Finished getting this old set running and shot a quick vidya. The 254 really needs new rollers, but replacing them will be a little bit of a pain so I’m not looking forwards to it. Not to mention I don’t think you can even get replacements of the brass roller with the hole through it? Regardless, it’s nice to have the whole thing up and about.
-El
Cool! Oh-so-cool! I’m not into Pre-Wars but for $140 I’d have been tempted to grab it myself, it’d be a real rush owning a Lionel that rapidly approaching the century mark!
Sure, the finish is rough but it’s showing it’s “battle scars” proudly. In fact I don’t think it’d be a mortal sin if you wanted to do a repaint.
I THINK those pick-up rollers are available from Henning’s, it’s worth checking out!
Great job getting it running Ellie! Thanks for sharing it with us!
It would be a mortal sin to repaint considering its vintage.
Rich
I have to disagree Rich, respectfully. From what I see in the photographs the original paint’s in rough shape. In addition to which collector interest in Pre-Wars is fading and the articles aren’t bringing what they once did unless they’re in pristine condition. If it were mine I’d do a repaint, in fact I’ve been repainting Post-Wars in lesser condition for a while now.
But of course it’s Ellie’s decision what to do with it.
Yeah, I get that. I really do. But a 1927 locomotive in its original form is something that I simply would not mess with. It would be sacrilegious.
Rich
Hey, I won’t say you’re wrong!
Nor are you. 
I considered my options when I got this set. An Olive Green 254 is not considered rare, nor are the cars. The original finish is ruined, even if the original paint is technically still there. It would dramatically improve the appearance of the train to restore it, and would certainly not decrease its value considering condition- perhaps even increase it.
But, I have chosen not to.
In addition to all the time and effort required to strip all the paint, I would run into issues if all I did was put a shiny new coat of green on it. All the trim pieces are tarnished, and some are damaged. I’d have to repair or replace all the trim parts. And then, all the couplers have rust on them. Enough that I wouldn’t be able to get them looking brand new again I’m sure. I don’t want to replace them, as it would get expensive real fast and the couplers are not the same exact style as what is available as reproductions today.
Basically, if I wanted to restore it, I would want to be thorough, and really make it look brand new again. And at that point, the scale of the project is just too big for me right now.
Besides, I have a number of prewar trains in poor condition that I still choose to keep original. They look a little rough, but there’s still some charm to them, as-is. And they may not look the best, but they run like a charm 
isn’t that enough?
-El
It sure is.
Rich
Whatever makes you happy Ellie! That’s what this hobby’s all about!
I call it “patina” and refer to the trains overall as being in “lovingly used” condition…
At some point I think it goes from patina to “this just looks awful no matter how you look at it”. Granted… for me, that point is generally “it’s covered in rust and most of the paint is missing”
Ultimately, restorations take time, energy, and money to do. And these are all finite resources for me, so it generally makes sense not to restore most of my pieces.
-El
I think that it is great that you are leaving your locos as they are, financial considerations or not.
Rich
I would add that on occasion I’ve realized that I’m not entirely qualified to do the kind of restoration an item deserves.
Haven’t we all watched enough “Antique Road Shows” to know that it’s usually detrimental to the price of the object, especially furniture?
That being said, if I were to repaint a Lionel like this, I’d seek out a real craftsman for the job and not attempt it myself.
Imagine trying to get a 8 year old today to put down his phone or game console long enough to play with a pre-war Lionel train for a few hours, let along build a model railroad for it. That particular train has, shall we say, left the station.
Well I don’t want to start a war over this topic but as someone who’s been into antiques for 50+ years I have to say that’s an “It depends” situation. Yes, I’ve seen those “Antique Roadshow” episodes where the appraiser says a piece of furniture would be worth X if it hadn’t been restored. Fair enough, but that ignores the VERY real possibility that same piece would have found its way into the local landfill if it hadn’t been restored, and who knows what it looked like before the restoration?
Too much to go into here but I’ll have to say the value of a piece is always predicated on time, place, condition, and most of all demand. Anyway you look at it it’s a judgement call.
Original paint is worth more, yes. This set is not exactly original as the finish has been harmed by a poor coat of varnish.
The most valuable sets are rust-free, with original paint and finish. This outfit is a far cry from that, and I wouldn’t cry any tears over it if someone restored it. It certainly would not decrease the value at this point.
Restoration work is a skill I wish to hone, so it is worthwhile to get in experience. While this set is staying in the same cosmetic condition I found it in, I have other equipment which will not be. There is nothing wrong with doing it myself, if I’m not pleased with the results I can try again.
I think you are overly harsh and dismissive of the contemporary child. Most children are highly skilled in the art of finding ways to have fun, and I find this trait commendable. I have entertained many a child with my electric trains before, be it only for a minute, or for an extended period of time. I cannot fault people, large or small, for having varying degrees of interest in a particular thing.
-El
I agree with you completely.
Thanks!
Our club, the Virginia Train Collectors Association in collaboration with another local club, the River City 3-Railers (Three railers have three times the fun!) had been holding open houses for the public at a local mall for half the year until we lost the facility. I’ll tell you, we didn’t see too many frowns on the families who visited and all enjoyed the visit, moms, dads, and especially the kids! How much of an impact this will have on the growth of the hobby we can’t know but it sure didn’t hurt!
I’m sure I’ve linked the VTC YouTube channel before but it wouldn’t hurt to do it again. This was our open house location until July of this year.