Christmas Repairs

Merry Christmas readers!

Last Thursday I was running the CNW 0-8-0 around the Christmas tree at work, and soon discovered smoke coming out of the tender. I took the engine home and opened the tender. It had a very pungent smell of burnt electronics. I inspected the circuit board, but aside from one spark I couldn’t tell what the problem was. The engine will power up in neutral with smoke, whistle, and light effects, but it will not shift into forward or reverse. I contacted MTH service via email.

I also checked on the status of the NP 0-6-0 issue with MTH service, as they hadn’t responded for a month. They advised that the engine would have to be serviced professionally.

On a more successful note, I disassembled the #2035 steam locomotive and cleaned the motor and brushes. I also lubricated the gears, as they are much easier to access with the shell removed. It took over an hour to put it back together due to the rods and smoke puffing mechanism. I used a kitchen tie to force the tender’s rear coupler closed, as it kept opening randomly. The locomotive now runs (more) smoothly now. I also repositioned the electrical cables that were running under the Library tree track.

On Friday I brought CNW GP7 1518 to work to run under the tree, replacing the CNW 0-8-0 which is out of service (see above.)

On Tuesday I added Priority, Difficulty, and Cost columns to the "Engine House" (repair) spreadsheet. Currently, the two steam switchers (CNW & NP) are the top priority, and it may be less expensive to purchase new units instead of repairing, due to their age and the computer-related problems they are experiencing.

Other Engine House items for Q1 2016 include the Electroliner (get motors in sync, troubleshoot the speaker, and reattach the windows), the CSS Interurban (adjust cowcatcher), the RI Denver Rocket (oil the squeaky wheels), the PW Searchlight Car (replace the non-original light housing). the PW #2037 locomotive (return it to operational status), and the two REA Baggage Cars (install 3-rail trucks).

I hope you have a wonderful celebration of Christmas, and keep those rails silvery shiny!

Interior of the MTH 0-8-0 tender

Interior of the 65-year-old #2035

The Lionel Repair Guide has specific schematics for most Post War trains, including #2035

#2035’s motor and brushes prior to cleaning

CNW GP7 #1518 takes the stage under the Christmas tree at my office