I have several old Lionel engines I’d like to put back in service. The engine are 25+ years old and have been in storage under less than ideal conditions for 10+ years. What do I need to do to get them to run reliably?
What state did “storage under less than ideal conditions” put them in? Solid rust, what? It may be that you simply need some Labelle 106 and a lot of elbow grease…
I haven’t opened them up, but the conditions were very humid, so I’m expecting rust. What parts will need cleaned /replaced, where do I lube, etc? I’ll have to get them out and open the up, maybe take some pics.
Dave;
You are going to have to either get sufficient books, or knowledge advice to look at the models to adequately answer your questions. Pictures will most likely not be sufficient.
As far as parts go, you will need to know the part number, or take them to someone who can find a part number or part for you.
Good luck.
You might get better answers to your questions over on the Classic Toy Trains forum, because that area is more dedicated to Lionel O gauge trains than this HO forum.
If you’re not mechanically inclined, my advice would be to take them to a hobby shop and let a professional do any work that might need to be done. I’ve seen people ruin old engines trying to get them fired up again after a long sleep.
trainluver1
GTA,
My Dad has some 50+ yr old lionel O scales and they too were stored under not so ideal (but better than average) conditions. They are a 464 and 462 I believe and when he got them out last summer, he took them apart and basically did some lubing and re-soldering of wires and then put the power to them gently. They still to this day run great after 20 - 25+ years of storage and 2 house moves. My son and nephew love them.
I know this probably won’t answer your question too well but I hope it helps a little. Check your LHS for any Lionel books, they may have too be ordered. If I remember correctly though, my Dad just sprayed the motors with WD-40 and worked them by hand a little. Now this may not work with all motors.(I’m sure of that) And it depends on how much corrosion is in the motor itself. He just sprayed them really good and wiped the excess off before running power thru them.Make sure the wire connections are still good, you may have to re-solder them. Clean the pick up wheels and the track they will run on (pretty obvious) and check the track with a tester for power if they don’t run first time.(old transformers sometimes go bad) This may take some work. He also used compressed air to blow out any dust, dirt and junk before the WD-40.
Good luck.
-Dave
You could do what mechanics do…IF these engines are not rare and especially valuable, and if money doesn’t grow on trees in your yard. Soak the motors in Varsol, or even paint thinner, and then blast them with an air hose and nozzle. When the blast is clear, and the motors are apparently dry, lubricate them as appropriate, and then apply low power, just enough to get them to turn over. After a few minutes, you can apply increasing amounts of power if, and as, they respond well. Depending on the construction of the transmission, or gear box, you might be able to clean them this way, too.
Thanks for the tips guys. Once I open them up and see what condition they’re in, I’ll decide whether I want to tackle it myself. I have a local family-owned hobby shop that does some repair I believe, and their display shelves are loaded with old Lionel and American Flyer stuff, so I’m sure they could handle the job. If I farmed this out to a shop, what could I expect to pay for this service? Assuming normal rust and wear from previous use and storage.