# New Guy: Pre-war Restoration Questions...



## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

Well, I have a couple questions... 

My main questions have to do with restoring a pre-war Lionel engine/tender... I bought it when I was younger (am 18 now) and got started on it, but did not make too much progress... I boiled it to get the paint off (this is as far as I got )... Now I am starting up again and doing the tender first... 

Actually, there are a lot of little paint chunks left on it... What is the best way to get this off without ruining the metal? 

Also, is there some special paint you should use? Like are there paint codes for a gloss black (body), flat black (coal), and a golden color (rails, ladder, etc)? Then would you give it a layer of clear-coat? I do not even know if it is a good time to paint since it is winter out ... 

The last part of this is one of the trucks (I think that is what they are called, LOL)... On one, the golden metal piece which connects it to the body has come loose and can be pulled out, not the best thing to happen when rolling down the line... I was thinking about using "quicksteel" on it unless there is something more appropriate?


----------



## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)




----------



## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

I started polishing up the metal parts, what a PITA that is...


----------



## Stan kolak (Dec 4, 2007)

*restoring*

Surprised you got most of the old paint off by boiling in water. Baked enamal is the hardest paint to remove. Laquer and oil base 2nd hardest to remove. Since the parts ae made of metal, a paint stripper should do. Keep it away from plastics, chrome trimmings etc. Razor blade scrapping is another alternative that would take time. Painting seems easier after allthe prior work. You seem to be up on paint codes forthe engine and tender.

As for the trucks, I cannot visual the problem. Is it a fastening problem, or a broken part problem. Modern clear epoxies can solve many a broken problem. Good luck on your restortation


----------



## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

Stan kolak said:


> As for the trucks, I cannot visual the problem. Is it a fastening problem, or a broken part problem. Modern clear epoxies can solve many a broken problem. Good luck on your restortation


See the little golden thing on top of the truck (I know my pics suck)? You can pull it out... By the looks of it, it was never punched right to begin with...


----------



## Stan kolak (Dec 4, 2007)

*trucks for B&M*

Pix not to clear. In the 1940"s, Lionel was making trains for the kids, not the professional model train hobbier. You may find many a defect in their assembly of engine parts. Keep in mind, epoxies were not used in that time period. Orther methods were used to assemble engine parts.


----------



## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

*New Revelation!!!*

I was browsing eBay looking at old prewar items like I usually do when I cam across this auction...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160191229038&indexURL=0#ebayphotohosting

Apparently it is like this rare uncataloged set sold at Blomingdales... Well, I remembered when I looked at my tender after cleaning the badly restored black paint off, there were remanants of that same orange stripe which is on that tender... So I looked again and sure enough it is the same color and everything, and that also explains why I have gold/silver accessories and not bronze    

LOL, see my website for more pictures 

EDIT: My engine does not have it though since it and the tender are a mis-match


----------



## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

One more thing... Any ideas on how to get the black paint back into the wording? Obviously it came out when I polished it... I was thinking about giving it a quick spray and then taking a damp sponge and quickly wiping off the excess... Would this work?

EDIT: Electrical tape FTW!!! Look how clean this looks!!! I tried my first idea and it did not work... I re-did it and waited for it to dry a little, about five minutes... Then I just pressed electrical tape onto it to lift all the paint off the surface


----------



## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

Man, it was a pain getting all of that original paint off of the diecast shell... I finally managed to get 99% of it off using 240 sandpaper and a razor blade... I got the inside primed yesterday and the outside today... It will get the first coat of black gloss in 48 hours 

I am also planning on buying a 800 set and restoring it... I am waiting for the 812 gondola and 817 caboose to arrive at my house, and I have my eyes on three more... I will not be getting the 810 crane, and the 814R reefer and the 820 searchlight are still up in the air...


----------



## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

I really need to learn to take it easy with the paint  

Instead of just spraying thin coats, I get into it without thinking and spray about half a can on whatever I am painting... I always see some spot so I spray, then I see another spot, and so on... I hate being an impatient perfectionist  

NOTE TO SELF: THIN LAYERS, DOH


----------



## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

I got the two cars in a couple days ago, but I think I am going to put this off until spring, just so I can play with the chemicals outside, LOL... I just ordered five new couplers off of eBay for only $10.00 plus $3.00 shipping! That is a great deal, considering [url="http://www.georgetebolt.com/]this guy[/url] sells them for $3.75 a pop when the spring and rivet are included!


----------



## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

Man, I just love talking to myself, LOL  

Anyways, I was thinking about adding a light to the caboose... Your opinions?


----------



## Stan kolak (Dec 4, 2007)

*B&m*

Caboose would be lighted in real life at night. Workers would slep or read, as no work at night. Their job is to observe the freight truck wheels as the train went around a curve for fires on the wheel axles as they were poorly lubricated. With the comming of diesels, these old freights were phased out and the caboose also. if you are all diesel, no cabooses.


----------



## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

I never knew that the caboose was practiacally non-existant today, but that is probably just me not using my brain...

Since this is prewar it is a steamer, so I will light it then... There are some cheap Pullman cars on eBay which I could get one of and swap the light system in... I wonder why Lionel never lit them up back then?


----------



## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

Man, I really need to get working on these... I just picked up a 814 boxcar off eBay for $18 which is a pretty good deal... So now I have the basic boxcar, gondola, caboose setup for my prewar train


----------

