Lionel locomotive model #0531-1_THE MILWAUKEE ROAD engine#2376

I have an old locomotive that belonged to my grandfather when I was a small boy. The problem is in the drive shaft mechanism. It wil not hold the rubber bands in place when operating. What do I need to do to correct this problem. I would really like to get this working so my son can enjoy this old train as much aas I did when I was his age,and maybe get him to take this up as a new hobby

If you are talking about the traction tires on the wheels, they are redily available from most parts dealers and fairly straightforward to replace.

Ed

Years ago I read about HO Scale engines that were powered by a “rubber band” drive mechanism. If the engine is HO, I would suggest you post this question on the MODEL TRAIN forum, a sister forum to this one.

If the rubber bands are on the wheels of an O Scale engine, most of those can be found at a train shop that does repairs.

Did a little looking, and found this:

Is this similiar to your rubber band drive?