i need to ask advice once again.tonight i set a small test track to see if any of my old engines would even move . they have been packed away for many years it was as i thought it would be. only half would even try.
all of the newer kato atlas concor and even the bachmans did fine. are the old italian made atlas worth even trying to find someone to take a look see? mostly e and f units which i do like but i cant see well enough to even try.
as always i thank you. john
Thought about using the non-working locos as display models???
thought about using one as display in park and then maybe 3 or 4 in some sort of breaker/scrap yard. if they are not worth repair
sure would like for them to pull cars like they once did . they all ran when packed away.
the B & O goes with my passenger set so i sure would like for it to live again.
I sugested displaying models as the cost of repairs V’s buying new, I went down that road with some old farrish engines (N) and the quote to fix was more that the price of a new engine. If your a member of a MRC someone there may be able to help…
im not in any group . i only plague the fine folks here . i just wanted to ask as one never
knows who does what anymore. i saw somewhere on the net the man would change steam engine wheel sets for 3 bucks per axle. when i was a teen i met a guy that liked to work on old cameras. not a big deal until you saw him. his son at 13 weighed over 200. he sold my mother a lincoln town car because he could not fit into it 
huge feller
and liked to work on the smallest things
im about blind from accident and i know better than to try to take these apart . at least they might have a chance with someone that can see well
I would ask myself a few questions. First off, how well do I like those older engines? Do they have sentimental value? If they worked when they were first packed up, maybe a little cleaning, some lubrication and new motor brushes would restore them to full working order. I usually repair my own engines if I like them well enough. The ones I don’t feel competent to repair I usually keep, hoping that I will come across someone good at fixing engines or I will learn enough to repair them myself. Just because I can’t do it today doesn’t mean I won’t be able to sometime in the future. The engines I’m not that fond of, when they quit, I just pitch them out. Several Bachmann engines have fallen into that category over the years. Atlas engines are great because I am familiar with them and parts are usually available for them. When I open up an Atlas engine, I know just what to expect. Some steam engines that I own, I would be very hesitant to disassemble. Newer engines are so much better than their counterparts from decades ago, that replacing the older engine with a newer one may be the most sensible thing to do.
If all of them have been packed away for some time, then they all probably need to be lubed. The ones not turning probably will after lube. If you can remove the shell and try turning the motor or armature by hand Then test run. A small drop of oil on the worm gear and at each end of the armature bearings should free them up.
If you have a Railroad club near you, you might find someone local to help you out.
http://www.visi.com/~spookshow/locos.html
Let the Spookshow list be your guide to repair of the old locos.
Units 30yrs & older you may get to run with cleaning & a lube job. chances are, you will not be able to find spare parts.
You may find spare motors on the * bay, but be careful not to pay too much to get them!
If you get any of the oldies to run, it would be fun to compare them with modern units. See if you can set up a test loop that would be large enough to hold 40+ cars. Then you can test pulling ability.
yes the pulling contest would be fun. all of you are so right and on as usual. if they are broken i guess the worse that can happen is they will be more broken if i mess up badly.
my vision is not gonna get any better so now is time to strike me thinks 
i also had a vison today while making room in shop for the possum central RR . i wonder if these old units
might be BRASS ?? hmmm never thought about that till today. that would be very cool. i know they are heavy as heck
even though they are UP they could always be repainted too. thats more practice for me.
i did have them packed very well so maybe they will live again??
what weight oil to lube worm with? is hair clipper oil ok?
i ordered me a bargained priced incandescent magnifier light today and hung some track lights with both spots and floods.i wanted the florrescent but it was 3 times as much. maybe some day. all of that will help when rail joining time comes again. even the test track runs with the good kato felt oh so good
i thank you all so much for your guidace and wisdom. john
whoa! its the spookshow. what a perfect place for myself and pocketdog to learn new things.
this morning about 5am fieldmarshal pocketdog (very short and fat jack russell) suggested that both himself and his cadre
of red nosed land sharks (apbt) could be hired to protect MRR from any and all kittys that might plot to destroy and upset said railroads. i told him NO we will never charge to guard a MRR’s
from evil kittys and to get me the amp probe mach snell!
so the spookshow is just perfect for us. much thanks
I got a couple of those “red nosed land sharks” I’d never want them guarding my trains,though!!![;)]
If you don’t want to risk taking them apart, e-mail me privately and include your e-mail address. I will send you my suggestions.
Darrell, quiet…for now
you guys are great and i thank you much because without this group my trains would still be packed and id still be a unhappy blind boy.
landsharks mine are wonderful i have mom and her son . mine are very very obedient
the pocketdog is another story. his mission is to rid the world of any and all things that look like a rat. even possums . pound for pound jack russell terrors i mean terriers are serious doggies.
with my gal being disabled and sometimes alone here i really dont worry about her with the dogs around. they are very very serious if told to be on guard. every time they have not liked someone we meet this person always tuirns out to be of ill will .
dad always said a dog can read your mind . seems like it sometimes
my pits will work in both german and english and with hand signals. good dogs well
except for the jrt. if i had any money id send it to you and him too sometimes