I am starting a home company called “Three-rail Heritage” We will repair lionel trains for a reasonable price. We also will sell your 0, 0-27, S,or Standard gauge trains so you get all but 5% of the profit made by the sale.(I get the 5%) Is there a website that has the info I need to get started repairing Lionel, marx, American flyer, williams, MTH, Weaver, ect? We expect to open in Oct. of 2005, when I’m 13.
This is an admirable goal. From personal experience, there is no single source website with everything you are looking for - there are some manuals posted on the various manufacturer’s websites. It’s quite a slog looking for them using various online search tools. I would recommend you purchase some of the repair manuals that are out there - some out of print - you may find them at your local hobby store or from some shopping links from this site. Then look at the tools you’ll need - the repairman at our former hobby store had what looked like a minor machine shop for remilling frames, cutting off bent axles, etc. I’m also assuming you’ll have a relationship with a supplier of parts and supplies. Check out your competition on reselling trains- there are many people out there buying them outright or selling them by auction or posting them on one’s behalf at various auction websites. Good luck.