# Repair Rant.



## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

Folks, if you can't do the proper repair on a loco, please let someone competent to do the work. I just received several American Flyer engines in for repair, and I can't believe what people do!!.. Please don't use JB Weld to hold wires going into the tender through the small rubber grommet... Don't use JB Weld to glue the linkages together, and please don't use Gorilla glue to hold the chassis in the boiler shell. These types of repairs are suitable for a 5 year old, but not for a "educated" adult,lol.. As an after-thought, what's the worst repair attempt has anyone ever seen???


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

Flyernut. are you talking about me? Just kidding. I can not believe I picked my new northern to do my first service on a reverse unit. Took it apart last night. Cleaned, shined,
lubricated, and got it back together. Ready for new fingers. They should be in the mail today.

The worst repairs I have seen are the wires from tender to engine. No JB Weld yet.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

Here is a new harness I have prepared. Does it look familiar
flyernut. I am new to repairing old flyers. Flyernut is my instructor.
I don't do anything till I run it by him. The harness is for the northern.
Poor repairs were done on the wires.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

This reminds me of a labor rate sign I saw hanging at an auto garage.
One line on the sign read " If you have attempted the repair first" and
the labor rate was higher.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Well, I'm the first guy to agree with you on that. I know my limits (for instance, i can solder track together, and feeders to the track, but for the delecate work inside a loco, I call jn the professionsals). I am fortunate to have a train shop with a good repair tech not too far away.

I am reminded of a joke.

A machine shop has a brilliant engineer who keeps all their equipment running in perfect order. Naturally, in due course, he decides to retire.

Not long afterwards, a machine which is critical to the machine shop's operation breaks. The President of the company is desperate. He calls the engineer and begs him to come fix the machine. "I'm not on the payroll anymore." says the Engineer.

"We'll pay you a good price for your services, but we're desperate. Please help."

So the engineer reluctantly agrees to come fix the machine. He studies it for a few minutes, then puts a chalk mark on a small part inside the contol unit.

"There" he tells them, "Replace thst part and you'll be back to full operation".

The president thanks the engineer, who goes back to his well earned retirement. Several days later, the president is dismayed to receive a bill from the engineer for $10,000. The president feels betrayed and calls the Engineer in fury, "What do you mean, sending me a bill for 10 grand!? You weren't here 15 minutes. Send me another bill, and this time itemize it so I can see why it costs so much.!" Thinking this would make the man submit a more reasonable invoice, the president sat back, confident that he had just saved himself a lot of money. So he was surprised and humbled when, several days later, a second invoice arrived.

This one read:
Chalk Mark $1
Knowing Where to Put It $9999


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## MarkVIIIMarc (Oct 19, 2012)

Sometimes my skills impress myself on either end of the spectrum. For me trains are toys and repairs can be a leaning experience.

You should see what I did with JB Weld and a lower trunk shock mount on my Aurora.


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## JNXT 7707 (May 5, 2013)

This all brings to mind the (mis)use of Walthers 'Goo' adhesive. I'm not in the repair business, but I do collect and use older locos and rolling stock from train shows, ebay, etc. 
It is mind-boggling how some folks have used Goo to afix detail parts like ladders, or coupler boxes...shells to chassis....and the crazy thing is, they think if a little is good, more must be even better.


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## dinwitty (Oct 29, 2015)

I just used this Ultraviolet glue to put a shell on.

/me runs away fast


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## thedoc (Oct 15, 2015)

A friend of mine had an expensive shay engine that ran very nicely, and he sent it out to be painted but when he got it back it wouldn't run, the motor ran but the engine didn't move, so he brought it to me. I looked at it for a few minutes and started to laugh, the painter had forgotten to reconnect the drive shaft from the motor to the trucks. I lifted the boiler, reconnected the shaft and reassembled the engine, it ran nicely after that. 

I also had an MDC shay that I rebuilt and it was very smooth and you couldn't hear it run till it was running at top speed


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