# 661 redo



## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

Got this on ebay last week for $46.00 bucks.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

Break in down.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

There were a couple of screws missing, replaced those, and bought new window inserts.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

A little polishing on the buffing wheel.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

back together.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

With it's brothers and sisters.. They look much better in person!!


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## Aflyer (Nov 10, 2010)

Flyernut,
They look very nice, that 661 is the rare one in the bunch, how many of those cars have you redone?

I redid a set for one of the guys in our club last week, 660, 662, and 663.

Now I am working on some I did for myself a few years ago. I have the dreaded tucks shorting out on the switch's problem. I am going to drill out the side frames to insert the brass bushings that are made fit into worn out knuckle couplers.

Aflyer


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

Aflyer said:


> Flyernut,
> They look very nice, that 661 is the rare one in the bunch, how many of those cars have you redone?
> 
> I redid a set for one of the guys in our club last week, 660, 662, and 663.
> ...


I redo everyone I buy.. Because of the material, and because they are/were toys, they always are scratched and chipped.I think I have around 15 aluminum cars, not counting my Lionel Santa Fe ABBA O gauge set with 7 cars. Some of the vista dome cars usually have the domes cracked or broken, and I put on new domes.I can't seem to get the best lighting for these cars though to take a picture.. The pictures show they have some minute scratches on them, but they are really mirror-like in person. I never had a problem with them shorting out on a turn-out. The problem I did experience is when the coupler is not adjusted correctly, and the tongue will hit the side of the skirt in a curve.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Nice Job! :thumbsup:


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

Those really look nice. Good job.


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## 2genflyers (Jan 14, 2013)

Very nice Nut. Doesn't it feel good to "rescue" old trains? I've done plenty... and don't do it for any future "investment" or current resale value. I just enjoy the challenge of saving the old stuff. I intentionally search ebay for the real roaches... which have little to no value in their current state. For some I do my best to restore to "like new" condition... which usually entails paint touch-ups. THAT is REALLY fun... as I have quite a collection of different paints and can mix-n-max to duplicate the original color. And... as everyone in the AF community knows no two AF pieces seem to have exactly the same shade. Just think about how many shades of the yellow-green there are on "Katy" cars. Same for the "Illinois Centrals" and I'm talking just the painted cars ... and not even including the solid color plastic cars. Others are SOOOOO bad, there is no hope of restoring them to original and I just take some liberties and do what I want to do. I remember someone saying once... "you paid for them, and they are YOUR toys.... do what you want". Now I'd NEVER think of defacing a truly rare or even slightly "used" piece but the real roaches are beyond hope of returning to original.

Here's a tip for those old clear "domes". Even the worst can usually be made almost like new again. Of course if they are heavily scratched you can sand them with progressively finer sand papers. Usually the wet&dry silicon-carbide papers work best. Auto supply stores usually carry them all the way down to 3000 grit. Soaking the paper over-night will soften the backing which will produce and finer finish. That will leave you with a hazy surface.... smooth, but hazy. Fingernail files work well for this too. The looks you get from the gals working the counter is PRICELESS when a GUY spends time choosing "just the right" collection of files. The next step is to clear coat them. You can spray a clear gloss coat over it......but here it comes,... wait for it.... 
Future Floor Polish... yep, if you can find it. It's basically a liquid acrylic. Get a really clean jar, with a lid. Put enough of the Future into the jar so you can dunk the piece. Dunk the dome (or any clear part, head-light lenses, clear drum-heads, etc) and lift it out with tweezers, let the bulk of the Future drip off. Don't shake it, just let it drip. Shouldn't take more than a few seconds, and then place it on a piece of clean wax paper. The wax paper is important... because when the clear coat dries, it will stick to anything else. Let it dry over night....done! Might want to cover the part if you have cats/dogs, or live in a construction site.

I find this is more effective than spraying, because it's a nice heavy coat, which self-levels and fills in a lot of the scratches. It also can saturate into cracks and sometimes will make a "through-crack" completely disappear. No guarantee... but spraying has no chance of saturating a crack. Just make sure your part is super clean before you dunk it. Then you can put the lid back on the jar and reuse the same batch, many, many times. The key is to start with a clean jar. ONLY dunk CLEAN parts. And put the lid back on right away. Still using the same jar I started with 7-8 years ago.


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## Nuttin But Flyer (Dec 19, 2011)

Nice work and guide for us others to do this....I'm up to about 30 or 40 of these now, I must be nuts!!


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

Nuttin But Flyer said:


> Nice work and guide for us others to do this....I'm up to about 30 or 40 of these now, I must be nuts!!


These are like peanuts. Ya can't eat just one.


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