How To Clean Postwar Lionel Train Motors

Parts, Service and Repair of Antique Toy Trains - Factory Experience

Repair Hints and Product Info

- Dr. Tinker�'south Train Repair Hints
- New Products
- Reader Repair Questions
- Commentary

Dr. Tinker � 's Lionel Postwar Railroad train Repair Hints Modern Era Lionel Trains Employ Capacitors on Their Pullmor Motors

November 2022Lionel started using motor brush capacitors on their Pullmor Motors starting with the MPC era and continuing into the present day. These electronic devices you run across on the castor plate are used to minimize the "noise" generated by the AC motor which can effect the proper operation of the �new� electronic sounds when operating the trains. This attempt was largely successful but as in every fix, there is a drawback. In this case, the capacitors do have a limited shelf life. Engines may stop running if the capacitors fail or worse, someone trying to supercede the brush cap may improperly replace the capacitors. Information technology is all-time that operators unfamiliar with the inner workings of these trains take their trains serviced past professional service techs with the talent and equipment to properly trouble shoot such problems.

Some other cause for stoppage occurs when the battery life expires for those engines that have sound systems. This is especially true for MTH and Lionel. In that location take been many articles published in the toy train magazines addressing the issues of under voltage batteries. The fix for that is to replace the bombardment or recharge it. Most engines, steam and diesel, use an 8.4 Volt battery which tin be purchased through a vendor who specializes in toy train equipment or through the manufacturer. However, the problem that some operators take with this situation is that they are not comfortable with the idea of going into the engine to remove and supercede the battery. The solution to this is to supplant the bombardment with a so called �super battery� that uses a pocket-sized electronic excursion with a super capacitor unit of measurement, thus ending the dependence on a bombardment. There are two types of batteries and operators must know which one to purchase. You should also understand that once your one-time battery is replaced with a super bombardment, the engine must exist left standing under ability for i minute before operations commences. This does not have to exist performed each time yous operate the trains. This procedure should only exist done when the trains have been stored for a menstruum of time. Every bit stated previously, if you accept never taken and engine apart, delight have your super battery installed by a trained repair person.

Modern Era Parts Lists
1970 to Present

Nov 2008

For modernistic-era Lionel trains, those made from 1970 through today, parts data is available and free if yous have access to a reckoner and the Internet. Lionel has illustrated parts listings called supplements on its website at www.lionel.com. From the site's home page, take the links to Customer Service and then Parts List & Pictorial Diagrams. These supplements include data for researching modern-era Lionel equipment. Download the PDF files for all 47 supplements from your computer. They cover a number of the Lionel products produced subsequently 1970.

College Voltage

April 2008

Many of the trains produced prior to the 'lxx's require more voltage to ability the engines. Many of the older Lionel transformers are however practiced power producers and tin can be used after being serviced by a qualified repair person. Small transformers produced since 1970 practice non provide the college voltage needed for the older engines. Older Lionel power sources provide the voltage, of at least 18 volts, that can be expected from the older units. The output is indicated on the face plate of the transformer and also on the output panel where the terminals are located. The key is look for the potential output, usually 18 volts or more than. Some can exist institute which produce up to 24 volts Ac. Exist sure to have the power string replaced before using the units. Older transformers tin normally be purchased at very reasonable prices. These can be found at train shows or on the Cyberspace. Some have malfunctioning potentiometers. A good service person can evaluate these. Some cannot be fixed, but most can be repaired.

No. 97 Coal Elevator

October 2007

Honey Dr. T:
Fourteen years ago, a friend gave me a No. 97 Coal Elevator that sounded worn out but nonetheless elevated coal. Seven years agone, I asked if you take No. 97 Overhaul Kits. You advised me to expect for a younger No. 97. The communication would have been fine had I been able to find 1 at a younger price.

After 14 years in my possession, the machine got so bad that information technology was popping the breaker. I took it to the demote, turned information technology upside down, and noticed that a gear shaft ran through a hole in a sheet metallic tab. I powered it up and the No. 97 fabricated an awful dissonance. I gripped the tab with a small pliers and very very slowly bent it, thus displacing the hole, thus displacing the shaft, thus displacing the gear interfaces. I figured that if the noise got worse, I would move the pliers the other manner. Merely in a few moments, the 97 was purring like a kitten and the buckets moved with alacrity at a pocket-sized voltage.

It's embarrassing to be preaching to the instructor only I feel compelled to share my stroke of good luck since this is a discipline on which we have corresponded in the past.

Best regards,

Bob

Bob -
Thanks for the hint.

- Dr. T.

Replacement Boiler Front Rings
We oft get calls for replacement outer Boiler Front end Band assemblies. Unfortunately, the outer ring castings are not available separately for postwar and prewar steamers. These were never sold from the Lionel Corp. and the repros are not an exact match for the original banality front end doors.

This means that you must replace the unabridged front assembly when the original breaks. Originals are very hard to find in expert condition and we have paid equally much every bit $100.00 for an early 726 replacement. The repros are quite adequate, notwithstanding, and I usually recommend that you buy a repro until you tin find an original, which can take some time. Replacing the marker lanterns on the outer rings is not a applied solution for those who might want to endeavor this.

Smoke Pellets Come-Back!

Subsequently at least 35 years with no Lionel type Smoke Pellets, a fellow from Texas took a look at the state of affairs, saw a need, and went into the Smoke Pill business. For a fourth dimension, we could get some similar pills from Thousand-Line but those finally disappeared from the marketplace a few years back. Most of us used the Liquid Smoke Conversion Kits which, when installed, produces the fume as well as the pills. The Conversion Kit provides you lot with a nylon chamber cover which must exist produced in hi-temp nylon plastic. The covers from Lionel in white plastic were better than the later on blackness molded covers. We accept found that if the blackness repro nylon covers are used to catechumen the pill type to liquid, the heater element must be installed well below the plastic surface. Otherwise the cap volition overheat, distort and perhaps malfunction, nether some atmospheric condition. Nosotros have installed thousands of the Liquid Conversion Kits, and the liquid approach does seem to piece of work very well. However, some prefer the old pill type organization which works equally well. Now that pills are available, information technology'southward nice to take the choice to utilize them.

This has resulted in many requests for a return to the pill type heater element which uses the metal bedroom cover. Parts to make either repair are available from Dr. Tinker. Consult our Parts List and the Repair & Operating Transmission for parts descriptions, numbers, prices and assembly instructions for details.

Early on Knuckle Coupler Trucks

A number of you have asked about the Lionel Bulletins from 1945/1946, which explained what the Flying Shoe design was all about. These sheets are now available from Dr. Tinker for $five.00 per set.

We have assembled what we could find and printed them for distribution.

Detect Exploded Diagrams Online
You can notice exploded diagrams, parts lists and supplements online at www.lionel.com. Click on "Customer Service", then "Parts Listing and Exploded Diagrams", and type in the production number.

Instructions for Retrofitting
Liquid Smoke Generator
In Lionel Pill-Type Smoke Units I. Remove the metal cover (it will non be used) and thoroughly clean out the smoke pot, the vertical air spout, the housing cylinder and the fume piston. (It may be necessary to use a sparse wire to unclog the vertical air spout. A paper clip works fine.)

Two. Slide the white fiberglass wick #8141-56 over the resistor #8141-55.

III. Put the shrink tube #2029-15 over one lead and heat-shrink shut to the resistor trunk.

IV. Carefully bend both leads ninety� close to the resistor body. Insert the leads through the holes in the black cap #2029-sixteen. The insulated lead goes in the larger hole.

V. Put the new fiberglass liner #671-212 in the smoke pot and seat the cap and heater assembly in the pot. The resistor must not touch the air spout. Early 671 and 675 pots are smaller. In this case, the cap fits outside the smoke housing and y'all volition need to clip the internal "fins" to allow proper seating of the cap.

Vi. Next, extend the insulated atomic number 82 (if yous need to). Yous may wish to utilise some other piece of larger shrink tubing to insulate this connection. This pb should be continued to a center runway pick-upwards wire (Due east-unit or headlite wire, etc.)

VII. Now connect the ground lead to a convenient place. You can solder this lead to the smoke housing itself, or y'all could solder a lug to it and attach it to the locomotive frame with a nearby screw (Case - smoke unit of measurement support screw).

VIII. Finally, place the felt smoke gasket #671-181 or alternate #726-57 on the top of the smoke unit before inserting motor and smoke unit of measurement assembly into cab. This gasket prevents fume fluid leakage and farther insulates the hot pb from the locomotive torso.

Smoke Lever for 671/681

The all-time info comes from first hand, real life experiences when it comes to repairing old Lionel Trains. All of my notes and letters, going dorsum to the material written for "O" Gauge Railroading Magazine were generated out of necessity and that kind of thing continues to develop on a daily basis. Hither is another one that has been a bit of a mystery to me for years. A telephone call from a fellow almost the 681 Smoke Lever prompted me to look into the pattern state of affairs, afterwards years of wonder, actually. I knew that the 671 (Tardily Model) Smoke Lever was different from the 681 but I never sorted out why. Here then is the story equally it unfolded for my caller and me.

When Lionel decided to install "Magnetraction" in the 671 a few modifications were necessary, which affected the Lever shape. I always wondered why the Smoke Lever tended to stay assembled to the Chassis on the 681, whereas it was easily removable on the 671. In other words, the Smoke Lever simply would not come out unless a few things were washed to facilitate removal. Unlike the 671, the 681 has "Magnetraction" plates mounted on both sides of the Chassis, which carries the magnetic forcefulness to all viii drivers. The magnet is held in place past a cobweb slice and tabs. Removal of the Smoke Lever is non possible until the magnet retainer tabs are bent up, the fibre removed and finally the magnet.

Turns out that in gild for the Fume Lever to piece of work properly on the 681, the tab on the cam end had to be aptitude down instead of upwardly. Information technology's a little different from the 671 concept, but the end outcome is that the lever keeps the piston moving up and downward to pump the smoke out, the aforementioned way, via the cam on the axle.

So now nosotros know why the 681 Fume Lever has the tab bent downwardly, while the 671-188 has the cease tab pointing up.

Pack Trains for Shipment in Double Boxes
10/23/03

Dear Sir,
Received the 671 Steam Turbine yesterday in the single box and information technology was loosely packed, but not cleaved fortunately. I am taking this opportunity to point out how risky information technology is to pack an Engine loose in a single box in this fashion. 90 per centum of the harm that we see comes from improper packing for shipment. Trains that originally needed a little or no serious repair piece of work cease upwardly equally parts engines equally a result of the damage sustained in transit to the states.

This may seem like a small-scale matter at the onset, but please let me assure you lot, this is a major trouble for united states, which means it's a trouble for you and your client as well. When I have gone through this one and returned it to yous, please make a note of how nosotros double box it for the return shipment. The hugger-mugger to successful packing is two fold. First, the Engine should be packed tightly in an inside box then that it does not move or rattle. Secondly, this box should and then be packed tightly in an outer shipping box. Allow i to two inches all around the inner box and pack it tightly so information technology cannot move around during its travel. I use balled up newspaper, foam particles and even balled up plastic grocery shop shopping bags.

I hope this info will be of value when you send the next Trains for repair.

Regards,

David Laughridge

Twin Motor Trouble Shooting
Postwar Lionel Twin Motor Engines similar the FM, F3 and GG-1 present a special problem to the repair person. These Double Motor Engines must be uniquely coordinated for trouble free long term operation. When servicing these engines, both motors should exist dealt with at the aforementioned time, in the same style. In other words, if yous replace the Motor Brushes in one, you should do this to both motors at the same time.

The reason for this has to do with residuum. If ane motor is pulling better than the other motor, this imbalance will eventually piece of work a hardship on the slower motor and the better motor will actually take to work harder than necessary in order to compensate for the weaker 1. Performance of both motors volition eventually be reduced, if i is serviced and one is not. Always clean and lube both motors in the same mode so i will non take an advantage over the other.

New Products

#455 Oil Derrick Oestrus Switch
These circuit boards are now available from Dr. Tinker at $5.00 plus shipping, while supplies last. Click here for more data.

Fume Pellets

Simply like the old ones @ $15.00 per bottle plus shipping and handling ($9.00) by popular demand. Brand cheque payable to D. Laughridge.

Brushes for Scout Motors

Virtually would concord that Lionel'south everyman moment was when, for financial reasons, they developed the Scout Steamers with those awful plastic motors. Many say these were "throw away" motors and they may have been planned that way. Nonetheless, the exploded views of these ill-blighted assemblies are conspicuously documented in the Repair and Operating Manuals, and the parts that wear out are now bachelor, including the brushes and springs. Dr. Tinker has a limited supply in stock, if parts are needed for repairing these poor piddling motors. Please apply the appropriate part number and discussion description when ordering. Brushes and springs average $2.50 a pair.

Lubricant
Dr. Tinker stocks all the lubricant you will need for servicing your Lionel trains, including Lubriplate and LaBelle, plastic gear compatible products. Phone call 781-862-5798 for details.

Reader Repair Questions

Hi Dave,
Can you tell me if there is a "special" tool to remove the horseshoe washers and then that you do not harm the car? If at that place is, where can I get one?

Thanks,

John John,
I accept never needed whatever special tool to remove the horseshoe washers. A pair of small-scale household pliers works fine for me. I practice insert a piece of sparse card stock nether the ends of the horseshoe and then as not to scratch the floor of the car. I promise this helps you a little.

Good luck,

Dr. T.

Dear Dave,

I was talking with a long time railroad train repair associate about a 1947 vintage 726 Berk I was running on his layout and how I had tried everything to get the Due east-unit of measurement to work properly. It seemed that the plunger had go magnetized and was sticking in the up position. The reverse unit was in very skilful condition and I wanted to set it. He asked me if the 1946 version of the Berk had a horizontal Eastward-unit. I replied "yep" and he continued doesn't information technology have a return spring? I replied "yes". He connected, why wouldn't a spring similar the 164-16 on the Berk rear truck piece of work to requite the plunger a trivial extra boost to return to the downwardly position when the power is interrupted betwixt cycles? And so with a lilliputian experimentation I was able to become it to work. You have to clip about three coils off of the modest end so the plunger isn't over powered at low voltage, but it seems to work very well. Information technology seems like trying to demagnetize the plunger would work for a while but the problem could reoccur.

I'chiliad sure you've tried this fix but I thought I would laissez passer it on anyhow.

Your friend in Michigan,

Robert Lewis

Howdy Robert,

So at present you have helped a fellow train person, and the joy from that is in your pay! Yes, we have tried the spring and it does seem to exist a solution, among many. Thanks for passing this hint along. I'll try to insert it in the Web pages if I can become a break here.

Regards,
David Laughridge/Dr. Tinker

Dearest Dr. Tinker,

I have a problem with the "new" plastic MPC/LTI couplers. They won't stay closed. I ordered new armatures, the ones with the metal thumbtack, but they break very easily when I try to install them. Is this normal? What are they (Lionel) doing to make the couplers so frustrating?

I bought coupler armatures from several unlike parts dealers, and got some straight from Lionel. The only ones that actually worked were the ones I got from Lionel. Tin you lot offer whatever insight on this continuing problem? I miss the old postwar design.

Sincerely,

Peter Finch

Dear Peter,

We take all experienced the problem you mention, with the replacement # 9050 series Nylon Coupler parts. There are a number of forces at work on this, which should be considered.

First, we do not have a high regard for the pattern concept, but accept resigned to try to brand the all-time of what seems to be a flawed concept. That said, offset with the products that came out through the seventy'south, those seemed to work marginally. Memos from the factory showed u.s.a. how to bend the Nylon Plunger, AKA "Armature", so it would work better which suggests that at that place were problems from the onset. And now, in the new scheme of things, products from the Orient, in the year 2002, by and large, don't have this type of plastic assembly. Merely that doesn't assistance united states on the # 9050 Plunger replacements. You are correct. The Lionel Plungers seem to fit and work fine, even though I take had a few, purchased from the Michigan plant, that were brittle. Early on parts went into the two guide holes with no problem, but Plungers made from the brittle plastic volition break when forced into identify, if non pressed straight in. The harder plastic (Nylon?) part has better springiness, but the trade off is that they break easily when improperly inserted. With practice, you will develop a technique for installing the replacements.

Nonetheless, the problem gets more than circuitous when the wait-a-likes from K-Line become into the movie. Bluntly, if you should get some of those from a parts dealer, save them for K-Line truck repairs, exclusively. Some guys have told me they can make the K-Line parts work in Lionel trucks, merely I have had poor luck with them.
We long for the proficient old days, when parts could exist interchanged, every time, without surprises. There was a fourth dimension when production standards and consistency ruled. That withal is in there somewhere but but where is hazy, in 2002. If you lot get whatever of the Plungers that don't snap correct into place, chances are you have a non-Lionel office that looks correct, but isn't. I empathize with yous on this. We take all struggled with these crazy variations for the past 25 years, or so, and now it looks like we tin can look more of the same with parts and trains being produced all over the planet. This is why I prefer to stick with the good stuff that was produced on. US. soil.

Good luck to you.

Regards,
David Laughridge/Dr. Tinker

If you have Lionel questions, electronic mail Dr.Tinker at dave@drtinkertrains.com for a timely reply.

Commentary

April 2022

Why 3 Prongs?

Have you lot ever wondered why the electrical cord on your appliances now have the iii prong plugs? The later appliances approved by the Underwriters Laboratories with the basis plug, appeared on our gadgets a few decades agone. Notice that Lionel Transformers produced prior to 1970 had only 2 110V plugs. When MPC, General Mills, took over Lionel, all transformers grew another plug at the insistence of the UL. Some operators who take large layouts requiring multiple transformers, have requested power cords with the ground plug. This makes sense because when more than i transformer is added, the grounds demand to be aligned, starting at the wall plug and proceeding all the way to the track voltage. The addition of a third prong allows the transformers to be utilized with common grounds from the kickoff.

Recently, a swain who is in the utility business, asked why his Lionel TW Transformer showed a low voltage at the tracks when his power is plugged in, merely not given any throttle. Checking our own TW at the store, certain plenty, there was a pocket-size indication of voltage at the track under these conditions. When an engine was placed on the rail, the voltage disappeared.

I had always known of the being of the so called "leak" but never gave it much thought. From what I accept learned, the small temporary leak is an Electromagnet Force Field (EMF) condition, generated from the interaction of the transformer coils and field as the device converts the 110 Volt wall current to the lower track voltage, required for Lionel Train AC operation. The UL engineers apparently did non similar this condition and insisted on a few restrictions, not always producing benefits. Transformers produced for Lionel Trains were never equally reliable equally those produced at the Lionel factory in Hillside, NJ. Generally speaking, the consensus is that the transformers produced after 1970 are simply besides sensitive to the weather that occur when powering upwardly the locomotives. The addition of the tertiary plug is probably the simply good result of so much attention to modern Lionel transformer production.

Most people agree that the Postwar transformers are more reliable than those produced later on 1970. The ZW, virtually famous of all Lionel power sources, are extremely popular and reliable. These are readily repairable if serviced by qualified service people. A third ground power cord tin can be added, if done by an established service person. It's important to know your repair person and to make sure he is knowledgeable in this surface area. Calculation a properly installed ground plug volition at least provide a guarantee that when using multiple transformers, they will be aligned with mutual grounds. It is recommended that the "U" basis posts be all "jumped" together to insure this continuity, in addition to adding the mutual grounding plug. The other reward is that yous will become rid of the voltage leak at the runway. This has not been a problem, to my knowledge, for over 100 years of Lionel Train operation. Only perchance it is a worth while addition to those wonderful Transformers. Most chiefly, adding common footing plugs insure that ZW'due south, when used in tandem, will always exist able to perform without voltage bug due to mixed grounding.

March 2009

Letter to Dr. Tinker

Dearest Dr. Tinker,

Since you spent your life in the play time enhancement concern and served every bit master of ceremonies at the Lionel Corp., I am sharing a few thoughts and observations that you may observe entertaining. I am sending copies to the chief execs. at Lionel and MTH as ideas for advancing the land of the art, while preventing design and manufacturing errors, and making equipment user repairable.

A friend sent me Richard Kughn'south version of the Rock Island Northern. It ran well merely the appearance is so disgusting that Mr. Kughn owes an amends to the Stone Isle Technical Society. I spent my youth trackside admiring those handsome machines.

The same person sent me vii new locomotives to run. I was the first person to remove them from their boxes. In addition, I purchased 2 new modern (not-traditional) locomotives. The 9 locomotives were a mix of Thou-Line, Lionel, and MTH. The new ones were substituted for assorted locomotives already on layout and subjected to the aforementioned caste of use as the aged power they were replacing.

Of the 9 new locomotives, vi were plagued with pattern flaws that surfaced immediately. One developed cracked carbody, apparently due to uneven mold cooling. Another lost its sound system. But the RailKing Turbine survived its tour of duty without trouble. Maximum tour of duty was one twelvemonth. This is not a proficient record because that my ancient armada dates back to the decade immediately following WW II and its constituents run for years without attention.

Given the sophistry for which the non-traditionalists are striving, I suggest they written report the War machine Standards pertaining to quality, reliability, MAINTAINABILITY, merchandise-off analysis, and durability. Maintainability is emphasized because today's hobbyists are accustomed to doing their own repair work. The list of "Mill-Stds" should be available from the Secretary of Defence or Superintendent of Documents at the U.S. Govt. Press Off. The documents are clearly written and intended to be applied every bit advisable.

I insist on the re-introduction of magne-traction. Traction tires mucilage upwardly rail heads and identify undo stress on electrical and mechanical components. My Jeep transmission says non to use four-wheel bulldoze on dry pavement. Equipment needs room to breathe. MTH traction tires are notorious for falling off before they wear out.

Judging from my observations at Horse Shoe Curve, 2 giant Greenberg shows, and the four-and-a-half yr. old boy who came to see my layout (and concluded up helping me run it), I see no need for Thomas the Tank, the Polar Express, Henry Pothead, and assorted holiday trappings. The idea is to take an manufacture that is so aesthetically appealing, operates in the open, and reduce it in size so information technology can be brought into the firm. The peripheral rubbish reminds me of Lee Iacocca rebuking Detroit for pumping out so many variations of the same vehicle.

I have a feeling that the retired automaker would counsel the Big Two to reduce their diversity and make longer product runs of remaining product types - and reduce catalogs to the annual 50 page wish book.

I am an quondam man. The only thing I want, which corresponds to the only infinite available, is some other box coupler consist. That stuff is actually cute and performs basic railroad functions. And if it goes haywire, I can set it myself; I don't have to take it to a psychiatrist.

But I hope reading this rhapsody was note a waste of time for the Big Wheels. Fourth dimension marches on, whether I do or non.

Best wishes,

Bob Dostal

December 2007 Older Trains Require Higher Output
A client telephone call to a local railroad train store in regard to a pre MPC/LTI transformer like the RW and others, produced a revealing perspective on how shops that want to sell new trains, view the business. Transformers produced since 1970 have lacked the higher output needed for the older trains, which require as much as 18 Volts, and more, to function properly. The simply way one can hope to power many of the Prewar trains is by ways of an old reliable eighteen plus Volt output adequacy transformer. These could exist found new up to around 1970. Now, one has to find good repairable transformers at shops selling used trains, at railroad train shows or on the Internet. The store clerk had asked the customer why anyone would want i of these "old pieces of junk", pretending possibly, non to be aware of the deficiencies of the new, mail 70'due south power units, in hopes of selling a new transformer to the caller. It follows, for those with older trains, that information technology is important to await for transformers with the higher output markings. The output is ever clearly marked on the dial on the older units. You lot tin can notice them with 18 Volt output, upwardly to 24 Volts. And these Units are not commonly expensive. Many need to be serviced by a qualified repair person. Qualified is the fundamental word in this regard, every bit at that place are many imposters out there. A word of caution: Transformers with the Prewar cloth wrapped power cords should not be used. Expect for units with Variable Voltage Rheostats and rubber or constructed safety sheathed power cords and molded plugs. That's a practiced mode to ID the better equipment. If you have any doubts virtually a piece, feel gratuitous to phone call for help in purchasing older transformers. There is some "junk" that you will come up beyond, just there is too plenty of adept stuff to pick from. The old adage, buyer beware is very good advice.

Train Self Destructs
A fellow brought a new cleaved imported Tender to me at a recent Train Show for repair and service. The Tender was very heavy, I noticed. The bandage truck frame was broken and the swain wanted a replacement of the truck frame. The company does not sell the parts for these but they are pretty good about replacing broken parts, if the proper procedures are followed. I suggested he call or write Lionel to run across what they would do for this car.

When I asked the guy how the truck got cleaved, he said information technology fell over going around a corner and broke. I believed him. If that Tender savage on me, I would break, as well. We retrieve that the Chinese are paid on the ground of tonnage. The heavier the railroad train, the more they can charge Lionel for the train shipment. But wait. Does this brand sense? Can the engine pull a car that is so heavy? At that place should be a way to tell the manufacturer that it doesn�t make sense to make cars that are and then heavy. This Tender was so heavy, it apparently barbarous over and literally broke itself from its own weight. A impact of common sense would be a welcome addition in a case like this. There is an appropriate amount of weight required for virtually cars. At that place is no bespeak in exceeding that weight, not to mention the presumed danger of lead content in the products. A letter to the offending companies would seem to be in gild for the train folks that are concerned in this area. The New York address is:

Gerard Calabrese, CEO
Lionel Electric Trains
171 Madison Ave. Suite 1100
New York, NY 10016-5110

January 2007

Which Runway to Use

At this indicate, having congenital a number of layouts in my life, I must say that the old reliable Tinplate "O" Gauge Steel Track wins my vote even though information technology is not at all realistic. Lionel Super "O" is expert also, and much more realistic, but the track is no longer produced past Lionel and the switches do wear out. GarGraves looks good and works best for large layouts. Lionel FasTrack looks odd to me with the bright center runway and undersized cantankerous ties. FasTrack won't let your Lionel Postwar "magnetrac" engines function considering of the metal used for the rail. Ross makes the best switches these days, but sometime Lionel O-22 are quite impenetrable. Notwithstanding, they are not very scale-like. Atlas Rails is handsome except the rails are quite squarish on meridian and tend to chisel away at the MPC Fast Angle Wheels on freight cars.

With so many choices, it'due south hard to select what'due south best when building a layout. My next layout will utilize GarGraves with Ross Switches. I hope to build it in Maine at our new house, when the fourth dimension comes. Lionel could have made a large hit, I believe, if they had rerun the Super "O" Track. And, I believe there is still room in the market for a mass produced track similar Lionel's FasTrack with more adequate cantankerous ties and blackened centre runway made of magnetic friendly metal. One has to wonder why the manufacturers become to such lengths to produce inappropriate products, simply later to notice out that there are many of u.s.a. who could have suggested more desirable and marketable products.

Jan 2006
Retrieve when Y2K was a big deal? Now, we are nonchalant about numbers like 2008, 2022 and even 2022! One gets much more conscious of fourth dimension passing after the age of 70, and we desire to identify greater values on how nosotros spend our time. After lxx, it'southward all quality time. And nosotros hope for practiced health, comfortable remainder and minimum financial worries.

Of grade, we don't live in a perfect world simply it's dainty to pursue the thought. Perfection has ever been a goal for me. My parents instilled it in me, somehow, and I do appreciate that. Nosotros assume others feel the aforementioned way, but obviously all don't view "perfect" the same. The deject created by our ventures in the Middle East skews our perspective lately. Our belief that we are dependant on fossil fuels for survival has forced usa into an uneasy position. Clearly, nosotros need to reevaluate our priorities in this new century. The sooner we do this, the sooner we tin await an improvement in our lives, now and for the future. It's time to modify the ways we ability our perfection.

Maintaining the Website
From time to time we break away from the mail service club parts business organisation and repair work to do a little writing. This is one of my favorite exercises, actually, and since nosotros stopped publishing the articles in OGR and CTT, and the �Coupler� Newsletter, a not bad big void has existed in my life. For this reason, I am always looking for a few minutes to jot something down that might be of interest to others who enjoy fixing up old Lionels. Initially, nosotros felt that having a nice website would help people decide whether or not to have their former trains serviced. Likewise, knowing just how to guild replacement parts is a discipline in itself, so this area is covered hither every bit well.

However, the chance to communicate with others on this facet of the hobby is the fun part of having a website even though maintaining it requires some attempt. This twelvemonth, nosotros hope to spend more time on commentary and repair hints, specially regarding the postwar Lionels. This seems to exist the area of nearly interest to our friends out there. Trains produced afterward 1990 have go somewhat complex, so we tend to concentrate on U.S. fabricated Lionel trains in this effort. Thank you for allowing united states of america to ramble on a bit almost our experience in train repair over the past years.

Skillful Communication for Train Guys...
"On Napping" by David Jacoby
When we were young, the 'alpine' ones told us when to slow downward. When the demands of the world became too great, their powers of reasoning proved maddeningly accurate. 'I think someone's tired,' they observed. And off for a nap we went. 10 minutes afterward, our dreaming faces had put united states of america dorsum in skilful favor with our exasperated parents. When nosotros woke, the give-and-take somehow fabricated sense again. What kind of truth might a napping child impart to usa? Now nosotros are the tall ones, living in a complicated world with no one to tell us when to slow downward. The slumbering petty one knows the value of not having the concluding word, or accepting a minor defeat. It's and so simple. Miss out on something. Put yourself back in your own skilful favor. The world will wait.

Kalmbach Sends Dual Bulletin

As a train repairman, I oft requite cheers in my individual mode, to Bruce Greenberg and Maury Klein, who were both responsible for publishing the Lionel Service Station Sheets that we all use daily. Without these handy reference books, nosotros would not exist able to communicate with parts dealers or each other. The Greenberg Repair and Operating Manual, 1945-1969, is most often seen in soft dorsum grade @ $21.95, #10-8160, 7th Edition, and is the most readily available volume that we use and sell, actually. Post-obit that, Lionel fortunately published their own upward to date volume in like form in effectually 1978, in cooperation with Kalmbach and Dr. Greenberg. This covers Modern Era material produced from 1977 through 1992, #ten-7785 @ $29.95, now, sadly, out of print. The powers that exist at Kalmbach exercise not feel that this book will sell and have elected not to reissue it. I have written many times to Kalmbach to plead with them to reverse their decision but and so far, I have had no luck.

Without this information, repair piece of work is greatly compromised, obviously. Lionel seems preoccupied with new railroad train sales and catalogs rather than with repair matters. I have frequently suggested that while our hobby is made up of Operators, Collectors and Repair People, Lionel'south, and consequently Kalmbach's, interest deny that repair work is a significant part of the hobby. Even so, they go on to publish mag repair manufactures that clearly contrasts with this theory and patently parts dealers proceed to flourish because the idea of fixable trains make a lot of sense to most people.

It is my promise that eventually, Lionel or Kalmbach, or both, will wake upward and practise something about this information gap. I accept suggested that a good reissue of the Modern Era Book would include only the Lionel material, to make the volume a little more manageable. Only this has not produced a response to date. The fact is that much of the information not covered in the 1945-1969 Book is plant in the 1977-1992 Modern Era Book! That's how I was able to sort out the 671/681 Fume Lever situation, in fact. The need for a reissue of a smaller version of the Mod Era Book is clearly obvious to us here at Dr. Tinker's store. I urge anyone that reads this to contact Lionel or Kalmbach in this regard. We don't desire the next generation of train hobbyists to exist cheated out of all this great activity, which is such a large role of "The World's Greatest Hobby", Kalmbach'south own coined phrase. We have to permit the publishers know what we want and demand. The reference books are just as important as a screw driver or a soldering atomic number 26, and probably more so.

I urge you lot to take a minute to contact Lionel nigh our need for information. The supplements to appointment are available from Lionel via their Website, simply a handy reference book is like a tool at your work bench. Won't you join us in this all important entrada? A reissue of the Modern Era Volume volition sell large time, I believe.

Parts for New Lionel Trains

Trains, like everything else that Americans consume, are produced off shore these days. That means, to a big extent, that these are also designed outside of the Michigan facility, which is at present plain a warehousing facility at best, with administration personnel, of form. This change means that traditional Lionel/Usa engineering methods are not ever evident in the way the trains are produced, of necessity. This is not to say that the products are junior, though some will contend this point. But when it comes to repair and replacement parts, nosotros hit a snag.

Lionel has not worked out but how to proceed in this area, just they are hopefully trying to sort things out. For over fifty years, Lionel Service Stations provided consumer support to the train market, all over the world, actually. That system still survives but admission to the parts is an ongoing problem. We take noted that technical drawings and exploded views of recently produced products are existence generated by Lionel. These can be seen on the Lionel Website. We take downloaded the Supplements equally they get available. While the work is impressive, the follow through from Lionel is not e'er forth coming when information technology comes to part availability. Parts numbers are not always easy to determine but it basically is nevertheless possible to sort information technology out if one tin can establish when a product was produced, by year. The next pace is to scan the exploded views in the normal manner to locate the role, seek out information technology's number and so go to Lionel for the function availability. This can go tedious, admittedly, but generally we accept been able to speak to technicians regarding the parts we need on the new items. This may take a little time to do but in the end, it'due south pretty much the only selection nosotros take, as nosotros run into it.

In the past, Service Stations had the parts in stock or could get them from the manufacturing plant in a week to ten days. Now, information technology takes a little more time because of the complexity of the situation and also considering at that place are and so many products going out to the public, which invariably break and must be fixed.

We are encouraged by what we have seen from Lionel over the past few years in this area. Service is the cloak-and-dagger of business success, we believe, and nosotros hope to encounter more of this sort of commitment from our friends in Michigan. We will keep you posted as things develop, regarding parts availability for Lionel repair work.
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Many of yous younger train people have a groovy hunger to experience the Lionel Train adventure. Some want to build a layout and run the trains, while others savor collecting. Some want to do both, sooner or later. Regardless, 1 aspect that ties the Lionel scene together is the repair, servicing and maintenance of the trains. The repair segment does non lend itself to everyone, but it is a huge part of the hobby and is often overlooked by the manufacturers, especially nowadays, with all the importing going on.

The ease with which i can go into a shop and purchase near anything is listen boggling. Notwithstanding, there is a tradition of keeping the trains running that is being overlooked by many in the hobby. Some of united states enjoy working on the trains, almost equally much as owning or operating them. For case, in my case, many assume that I am a collector automatically. Nothing could be further from the facts, even so. The but reason I acquire trains is for a client or for reference. I oft tell people that I�ve had just nigh everything Lionel e'er built at one time or another. I�m not about to end being inquisitive, but accumulating things has never been high on my listing. I crave train knowledge. Understanding how it works is my affair. So, we keep to build our inventory of train parts for repair jobs, simply not the trains themselves.

Many of the new trains, since around 1990, have not seemed to exist readily repairable to many of us, and getting the parts to set up them is not easy. For this reason we have elected to concentrate on the trains from our fourth dimension, which is basically trains produced from around 1930 to 1980. This includes some Prewar trains, some Postwar trains and �Modern Era� trains, produced upward until importing got into full swing at Lionel. This is the period that nosotros are nearly familiar with and therefore it�s the surface area nosotros are happy working with. The �repairable� trains are of great interest to most people. Information technology is indeed unfortunate that the manufacturers, marketers, and the publishers of related electric current production railroad train equipment and materials do non recognize this fact.

To ignore the Lionel traditions, of servicing and repairing trains is understandable, just not wise. In my view, it shows a lack of understanding on the part of the new marketing people. It may be a fine way to generate money, merely it does not do much for the longevity of the hobby. It is reassuring, however, to see that Lionel has finally produced the #45 repair supplement for those who wish to repair some of the newer trains. The supplements embrace almost 30 years of train production, which takes us from the MPC menstruation (early 1970�s) up to the Import period, which is now. Where the hobby goes from hither is anybody�s guess, only I think repair people will always be interested in how the trains work and how they tin can be fixed when they break.

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