# Back on my 312 rebuild: to paint or not to paint?



## shaker281 (Jun 22, 2019)

So, this 312 was in a bit rougher condition than I originally realized. The smoke unit was completely gummed up and hardened, I nearly destroyed the boiler front socket by trying to remove the bulb, the field winding was hanging on by a thread, the cowcatcher was bent and a bit broken and the front truck and spring had seen better days. The harness to the tender was falling apart. The tender has a broken off set of stairs. Probably not the optimal unit to initiate a rebuild on, but it was the one I had. 

I found a very nice original cowcatcher on Ebay that will need a little touch up. I found a NOS field winding too. I bought a new front truck with spring, washer and stud. Rather than try and rebuild the smoke unit, when it needed wick, wire, fiber insulator box and gaskets, I bought a rebuilt and tested unit off Ebay. I got new brushes and brush springs. After soaking over night with WD-40, I got the rest of the bulb base free and salvaged the boiler front, though I picked up a re-pop just in case. I installed a new 4-wire harness and lower fingers and cleaned up the tender and E-unit drum and top fingers. 

I have degreased, cleaned and polished the loco shell. It will be a nice nearly original runner, never a museum piece. Here is the question: do I leave the shell in original paint with patina or paint it with Testor's flat black? I did paint the steam chest (badly chipped) and it turned out very good.


----------



## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

This one here I would leave alone. Your cow-catcher may not match, but your shell is nice, looking at the pictures. And who said your 312 is a basket-case,lol? I love them this way,a great project. The problem here is that you have now exceeded the worth of the engine/tender combo with all the parts you bought,lol. So now this one here is a keeper. It's much like restoring a car, you'll NEVER get out what you paid into it...


----------



## shaker281 (Jun 22, 2019)

Yeah, I knew I was pushing the price/value ratio. I started out intending merely to get it running and one thing led to another. Including shipping I've got $77.50 into it.

I thought the Santa Fe ABA would be the expensive and time-consuming refurbishment. I was totally wrong. That one cost me less than $10, including the nose decal I haven't applied yet. 

The car rebuilding analogy is apt! 

Here is the completed Santa Fe (38 1/2" long!):


----------



## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

Good looking PA set.


----------



## shaker281 (Jun 22, 2019)

Thanks man. There is a high degree of pleasure in knowing I have brought it back from it's prior condition. Less than two weeks ago this stuff was just a couple boxes of dusty junk.


----------



## flyguy55 (Apr 20, 2015)

Next time before you hit ebay ask on the board for needed parts.Many of us have parts boxes and you will probably save some cash.The photo is all 312 K5 SIB and SIT.Gonna get lest one more complete out of the lot and then up for sale....


----------



## shaker281 (Jun 22, 2019)

OK, sounds good. I will do that. I'm starting to build a small collection of parts too now! LOL


----------



## cramden (Oct 13, 2015)

shaker281 said:


> Yeah, I knew I was pushing the price/value ratio. I started out intending merely to get it running and one thing led to another. Including shipping I've got $77.50 into it.
> 
> I thought the Santa Fe ABA would be the expensive and time-consuming refurbishment. I was totally wrong. That one cost me less than $10, including the nose decal I haven't applied yet.
> 
> ...


Very nice looking set, glad you were able to get it back to running. Late but, welcome to the forum. Nice to have another Flyer fan.


----------



## AFGP9 (Apr 8, 2015)

Shaker281 I vote to not paint your 312. I have always favored leaving as many engines as original as possible. Just my way. How ever, I have used a trick to cover scratches on the top of the engines. Real steam engines that I have been around as a kid and today on excursion trains, always have soot on the boiler top and cab roof. So my solution to cover scratches and avoid painting is to use a dusting of black chalk, just heavy enough to cover the scratch or scratches as the case maybe. The only catch to this trick is that you just can't put a dab of chalk on that one spot. I dust the chalk over the entire engine boiler and cab roof. It looks prototypical if you ever get to see the top of a running steamer. I then seal it with a very light coat of Dull Coat so it stays. The Dull Coat must be sprayed high above the engine to avoid blowing the chalk off. Plus by holding the can high, you will always get the needed very light coat. This weathering is only for engines you plan on keeping, obviously. People who have seen my layout have commented on the realistic look of the "soot" on the engines tops, not knowing it was done to cover scratches. Others don't even notice.


----------



## shaker281 (Jun 22, 2019)

cramden said:


> Very nice looking set, glad you were able to get it back to running. Late but, welcome to the forum. Nice to have another Flyer fan.


Thank you.


----------



## shaker281 (Jun 22, 2019)

AFGP9 said:


> Shaker281 I vote to not paint your 312. I have always favored leaving as many engines as original as possible. Just my way. How ever, I have used a trick to cover scratches on the top of the engines. Real steam engines that I have been around as a kid and today on excursion trains, always have soot on the boiler top and cab roof. So my solution to cover scratches and avoid painting is to use a dusting of black chalk, just heavy enough to cover the scratch or scratches as the case maybe. The only catch to this trick is that you just can't put a dab of chalk on that one spot. I dust the chalk over the entire engine boiler and cab roof. It looks prototypical if you ever get to see the top of a running steamer. I then seal it with a very light coat of Dull Coat so it stays. The Dull Coat must be sprayed high above the engine to avoid blowing the chalk off. Plus by holding the can high, you will always get the needed very light coat. This weathering is only for engines you plan on keeping, obviously. People who have seen my layout have commented on the realistic look of the "soot" on the engines tops, not knowing it was done to cover scratches. Others don't even notice.


Great idea, creative! I have been experimenting with some methods to hide nicks and chips. I've got Testor's flat black now and I found that a black permanent market works pretty well on very small chips too. It is a bit shinier than the flat black though.

I am sticking with the vintage/used look mostly though. So, the "soot" idea is a good one. I have a couple boxcars from the late 40's that the original owner did something similar with.


----------



## AFGP9 (Apr 8, 2015)

Shaker281, I am glad to help. Since you have boxcars that are already weathered, it will all look fine. I bought a small collection that had some rolling stock that had been displayed on some shelves that were in direct sunshine. They were all sun faded on the sun side. What to do without repainting them? Simple! I just turned the cars around, put 'em in the sunshine and now all the cars are equally faded and look great sitting in a scene on my layout along with a 302 that was badly scratched from the same collection that I treated with the chalk trick. The 302, 6 cars, and a caboose all look as though they have been used and ran hard and seen better days.


----------



## yd328 (Dec 19, 2017)

I'm with the don't paint it crowd. I like the patina on some of these old steamers. I picked up a 312 at a show over the winter with similar wear, nice loco.

Gary


----------



## shaker281 (Jun 22, 2019)

Thanks for all the feedback. I have it apart right now as I am tweaking on the innards and was waiting on parts. As a result, I have spent some more time cleaning linkage and such and should have it back together soon. Will post a pic when it is back together, hopefully running like new. Keeping the vintage appearance.

Edit: All back together and running very well. This time I also performed a wheel alignment, cleaned everything a bit more thoroughly, shimmed the armature adequately, repaired the smoke unit and installed an oil wick. Pic in the "Pic of The Day" thread. 

i appreciate everyone's help and ideas along the way.


----------

