How To Properly Maintain & Restore Your Old Lionel Trains
Frank Keenan
December 01, 2008
Has your Lionel train seen better days? Wouldn't it be nice to see it chugging around on its track again, radiating the same beauty as the day it was discovered that Christmas morning so long ago?
Repairing and restoring your old Lionel train can be very fulfilling. You can bask in the warm glow of memories of yesteryear, and then make new memories to go along with them!
The nice thing is, you can do this yourself with just a little patience and know-how! Once you've restored it, maintaining your old train's glory is mostly a matter of a dab of oil now and then in the right places to keep it running smoothly.
How do you restore Lionel Trains?
The first step in restoring an old Lionel train is to get it all cleaned up.
Wipe it all off with a soft cloth to remove dust and dirt.
You can remove rust with rust remover or sand paper. If you see green or crusty white spots, that is oxidation, and you can remove it with oxidation remover.
The final part in your cleaning is to wipe down the tracks, the wheels of the cars, and any moving parts with a light oil spray. Use Q-Tips soaked with the oil to get into smaller areas, like the wheels, and use a soft cloth soaked with the oil for the tracks. Buff it all up with a clean part of the cloth.
Put a dab of the oil on any moving parts, and work it in so that they move smoothly and easily. You can use a toothpick to pick up tiny bits of oil for the small parts.
Now that it is clean and shiny, you can start your repairs.
Make sure all the pieces of the track fit together tightly. If they don't, then bend the connectors back into place with small pliers. It might take a few tries to get them just right, but you should be able to get a tight fit.
Take the bodies off of your cars, and inspect the insides. Clean them as before, and look for broken parts. It's really easy to replace these parts yourself. You can buy them at a Lionel trains specialty store, many hobby stores, or order them from Lionel trains parts catalogues. Just unscrew them and screw in the replacement part.
Lastly, does your train move? Check it after you've cleaned it all, because built up dirt and grime could cause the connection between the train and the track to be so bad that it keeps it from moving. If it's clean and still doesn't move, check to see if the plug is working. If the plug looks OK, it may be that the transformer needs repair or replacement.
You can find detailed instructions about how to fix the transformer, and all the other parts of Lionel trains at LionelManuals.com. They have a 2 CD set of complete guides, blueprints, and diagrams for every Lionel train manufactured from 1906 through 1986. The set also includes a parts and accessories catalogue for your convenience.
Use the repair manuals to complete any other necessary repairs for your train.
In order to maintain your Lionel train, simply keep it clean and buffed, oil the moving parts every so often, and it should give you many more years of enjoyment!
Frank Keenan is an avid train collector and is the founder of LionelManuals.com.
If you want to learn model trains repair and restoration, visit LionelManuals to discover the easiest and step by step approach to repair, restore and service your lionel train even if you've no experience before.
Claim your own exclusive lionel model trains repair course with over 2000 pages and illustrations. Learn how to work with lionel train parts and download free vintage catalogs from 1902-1986.
These lionel service manuals collection will teach you how to repair ho trains, O gauge trains and prewar and postwar models
Here is what is covered:
hobby trains
model railroad trains
toy trains lionel
lionel train set
lionel train repair
lionel train catalog/A>
Learn the secrets of the antique lionel trains repair with Lionel Manuals.com today.
Repairing and restoring your old Lionel train can be very fulfilling. You can bask in the warm glow of memories of yesteryear, and then make new memories to go along with them!
The nice thing is, you can do this yourself with just a little patience and know-how! Once you've restored it, maintaining your old train's glory is mostly a matter of a dab of oil now and then in the right places to keep it running smoothly.
How do you restore Lionel Trains?
The first step in restoring an old Lionel train is to get it all cleaned up.
Wipe it all off with a soft cloth to remove dust and dirt.
You can remove rust with rust remover or sand paper. If you see green or crusty white spots, that is oxidation, and you can remove it with oxidation remover.
The final part in your cleaning is to wipe down the tracks, the wheels of the cars, and any moving parts with a light oil spray. Use Q-Tips soaked with the oil to get into smaller areas, like the wheels, and use a soft cloth soaked with the oil for the tracks. Buff it all up with a clean part of the cloth.
Put a dab of the oil on any moving parts, and work it in so that they move smoothly and easily. You can use a toothpick to pick up tiny bits of oil for the small parts.
Now that it is clean and shiny, you can start your repairs.
Make sure all the pieces of the track fit together tightly. If they don't, then bend the connectors back into place with small pliers. It might take a few tries to get them just right, but you should be able to get a tight fit.
Take the bodies off of your cars, and inspect the insides. Clean them as before, and look for broken parts. It's really easy to replace these parts yourself. You can buy them at a Lionel trains specialty store, many hobby stores, or order them from Lionel trains parts catalogues. Just unscrew them and screw in the replacement part.
Lastly, does your train move? Check it after you've cleaned it all, because built up dirt and grime could cause the connection between the train and the track to be so bad that it keeps it from moving. If it's clean and still doesn't move, check to see if the plug is working. If the plug looks OK, it may be that the transformer needs repair or replacement.
You can find detailed instructions about how to fix the transformer, and all the other parts of Lionel trains at LionelManuals.com. They have a 2 CD set of complete guides, blueprints, and diagrams for every Lionel train manufactured from 1906 through 1986. The set also includes a parts and accessories catalogue for your convenience.
Use the repair manuals to complete any other necessary repairs for your train.
In order to maintain your Lionel train, simply keep it clean and buffed, oil the moving parts every so often, and it should give you many more years of enjoyment!
Frank Keenan is an avid train collector and is the founder of LionelManuals.com.
If you want to learn model trains repair and restoration, visit LionelManuals to discover the easiest and step by step approach to repair, restore and service your lionel train even if you've no experience before.
Claim your own exclusive lionel model trains repair course with over 2000 pages and illustrations. Learn how to work with lionel train parts and download free vintage catalogs from 1902-1986.
These lionel service manuals collection will teach you how to repair ho trains, O gauge trains and prewar and postwar models
Here is what is covered:
hobby trains
model railroad trains
toy trains lionel
lionel train set
lionel train repair
lionel train catalog/A>
Learn the secrets of the antique lionel trains repair with Lionel Manuals.com today.
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