# Lionel Junior Transformer Station



## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Hi guys,

I picked up a mid-1930's Lionel freight set recently (with 1681 loco) that also came with a partial Lionel Junior Transformer Station, shown below. It's really just the shell: building sides, and roof. No base, no transformer. The whole train set had been in a flood, and sadly, the paint on this lithographed station is jumping off. The slightest touch chips away more color. It's gotta be stripped to bare metal.

So, I'm thinking ... "What do I do with the bloody thing?" Options for your input ...

1. First and foremost ... Does anyone need this for parts? The roof? The sides? If so, PM me and it's yours. Free ... as long as it goes to a t.l.c. home. Jim? T-Man?

2. Or, I can strip the thing to bare metal and try to repaint and kludge together a simple base. But there's no way I could paint all of that litho colored detail. So, I'm wondering if I had nice-resolution photos of each of the sides of the building from someone's GOOD station, maybe I could print them out on my computer and laminate and glue them to the sides of a bare-yellow station? Do any of you guys have a station like this in good condition? If so, might you snap some high-res photos of each of the sides, trying to avoid roof shadow lines?

3. Chuck it in the trash can and pretend that I never saw it! (Well, not really ... I don't have the heart to do that.)

4. Other ideas?

TJ


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

Okay....if it were me, here's what I'd do. First, strip it down to bare metal and forget you ever saw the original design---tabla rasa. Second, look at your layout and ask yourself what kind of building would be neat to have? Spanish style? Swiss Alps cabin? Office for a coaling station? Then go to the hobby store and look at what sort of stuff you can attach to it to create that: brick veneer facing, stone...whatever makes it. Add doors and windows. Personally, I think it's the tavern you've been looking for: TJ's Place. Be sure to add a beer sign!


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I think it looks fine the way it is. Just make a base for it.
It's got character......looks like it's been through WW1.:laugh:

Nice for a weathered layout.:thumbsup:


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Reck -- Not a bad idea. Nothing to say is has to be the same station.

Big Ed -- I'm afraid to keep it the way it is around my kids ... paint's really jumping off ... old lead paint, and all that.

And ... I'm really, really hoping that someone might want the thing for parts. Anybody?

TJ


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## Stillakid (Jan 12, 2010)

TJ, strip it down!
Get the lid from an old cookie tin and make a base.
Window, doors, signs, etc.-Use those magnetic business card blanks(Staples/Office Max)
If all else fails, I'm sure either T-Man or I would be happy to take it off your hands


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Just remove the rust and wax it. You won't come close if you paint it.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

tjcruiser said:


> Reck -- Not a bad idea. Nothing to say is has to be the same station.
> 
> Big Ed -- I'm afraid to keep it the way it is around my kids ... paint's really jumping off ... old lead paint, and all that.
> 
> ...



Just like I told stillakid with his alien layout.Don't let the kids eat them!:laugh:

I was raised in the lead paint era, I must have eaten some back then along with dirt, guppies and Lord knows what else. 

Maybe that is why I can't walk through a medal detector without setting it off?:laugh: 

OK then strip it and make it TJ's pub like Reckers said, that sounds like a good idea.

Just remember You don't throw anything away!
As soon as I throw something away (which is rare) I find a need for it.

And if I need something I know I have, I won't find it until I buy another one.:laugh:

Murphy's law follows me everyday!

Been following me my whole life!


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Yeah ... it's gotta get stripped. The wax idea might work if the paint was adhering to the metal at all, but it's not ... any touch and it flakes off. Bummer ... I do like the original arched-window design.

TJ


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

tjcruiser said:


> Yeah ... it's gotta get stripped. The wax idea might work if the paint was adhering to the metal at all, but it's not ... any touch and it flakes off. Bummer ... I do like the original arched-window design.
> 
> TJ


Strip it down and get out the airbrush and see what you can do.

What?? You don't have an airbrush? Well get one.

You can't mess it up anymore then it is now.

It's a good excuse to get an airbrush too. Your locos came out great.:thumbsup:
Though I like the Krylon better.:thumbsup:

I bet once you got the hang of it you would be painting everything in site.

You don't have one do you?

I think copying the plants would be harder then the windows.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Big Ed,

I made a whimsical bird house for my sister some years ago ... painted the sides with windows, bushes, etc. along with a cat to scare the birds away. Maybe I can have similar fun here.

You say, "I like the Krylon better." ... Do you mean the way it looks on my locos, or do you mean how it's worked for you on your end? I'm quite curious, actually ... I know a lot of guys are loyal to the Rustoleum, and I'm wondering if anyone else (you?) prefers the Krylon for ease of use???

TJ


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## Stillakid (Jan 12, 2010)

TJ, had dinner at a friends last night. He models Z & N. Along with some really detailed, purchased building, he had quite a few that he made himself out of card stock and photographs.

He uses Corel to reduce the pics to scale, and then pastes to the cardstock. One of the buildings had 3 layers so that the doorways and windows all seemed more realistic. Then he will add some trim pieces to give it some more dimension. I was impressed by the realism. You could do the same thing.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

tjcruiser said:


> Big Ed,
> 
> I made a whimsical bird house for my sister some years ago ... painted the sides with windows, bushes, etc. along with a cat to scare the birds away. Maybe I can have similar fun here.
> 
> ...


I was referring to the picture of the two engines side by side.
Even though I like the metallic engine, I like the other better. I think because it has the red base in it.
An other words I liked the different colors together (red & black) instead of the one solid color.
Paint brand had nothing to do with it. 

And like I also said I think they both came out great.:thumbsup:

Do you have an airbrush?


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Big Ed,

No airbrush for me. Not yet, at least.

I must say that I like the 2-tone of the little 1681, too. The red stripe adds some class to the little guy. I went monotone color with the 259 simply because that's what they originally had. Somewhere down the road it would be fun to add some two-tone color to one, if another 259 ever follows me home.

Thanks, again, for the nice compliments ... much appreciated!

TJ


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

I would try to save the windows. One way is to paint it yellow and use a printed scan of a window or door. Someone taked about a magnetic advert card. That would be perfect. You could just wall paper the whole image to the house too. Would you want me to scan my staion? Just post an e mail to me.


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

T-Man...just what is a junior transformer station, anyway?


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

T-Man,

Do you have one of these stations? If so, I would LOVE for you to scan the sides to digital images or take some zoomed in photos. I was hoping someone might have one to do that from the outset. PM coming your way.

Awesome, if you can pull this off ...

TJ


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Reck,

"Junior" stations came with the smaller Lionel junior sets. Small locos, small cars, and in this case, a small transformer that lived inside the station.

TJ


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

Isn't it hard to access the speed lever when it's inside a building??? Or did it simply switch on and that's it?


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

You know, I really am not sure how that worked. I've seen some pics of the Station that seem fully enclosed, and other pics of near-identical stations that have a lever poking through one of the sides ... presumably a control lever.

My flooded station is just an empty shell ... no guts. But as I learn more, I'll keep you posted.

TJ


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

I'd appreciate it. I'm perplexed by the design.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Reckers said:


> T-Man...just what is a junior transformer station, anyway?
> T-Man,
> 
> Do you have one of these stations? If so, I would LOVE for you to scan the sides to digital images or take some zoomed in photos. I was hoping someone might have one to do that from the outset. PM coming your way.
> ...


I just love the lithograph to this little station. Mine is roofless but the original green terra cotta is cool. 
The building the one I have had a transformer. WIth a lever.Produced around 1935 to 37. I think it also had a whistle. The building had Lionel on the side instead of the word station. The roof was red. That was in 1937 until it stopped in producttion.Hope that helps


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

So the building masked the tranny but still allowed you to control the speed. Interesting. Thanks for explaining!


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

T-Man,

Many thanks for the Station pics! Much appreciated. I think these will work perfect for a little inkjet printer wallpaper job. I'll print on glossy photo paper, I think, and glue to a pre-painted yellow station shell.

Nice tin houses you have ... could be perfect for your O layout.

I am amazed at the detail that can be reproduced with litho paint. I have no idea how the process works, but I would love to see how some time.

Thanks again for taking the time to snap these pics ... most helpful!

TJ


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Hi guys,

Well, I've begun tinkering with the Junior Transformer Station, or, more precisely, I've been fiddling with creating image wallpaper for it on my PC.

T-man had sent some pics of his, and I found some other pics from Stations being offered for sale on ebay. Photo distortion is a problem with camera shots ... things skew, curve, twist quite a lot. Flatbed-scanning images would be better, but that's hard to do unless the item is true-flat, and you can lay it completely on the scanner. Nonetheless, Photoshop has some tools that allow one to Skew an image somewhat back to "square" and it's proper proportions. Also, you can fiddle with colors and hues a bit, and clean up smudges, chips, etc.

So, here's my start ... simply generating wallpaper type images for the Station.

My roof was originally green painted tile. Other stations had orange painted tile.

I'm not sure if the forum shrinks these images. Should be 870x320 pixels, printed at 160 dpi:



















Here's my stab at the front view. Should be 700x370, also 160 dpi:










And an end view, here at higher-res 190 dpi. The small tickmarks indicate where to cut the roof gable slopes.










We'll see how this goes ... I'm not fully convinced that the wallpaper will fool everyone's eyes, but it's the best I can think of to try to reproduce these old litho images.

Will keep you posted,

TJ


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Gents,

Some progress on the Station. Stripped to bare metal in prep for primer / paint. I spent a bit of time trying to straighten the panels using a flatish peen hammer and an anvil.

I still plan on going the "wallpaper" route, both on walls and roof. Primer/paint will be an undercoat, with also some exposure at the edges.

I should have mentioned early, for reference info: Building dims are approx 4-1/2" x 3-1/8" with peak of gable at approx 3-1/2" high. Roof panels (per side) are approx 5-1/2" x 3-1/4".

Regards,

TJ


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Hi guys,

Project update ...

Station shell and roof have been primed and painted, both in prep for "wallpaper" skins. I wanted to paint underlying surfaces to: (a) prevent rust, and (b) show proper color at adjacent corners, roof edges, etc.

I've sent the wallpaper "skin" images (Post #24, above) off to be printed on standard photo paper (cheap at Walmart). I've ordered both matte and glossy finishes ... not sure which one I'll opt to used yet.

I'm assuming (???) that I'll apply the skins with standard photo-mount spray glue. I.e., spray on back of pre-cut photo skins, then apply to painted metal shells. Any thoughts on this? Anyone suggest a better glue / adhesion way???

Cheers,

TJ


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

tjcruiser said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> Well, I've begun tinkering with the Junior Transformer Station, or, more precisely, I've been fiddling with creating image wallpaper for it on my PC.
> 
> ...





First time seeing this????

It would be nice if it worked.

But if you practice with an air brush........:thumbsup: it would probably turn out great too!:laugh:!
I know you can do it!


Is it actual wallpaper? Or are you going to paste it on somehow?


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

big ed said:


> Is it actual wallpaper? Or are you going to paste it on somehow?


I'm having the graphic images printed (by Walmart) on standard 4"x6" photo paper. I figured I'd cut them out to size, then glue them on with sticky spray photo adhesive ... UNLESS SOMEONE ELSE HAS A BETTER / OTHER IDEA? I'm genuinely open to thoughts here ...

TJ


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

I like your idea, TJ---I can't improve on it. The four corners of the building will be a challenge because of the 4 photo-edges, but I'd get some thick, heavy paper and make a set of stone corner-edges that will go from ground to eaves. Same for the doorway: a 3-d stone archway applied to the photo would be pretty sharp. Here's a thread to show you what can be done: http://ogaugerr.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3681097934/m/663106133?r=759106133#759106133


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Reck,

Thanks for the idea / link. A guy there has incredibly realistic looking masonry ... he's laying each brick individually! Pretty incredible results ... pretty incredible patience on his end.

I'm gonna start with the "wallpaper" skins today and see how they look / adhere. Adhesion / look of the edges could be an issue, as you suggest.

Cheers,

TJ


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

I think photo paper is too thick and rigid. Plus, I am not sure the glossy finish would work. Perhaps a quality copy from a copy center. I used a MOD podge to finish since it was easy. The paper also overlaps well and hides seams. 
There is plenty of room to experiment on here.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Gents,

The "wallpaper" method results, for your critique ...

After strip/prime/paint, I PhotoShopped images of an original Station (not mine) to the right proportions and about the right color tones. I then had these printed as matte-finish photos (at Walmart) and trimmed them with a razor to appropriate sizes. I left just a tiny fraction of paint-only margin around all edges.

T-Man ... I agree ... I also had glossy prints, but these simply didn't have the right sheen.

After trimming the photos, I colored the now-cut paper edges using an orange marker, so that I didn't end up with a conspicuous white line there.

I had used Krylon primer and paint, and found that Michael's had a Krylon can spray adhesive. I chose that, simply to keep all solvents compatible. (Though I suspect that a 3M spray adhesive would have worked just fine.)

Spraying the adhesive on the backs of the cut photos was a bit tricky. At first (on some test scraps), I simply laid the photo down on some newspapers and sprayed the back. What happens, though, is that the spray adhesive works its way underneath the edges, and gets just a hint (but enough to make things messy) on the photo side.

So, for each cut photo, I taped about 1/16" of all edges to a sheet wax paper, essentially sealing off the edges to prevent overspray onto the photo side. Then, I sprayed the back, removed the tape, and positioned carefully on the painted building. Then, rubbed firmly with a separate protective layer of wax paper (to avoid any sticky finger residue onto the photo side).

So, there we have it ... a poor man's non-litho recreation of an original Lionel lithographed station. Not quite perfect, but not too shabby, I think. An improvement over the as-found flooded / paint-peeling original, I hope.

I still need to think about making a proper base for the Station.

Cheers,

TJ


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Way to go! It works for me. :thumbsup:
You need a base?


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

T-Man,

If YOU'RE happy, then I'M happy! Seriously ... your eye and experience with this old stuff means a lot to me. Much appreciated.

I do need a base. You don't have any old, rusty orphans lying around, do you? If so, I'd love to barter.

House itself is approx 4-1/2" x 3-1/8". Though I've never held a base directly, ebay pics would put the base somewhere around 5-1/2" x 3-3/4" approx.

Thanks!

TJ


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## Stillakid (Jan 12, 2010)

TJ, beautiful job!!

Look for a cookie tin lid. The older tins have heavier gauge lids. I see them all the time in thrift shops!


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

WOW that looks great.:thumbsup:

It would probably get a good buck on e bay.:thumbsup:
Even if you told them what you did.:thumbsup:

Excellent! :thumbsup:


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

tjcruiser said:


> T-Man,
> 
> If YOU'RE happy, then I'M happy! Seriously ... your eye and experience with this old stuff means a lot to me. Much appreciated.
> 
> ...


I don't have a spare. I would have to make one. The original is 3 3/4ths by 5 and 3/8ths, by 3/16ths. Unless you want a platform extension?


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

Magnificent, TJ! It looks like a brand-new one! Well done!


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

T-Man -- Thanks for the actual dims ... good to know. I do think I'll try to make a base on my end ... I haven't done too much sheet metal work, so this will offer a good, simple (!) learning exercise.

What tool would you use to cut the slots for the tabs? Approx 1/4" x 1/32". A Dremel with a little diamond-burr pointy tip? What about directional control with that during the cutting process?

Jim -- Good tip on cookie lids for sheet stock. I'll keep my eye open. I might also grab a sheet of that aluminum stock from our local newspaper company ... a bit flimsly when compared to steel (as you guys have said), but I'm looking at a pretty small part here.

Big Ed, Reck -- thanks for the atta' boys. Much appreciated. The "wallpaper" method is pretty simple, actually, but it offers at least some poor-man's approach to a quasi-reproduction of these beautiful old litho originals.

Thanks, all!

TJ


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

A worn cutting wheel. I save them when they get small. They are great for cutting little slots.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

T-Man said:


> A worn cutting wheel.


Ahhh ... I see ... great tip. Thanks! 

TJ


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

*No Guts, No Glory!*

Gents,

Great news on my end ... GREAT NEWS!

My circa 1934 Lionel Jr. Transformer Station restored shell (only) has been patiently waiting for some noble organ donor to offer some life-saving guts. Well, the doorbell rang yesterday ... a medical emergency delivery from Mr. Postman. Detailed screening tests show it's a perfect compatible match.

Who is this noble soul? None other than Jim / Stillakid, who surprised me with this incredibly thoughtful and generous gift. Thank you, Jim ... I am delighted to now have the critical parts to put this Station -- and the Lionel #1054 freight set -- fully back together.

So ...

It's a very simple, textbook-style transformer. A "coil within a coil" setup, with a little slidy rheostat on the inner (output voltage) coil. Jim tells me that he had the thing running, and at first glance, all of the components and wiring look to be in very nice shape.

I initially thought that I would replace the power cord (for safety), but at closer look, the fabric and rubber coating all seem quite good. I may try to save it, to keep it as authentic as possible. (This would be more of a show piece ... no little kids poking there fingers into the wires.)

The base is completely undented. I may do a quick prime / respray, but if so, I'll tape-off and leave the rivetted-on transformer in place.

So, I'm thrilled. Project details to come. And a HUGE thank you to Stillakid, of course!

TJ


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

What a nice gift! way to go, Jim!


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Wow. So That's what they look like. Mine had a transformer but no lever or a sign of anything to control speed. Just a transformer.
Way to go Jim! 

TJ, get to work!!


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Darn...your not going to dissect it and lay it out in nice neat little piles?:laugh:

Way to go Jim!:thumbsup:


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## Stillakid (Jan 12, 2010)

*Have you "Played" with it yet?*

TJ, have you tested the output and the control yet?
When I did, it moved smoothly from 0 to 14v.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Jim,

It works like a charm! I hooked it up to a voltmeter first, then with that looking OK, I hooked it up to my track, and had my little 1681 loco running 'round just fine!

Output is essentially 0 volts with the lever pushed all the way in, then from about 9 to 13.5 volts across the operational range as the lever is pulled out. I think that's pretty typical for older, smaller Lionel transformers.

I've taped off the tranformer guts (rivetted on), and just sprayed on a coat of primer on the base. Will topcoat with a near-original terra-cotta color, next. (Found a close Krylon match at Walmart!)

I think I'm going to leave the original cord intact and authentic. This Station won't get much "real" use ... mostly for show and nostalgia and all that.

So far, so good!

Cheers,

TJ


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## Stillakid (Jan 12, 2010)

That's Fantastic!
I'm glad it works and will be used as it should be


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

*Lionel Jr. Transformer Station -- Restoration DONE !!!*

Hi guys,

Well, with many thanks again to Jim / Stillakid for sending me the all-important "guts" donation, I am happy to report that my circa 1934 Lionel Jr. Transformer Station restoration is now officially DONE!

Jim's guts were in great shape. (Uhh ... did that come out sounding right?!?!?) The only thing I replaced was one wire that goes from the slidy-lever to the terminal post, along with the power plug at the end of the cord. The base got a fresh coat of primer and paint. My previously-worked-on shell and roof tabbed in with a perfect fit.

Easy squeezy. Piece of cake! As mentioned above, power range is from about 9 to 13.5 volts.

Before and after pics follow. You may recall the the lithographed paint on my as-found shell was toast. Crumbling off at the slightest touch. Not knowing what to do, I opted (unconventionally) to "recreate" the station's building faces and roof tiles with jpg images printed on matte photo paper, then cut and sticky-glued to the repainted walls of the shell and roof. This "wallpaper" method is not authentic by any purist standard, but I think it offers a cost-effective approach to breathing some new life back into these litho junkers, without having access to modern lithograph equipment. Works for me, anyway.

A final reminder to readers, this now-completed Transformer Station also completes the restoration of my Lionel #1054 Freight Set, covered in in two other recent threads (1681 loco; freight cars). Whehhh. Time to rest !!!!

Cheers,

TJ

*BEFORE*










*AFTER*


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## Stillakid (Jan 12, 2010)

*Great!*

TJ, absolutely fantastic! In fact, it looks to nice to be kept hidden in a box! It's a, "Show Piece!":thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## georgieboytraveler2 (Sep 27, 2010)

TJ ====

Wow === what a great restoration! The one you are getting from me works, but doesn't look near as nice as your restored one, but then, its not near as bad as yours was in the before pics. You are doing a great job with restoring these older Lionel units and I'm glad to have been a supplier of another set to you (for a fee of course), but it looks to me like you are the man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Question ??????????? Are you, or do you do any work on earlier (1915) era as I have a nice loco by Ives that the motor is bad and I need someone who knows them much better than I to repair. It belongs to my "railroading partner" and he got it from his grandfather and has no interest in selling = just would like to get it to run again. Any ideas? Thanks

Laarry


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Jim -- Thanks for the flattering comment. I will state, for the record, that it was your Marx tinplate loco restoration (the red one) that got me interested in this tinplate stuff. So I have you to thank :thumbsup: ... or to blame! 

Larry -- The truth is, I'm simply learning as I go here. I've only been fiddling with this prewar stuff for a few months. I've been trying to break things down into managable steps. I think it's the elegant simplicity of the design and mechanics of these old toys that allows a relative novice like me to jump into restoration, and end up with somewhat decent results.

As far as a 1915 Ives is concerned ...

I've never fiddled with anything quite that old, but I suspect you'll find plenty of help here on the Forum to steer you towards getting it running again. "T-Man" is our resident Mr. Fixit / Scotty from Star Trek; Jim "Stillakid" has worked wonders with some old Marx and American Flyer Locos, I've kludge my way through a few of the old Lionel stock, "ServoGuy" dreams about electronic gizmos in his sleep ... and on, and on.

When dealing with this old-school stuff, you quickly learn that all of the locos from different manufacturers all share some very basic and fundamental mechanical and electrical components. It's that "elegant simplicity" thing again that makes these so fun, in my opinion.

So, in regards to the 1915 Ives, I suggest you start a new thread, post some pics, describe any signs of life (or lack thereof), and the gang will likely chime in with some thoughts. First step will likely be to remove the motor from the shell and see what's there. Hope to see the details at some point!

Oh ... You might want to check out this neat Ives website link ... lots of interesting stuff on prewar Ives trains.

http://www.ivestrains.org/

Thanks again for the nice comments, guys!!!

TJ


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## georgieboytraveler2 (Sep 27, 2010)

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction, TJ. I will take some pics and see what I can get started here! Again, I thank you for showing me this site and having learned form the other forums I belong to, I know that there are the "pros" on here to get the help from. I have done very little with working on Lionel or O gauge stuff, as most all my work and playing has been with the HO scale items. A lot the same = jsut bigger I guess.


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