# Executive Inspection Car Restoration



## MPCAnthony (Oct 13, 2011)

this No. 68 Executive Inspection Car? I have never restored a toy train before so maybe this would be a good one to start with? I have looked online and it seems these are rare(?) Please take a look and let me know what you think. Also, I do not have the red and white station wagon shell. Any suggestions for that would be appreciated as well.

Thanks


----------



## Kwikster (Feb 22, 2012)

I'd think there'd be no harm it doing a good clean and paint to that chassis. I know there was another version from later runs with a teal/white body. Perhaps you could contact Jeff at TTender.com he'd be able to tell you if reproduction bodies are available. 

Carl


----------



## BigAl56 (Dec 14, 2011)

Two words, 'Macro Mode'. Thats the little flower button/setting on your digital camera.


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

areizman said:


> Two words, 'Macro Mode'. Thats the little flower button/setting on your digital camera.


Are you trying to tell him that the picture is a bit fuzzy?
First one made me dizzy looking at it.

Restore it! 
With a little elbow grease it will look fine.


Make a custom make a body for it if you don't have one.:thumbsup:


The real ones came in a bunch of different body configurations.
Use your imagination or else you can use mine.

I have a site with pictures for you if I can find it.


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Here you go take a look.

http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/10/cool-road-rail-vehicles.html




It might take a few mins to load depending on your computer, but it has a lot of pictures for your imagination (and mine).

One of these days I am going to try and custom build an Ed mobile track car, using an old Lionel motor.

I should say one of these years.


----------



## Robes (Jan 5, 2011)

I would in a heart-beat,..... course I a dyed-in-the-wool fix-aholic......


----------



## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*Required reading*

The 520 is a good example to restore. Just use the same ideas.:thumbsup:


----------



## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Anthony,

Post some clearer pics, if you can ... macro, per comments above.

I don't know that I'd venture too far on the motor restoration without having a shell in hand, first.

As for whether the motor can get running again, we can coach your through some checks, first ... will wait on better pics, though.

Cheers,

TJ


----------



## MPCAnthony (Oct 13, 2011)

areizman said:


> Two words, 'Macro Mode'. Thats the little flower button/setting on your digital camera.


Yeah, I'll try that next time. Thanks..


----------



## MPCAnthony (Oct 13, 2011)

T-Man said:


> The 520 is a good example to restore. Just use the same ideas.:thumbsup:


Thanks T-Man. I enjoyed following that thread and will use it for reference on this project.


----------



## MPCAnthony (Oct 13, 2011)

tjcruiser said:


> Anthony,
> 
> Post some clearer pics, if you can ... macro, per comments above.
> 
> ...


Thanks TJ. I will post some picks later today. I haven't restored a toy train before so I figured that whether or not I have shell I have the chasis and motor; might as well give it a whirl and see how it turns out.


----------



## MPCAnthony (Oct 13, 2011)

*New Pictures Uploaded, No. 68 Executive Inspection Car*



MPCAnthony said:


> Thanks TJ. I will post some picks later today. I haven't restored a toy train before so I figured that whether or not I have shell I have the chasis and motor; might as well give it a whirl and see how it turns out.


Here are new pictures done with macro. Please review and let me know if this is restoreable or not. Thanks to everyone so far.

Happy New Year!


----------



## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Anthony,

Much clearer pics. With the exception of the car's shell, you have most components in hand. While there's a lot of surface rust, much of that can be cleaned up, and doesn't affect the mechanical operation of the motor, really.

There is one thing I see that gives me concern, though. But first, some simple background ...

I believe you have Inspection Car #68. You'll see a spinning armature inside an electromagnet field coil. (The one with the green coil wires). You also have a two-position reverse unit (instead of Lionel's more common 4-position e-unit.). This two position unit relies on a dual-wound field coil. The two windings are in opposite directions ... the reverse unit sends current through one or the other, to change car direction on the track.

Now, having said all of that, I'm concerned that the normally-enameled wire on your field coil (in green) has quite a bit of wire that's been stripped to bare copper. That coil winding (or windings) could likely be shorted out. If so, you're looking at a much trickier motor rehab/repair.

Do you have a multimeter? We should do some conductivity tests.

TJ


----------



## njrailer93 (Nov 28, 2011)

Mines basically mint I'd love to see a restore


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Restore it! If you don't want it I will take it.

100% better pictures, I only looked at the first one picture to make up my mind.

Did you look at the link I put in?
Look at all the different vehicles on the rails.

MAKE UP YOUR OWN RAILMOBILE.:thumbsup:

Look at some old toy car/truck/bus bodies and make them fit on it.

I have such a project planned and I don't have what you do, I got to find an engine and everything else.

I forgot do you have a body?

Did you ever work on an engine?


----------



## MPCAnthony (Oct 13, 2011)

tjcruiser said:


> Do you have a multimeter? We should do some conductivity tests.
> 
> TJ


TJ - I do not have a multimeter yet. This will be my first restoration and will take me some time so thank you for your help so far. I will have to read the electronics primer that eith you or T-Man posted in the Looking fo Information sticky. So since this my first restoration I am taking in baby steps. First thing would be a multimeter test and if all is well clean it up with a dremel tool?


----------



## MPCAnthony (Oct 13, 2011)

big ed said:


> Restore it! If you don't want it I will take it.
> 
> 100% better pictures, I only looked at the first one picture to make up my mind.
> 
> ...


Hi Big Ed,

I did look at the link you put in; Thank you.

There is no shell, so if I get that far, I plan on looking for a model car that would fit.

I have never worked on an engine before, but I have been inspired by the great restorations here to give it a try. This will be all in babysteps. I don't think I even have the right tools to get started!

Thanks!


----------



## erkenbrand (Dec 6, 2010)

Good luck with the restoration, and please keep us posted. That'll be a great foundation for your own track car once it's up and going.


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

May I ask where you found it?

First thing I would do is spray it with a little wd-40 and get a dremal tool with some wire wheels, stainless or brass and just clean up all the rust you can get at. Just lightly go over it with the wheels.
Wear eye protection the brushes will come apart, that is normal you can get a box of them off e bay. if you go to the stores they want like $4 bucks a wheel. You can get a whole bunch for around $12 if you search on e bay.

The wd-40 will loosen up the rust, as it sits, before you start taking it apart do that.

Normal tools will take that apart.

Did you try putting power to it yet? To see if it has a little life?
Do you have a transformer? Do you have anything?

I will add this here so I can view it easier I hate going back and forth clicking to see a picture,


----------



## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

FOr your information, when you dismantle an engine take many pictures for your future reference because it will never look the same again. I can't help you with pictures, since I do not own these pieces.

They may help when you get them back together.


----------



## BigAl56 (Dec 14, 2011)

Thank you for the better pics. Looks like you can restore this one. I agree with the consensus. Dismantle as much as you can and clean the rust.


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Don't go ripping it apart right away, clean it up some as it sits.
See if it gets power, we can help there.

You might get away with just taking the brush plate off and cleaning it up some & Oiling up what needs oil just to see what it does.

Do the wheels turn by hand?

Start with wd-40 and the wire wheel, get what you can before you start ripping it apart.


----------



## MPCAnthony (Oct 13, 2011)

I out the inspector car on the track and it did not run. Not even a hum. No matter; it's going to get a good spray of WD-40, before I take it apart.

Some asked where I got it from. About 13 years ago my then girlfriend and now wife found it cleaning out a friends attic. It's been on a shelf since then, but now our kids are a little bit older which has freed up some time for me to get back to my trains.

Does anyone know if Olsen's is up and running yet since Sandy? I'd like to get the diagram on this. On the Lionel site I could only find one for the reproduction one from the 90's(?).


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Olsen's library isn't likely to come back any time soon, if at all. Sharon keeps pushing the $50 CD of the library contents whenever asked. That's telling me that they've decided to forget about it.


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Their loss....boycott them till they fix it!:thumbsdown:

Though I have not bought from them in years anyway, that brought people to their site.

I tried to scan you a copy of what I have in my manual but can't get my scanner to copy it.


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Are you computer challenged Ed? Why can't you scan the copy?


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Take the horseshoe clips off (retainer clips) and the wheels will drop.
A lot of times the clips will bend and you can't reuse them, they are available cheap. Good to have in the parts box I just got 25 of them with the washers that go with them for my parts bin. They are used on other stuff too.

Probably if you take off the brush holder and clean up the armature and brushes it will show life.


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

The old (young) lady bought a handheld scanner last year and she never did get it to work right. I told her to return it or call tech support but it is still just sitting in the box!

My printer scanner? We never used it to date and I can't get it to scan,and I don't have time to figure it out now.

Be a nice guy and scan him a picture.


----------



## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

As I mentioned above, most things on the motor look OK. Big concern is that dual-wound field coil (with exposed copper wiring).

If no multimeter, simply clean things up, and give it a shot. Make sure you clean the armature face, brushes, etc. We can help with those, if you have questions.

GooGone is a good de-gunker. A Dremel with wire brushes will help derust much of the frame. ScotchBrite pads, too. Do NOT use steel wool anywhere!

Wiring / parts diagram below ...

Cheers,

TJ


----------



## MPCAnthony (Oct 13, 2011)

This is great. Thanks Big Ed and TJ!


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Thanks TJ, I guess John can't scan either.


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

big ed said:


> Thanks TJ, I guess John can't scan either.


You didn't send me the hard copy to scan.


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

You don't have a manual John?


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I have the Greenberg book, that has some of the stuff in it.

I'd love to get the CD's from Olsen's, but $50 is a little steep for the little PW work I do. It's a bummer they seem to not be restoring the on-line library...


----------



## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

I got that spec above from the $15 Lionel Service CD that I bought on ebay a while back ... it's packed with good info ... old catalogs, Greenbergs, Doyle books, etc.

You have one of those CD's, don't you John?

TJ


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

TJ, I have a CD I bought on eBay, but I can't seem to find it right now!


----------



## MPCAnthony (Oct 13, 2011)

*Inspector Car Restoration*

So far I have sprayed it with WD-40 a couple of day ago so it can soak in. I plan on ordering a variable speed rotary tool tonight on Harbor Freight. It's not a Dremel, but it's well within budget. In the meantime, I will be studying the repair sheets. Muchos Grazias TJ! 

Hope to post some pics in the next week or so. Stay tuned.


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I forgot.....I have one of those CD sets too.
I forgot all about it, the manual doesn't show much more then TJ's picture.

I wonder if another item like that gang car or something has a similar motor set up?


----------



## MPCAnthony (Oct 13, 2011)

*Inspection Car Restoration*



MPCAnthony said:


> So far I have sprayed it with WD-40 a couple of day ago so it can soak in.


Ok, so before a sprayed it down with WD-40 I put on the track and got nothing. Totally dead. Yesterday I put in the track after about a week of just sitting with WD-40 and I got a lound hum out of it. Also when I click the direction switch on my ZW, a thin metal rod between the reversing unit and the motor flicks back and forth. What does this mean? Is there still hope?

Also the geared wheels do not move freely when I try to roll them by hand.

Please advise.

Thanks!


----------



## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Do you have solderng skills?

If I were you, I would remove the motor from the frame, and first work on getting the motor itself running (without it attached to wheel gears below, reverse unit, etc.).

TJ


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

That is probably the e unit working.

Don't try powering it anymore, it has to be taken apart and cleaned up.
I will bet that it will run after that.


----------



## MPCAnthony (Oct 13, 2011)

*Inspection Car Restoration*



tjcruiser said:


> Do you have solderng skills?
> 
> If I were you, I would remove the motor from the frame, and first work on getting the motor itself running (without it attached to wheel gears below, reverse unit, etc.).
> 
> TJ


I have soldered wires to tubular track in place of lock-ons. Sloppy but it works. I will study the diagram, remove the motor and post pictures for further guidance. Thanks!


----------



## MPCAnthony (Oct 13, 2011)

big ed said:


> Don't try powering it anymore, it has to be taken apart and cleaned up. I will bet that it will run after that.


Thanks Big Ed.


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Actually, soldering wires in place of lockons isn't sloppy at all, and it's a lot more effective as a rule. A properly soldered wire is far more secure and less likely to develop high resistance than the lockon.


----------



## MPCAnthony (Oct 13, 2011)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Actually, soldering wires in place of lockons isn't sloppy at all, and it's a lot more effective as a rule. A properly soldered wire is far more secure and less likely to develop high resistance than the lockon.


Thanks John. When I said sloppy, I was referrring to my soldering skills. It came out big an gloppy b/c I had thin solder and overcompensated to ensure a secure connection. But overall I am happy with the results; trains run smooth with no dead spots.


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

For soldering tube track, you probably want a pretty healthy iron, I typically use my 100/140 Weller gun for the task.


----------



## BigAl56 (Dec 14, 2011)

I have a video that demonstrates soldering to tubular track. Enjoy.


----------



## MPCAnthony (Oct 13, 2011)

Below is the link to my original thread. I decided to continue it here because the original thread's title was not clear.


----------



## MPCAnthony (Oct 13, 2011)

*Upate*

I disassemled as much as I could and here are the latest pictures.

1 - How can I remove the thrust washers and retaining rings to remove the trucks?

2 - How do I remove the collector roller bracket from the frame? I removed the collector mounting screw which secrued the motor to the frame but the collector bracket is still attached do I use and allen wrench? What's left holding the collector bracket to the frame look like allen screws but I am not sure and they are not noted on the incpector car schematic.

Please help and thanks in avdance.

In the meantime I'm going to get to cleaning the motor, bushings, etc with alcohol and q-tips.


----------



## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

I do not own this car so im not sure about the collector mounting screw. As for the u shape retaining rings I usually use a small needle nose plyers and spread the ring open while pushing outward. Two small screwdrivers will work also but I found it was best withe the small needle nose. The scewdrivers can slip. There is probably a specialty tool you can buy also ( I know bigger washers like them have special tools). Be gentle and they come off in good shape for re-use.


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

The C washers are also cheap at most parts guys, I keep a stock of them because sometimes I'm not so careful.


----------



## Kwikster (Feb 22, 2012)

Those clips are called e-clips. They are removed by using a flat type screw driver. Place it inside one of the slots, and twist it will come free. *WARNING* they can and do fly away easily. You can use a rag to act as a backstop, fit it as close as possible leaving enough room to see. After you do it a few times, you'll get good at knowing how to prevent this believe me. If you do lose one, no sweat. Take the piece to the local hardware or autoparts store, they can find one to fit. To re-install, slip it as far into the groove as possible. Using pliers, squeeze it back on the stud, use caution here as well they can be tricky the first time.

Carl


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Actually, the spreadable ones are horseshoe clips, also called C-clips, the E-clips are the spring steel and don't deform when you take them off.

E-Clip










Horseshoe Clip


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Did you get a dremal like tool yet?
A lot of the rust will clean up nice with some stainless steel wheels.

But watch your eyes they will shed, wear eye protection. 
And if you need to buy some wheels, go on e bay ( or online) you can buy a bunch for the same price that you will pay at a store for a couple.

I think there are some links in your other thread for purchasing the wheels.


----------



## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

MPCAnthony said:


> Below is the link to my original thread. I decided to continue it here because the original thread's title was not clear.
> 
> 
> http://modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=15734


I merged the two threads, using the new title. A Mod has Super Powers!

(Just ask, next time!)

TJ


----------



## MPCAnthony (Oct 13, 2011)

tjcruiser said:


> I merged the two threads, using the new title. A Mod has Super Powers!
> 
> (Just ask, next time!)
> 
> TJ



Thanks TJ.


----------



## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Get some GooGone, soft toothbrushes, and pipe cleaners for the cleanup / degunk, if you can. The GooGone works quite nicely.

I'm still scratching my head on the field winding on the field coil ... doesn''t look original to me ... green/copper coloring ... not very even windings. I'm not saying it's bad, but it does make me go "Hmmmm ...". That's two windings on there (for this 2-position e-unit), per my earlier comments.

Are their 4 wires coming off of that field coil???

When you pulled the brushplate cover off (exposing the armature), were there brushes and springs in there? Are they OK? Clean the armature face off with GooGone and a soft ScotchBrite pad. Ditto on the brushes, being gentle and careful with the tiny parts.

TJ


----------



## MPCAnthony (Oct 13, 2011)

big ed said:


> Did you get a dremal like tool yet?
> A lot of the rust will clean up nice with some stainless steel wheels.
> 
> But watch your eyes they will shed, wear eye protection.
> ...


Yes, Big Ed I did get a dremel type tool and will be getting to it this coming weekend. Thanks.


----------



## MPCAnthony (Oct 13, 2011)

tjcruiser said:


> Get some GooGone, soft toothbrushes, and pipe cleaners for the cleanup / degunk, if you can. The GooGone works quite nicely.
> 
> I'm still scratching my head on the field winding on the field coil ... doesn''t look original to me ... green/copper coloring ... not very even windings. I'm not saying it's bad, but it does make me go "Hmmmm ...". That's two windings on there (for this 2-position e-unit), per my earlier comments.
> 
> ...


TJ - Yes the brushes and springs were there and I have goo gone. Thanks. I will post a before and after pix. Any thoughts on my 2nd question today about the collector bracket. Shoudl I or shoudl I not take it off the frame to do a propoer clean up?


----------



## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Do you plan to strip repaint the frame? If so, I would consider removed the collector bracket. You can install later with screws.

However, until you know more about the life of the motor, I would urge you to hold off on that for now. You can clean up (derust) the frame / bracket with a ScotchBrite pad, a dremel brush, etc. for now.

My thinking, anyway ....

TJ


----------

