At York in October I picked up a brass Roberts Lines trolley from the TCA sales table.
After cleaning and lubrication, it runs acceptably. It has some broken solder joints, the roof doesn't fit particularly well, and it would benefit from new pickup rollers. Based on discussions with a couple of the MESG and SGMA guys, it sounds like Roberts Lines items were not known for their overall quality. I'd call the condition at least Very Good (maybe Excellent since the flaws possibly came that way from the manufacturer?).
I would like opinions regarding keeping it as it is or painting and detailing it to suit my fancy. It's my only Roberts Lines piece, but I don't have any particular attachment to the brand. Also, my MESG and SGMA friends said that I wouldn't be committing a crime against future MESG collectors by painting it.
While I understand that "it's my train and I can do what I want", I want to hear your thoughts and suggestions. Thanks in advance.
P.S. I highly recommend the book "Not Your Daddy's Standard Gauge" by Arno Baars and David Carse. Without it, I would never have heard of Roberts Lines (and many others).
