings/decals, I appreciate you for letting us make are own decals. Next time that I come across some beat up boxcars and customize them I’ll have to use these. Thanks!

                                                      Trainfam 

@Dennis Holler posted:

been using my crock pot lately

I'm interested in what you are doing with the crack pot.  Can you tell us more about it ?

@mlaughlinnyc posted:

I'm interested in what you are doing with the crack pot.  Can you tell us more about it ?

"Honey, where's my crock pot?"

Nothing with a crack pot. She got a larger one and so I saved this one for cleaning old model airplane engines but tried it for paint removal a d works pretty good.  Need a bigger one for long stuff and once the darned goodwill opens back up I will keep my eye out.

Two down two to go.

Look great to me!

Dennis,  What is your process for paint stripping using the crock pot.                                

John K

I put some Arm & Hammer detergent in with water and boil it, nothing special.  I also use electrolysis for rust removal and that requires the A&H as well. My main problem is I tend to forget about it and it will boil the water away eventually. I need a bigger one though.  Other methods work as well, it's just cheap and easy