Will It Run Pt 3

e*Train Issue: Jul 2002 | Posted in: Restore & Repair & Photograph

by Bradley Kaplan

if you have not read Part 1 or Part 2 of this article about repairing a Lione standard gauge thin rimmed #5, it is suggest you do so before reading those articles before reading this one.

The plan was to re-assemble this engine and have it fully running for this month’s installment and end this as a 3 part article.

As with many train projects, due to time constraints this did not happen. Hopefully next month this project will end!

The paint stripper did an excellent job of cleaning the paint off of 90% of this piece. The paint appeared fully removed from the cast iron wheels, but the wheels still had a blackened look to them. I purchased a wirewheel attachment for my electric drill and it did wonders for cleaning the final remains of paint off the cast Iron wheels. When you are using a wirewheel, you want to find a wirewheel with softer metal then you are working with. You also want to be very carefull as not to damage your piece. These wheels are over 90 years old. The thin rimmed wheels on this piece demand a massive premium over the thick rimmed wheels that Lionel introduced on the #5 engine in 1912.

The rims of the wheels also had a minimal layer of surface rust. The wire wheel cleaned this off perfectly.

This engine requires 440 Screws to mount the motor onto the frame and to attach the side rods onto the engine. The 440 screws that Lionel used for this piece have heads that are countersunk and use a flat head screwdriver. Different parts require the 440 screws at different lengeths. The preson who rebuilt this engine did not use the proper screws.

I found that I could only find 440 flat head screws in 3/4 inch and 1 inch lengths. So I bought the longer screws and used my Dremel to chop them down to proper size. To be prototypicall correct, you should try and use the proper screws. For instance Philips head screws patent was filled in 1934 so obviously any piece made before 1934 should not have Philips head screws. To prepare for re-assembly of the piece I laid all the pieces out that will go into the engine. All the parts are as clean as they are going to get.

I then dropped the motor into the frame and it fit perfectly. The next issue will have the final re-assembly of the engine!

click here to read the part 4, the last installment in this series

Shop Amazon and Help TCA

TCA members who shop at Amazon.com can have each of their normal purchases generate a modest payment to TCA! And it won’t cost you anything!

The Train Collectors Association is now a participant with AmazonSmile, which is a special website operated by Amazon that lets customers enjoy the same wide selection of products, low prices and convenient shopping features as on Amazon.com.

The difference is that when customers shop at AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), the AmazonSmile Foundation donates 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to the charitable organizations selected by customers.

The process is simple. Just search for and select Train Collectors Association when you sign up and shop at smile.amazon.com.

You use your regular Amazon.com username and password, but when you log in to smile.amazon.com, you’ll see that you are supporting TCA with your purchases:

Note that if you just log in to the regular amazon.com, this benefit does not operate.

There are no costs to either you or TCA, but TCA benefits!

This is a great way for TCA to earn extra cash to offset costs, so sign up today to help support TCA.

* Note: TCA is not a party to any of your Amazon transactions, and does not endorse any products or vendors.

Helping TCA with your ebay purchases when you use PayPal

If you’re an ebay user and have a PayPal account you use to make payments, you can designate a donation for TCA when you’re checking out — any amount, small or large.
If you’re a regular seller on ebay, you can pre-designate a percentage of your sales to be donated automatically in your name to TCA as long as the purchaser pays with their PayPal account.

In both cases, you will receive a donation receipt from the PayPal Giving Fund, and enjoy applicable tax advantages.

How to do it:

Click on the image above, or use this link. This will take you to ebay, where you will see the following page (log in to ebay if you are not already):

This offers TCA as an option. Click on the “Add to My Charities” button where indicated with the red arrow. Thereafter, when you make a purchase, at checkout you will be offered the option to make a donation to TCA in any amount of your choosing. Small amounts add up, larger ones are great! It’s always up to you!

The option will appear at the lower part of your checkout page, something like this:

If you’re a regular seller on ebay, you can allocate a portion of your sales proceeds to be donated to TCA. Look at the green arrow marked “Optional” above to see how to do it. Details on how ebay calculates the donation may be read here. This is a wonderful way to share the financial benefits of your hobby with the organization that promotes it!

An added benefit to TCA is that these donations are not subject to normal processing fees, so that makes your donation work harder!

* Note. TCA is not a party to any of your eBay transactions, and does not endorse any products or vendors. PayPal issues the receipts to you for your donation, not TCA.

Will It Run Pt 3

Search By:

Sort By:

Have Train Stories to Share?