I’ve been collecting Marx tin plate engines and cars, and noticed a lot have bent axles and wheels rusted to the axles. Anyone know where I can buy new axles and or wheels, or am I stuck straiting out the old ones? whats the best way to make them straight again?
You can get new ones from Robert Grossman:
Thangs, thats just the sort of thing I was looking for, now i need to make me a list of what i need to order.
Ooh, Marx. You can buy replacements if you want, but these problems are fixable. For bent axles, get a length of brass tube just big enough around inside to hold the axle. Put the axle in the tube, then bend the large part sticking out with a pair of vice grips. Works great for me. I’ve straightened lots this way.
For rust, straighten if necessary, then put oil on the axle, replace the wheels, then run the car for a few dozen laps around a loop of track behind a good locomotive. The part that matters, where the wheels turn, will be clean. You can do a few cars at once like this.