electric trains Archives

Lionel 2034 locomotive repair

Dave Farquhar Toy trains February 5, 2016December 29, 2017american flyer, electric trains, lionel, Lionel Postwar, marx, metal polish, old trains

I have a Lionel 2034 that had a bent cab I fixed, but it ran poorly too. It would run, but only in super slow-mo, and that was when it would run at all. If I was really patient, sometimes I could get it to run a little after a few minutes, but it had minimal pulling power even then. So I took a shot at Lionel 2034 locomotive repair. It was successful.

The motor needed some maintenance, but it didn’t need any parts. Here’s how I fixed it in less than an hour.

Dave Farquhar

David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He started his career as a part-time computer technician in 1994, worked his way up to system administrator by 1997, and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He invests in real estate on the side and his hobbies include O gauge trains, baseball cards, and retro computers and video games. A University of Missouri graduate, he holds CISSP and Security+ certifications. He lives in St. Louis with his family.

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6 options for removing paint from model trains

Dave Farquhar Toy trains January 29, 2016August 30, 2017american flyer, Dollar Tree, electric trains, Hot Wheels, lionel, marx, matchbox, plastic models, Purple Power, train layout

It’s not uncommon to find model trains with unwanted paint on them, or original paint that’s damaged beyond the point of being able to rehabilitate it. Fortunately, the price is usually low on these trains, and there are numerous household chemicals that can strip the paint off these trains and give them a fresh start.

These tricks also work with other toys and plastic models, but while some of these methods seem to be unknown in the train community, some of them are very well known among collectors who restore vintage plastic model kits. This is an example where knowledge across disciplines can be very valuable, so I hope the car and airplane modelers won’t mind me sharing their secrets.

Dave Farquhar

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Model train won’t move? Here’s the fix

Dave Farquhar model railroading December 8, 2015December 4, 2022bachmann, electric trains, HO, Model Power, n scale, troubleshooting

A common problem with HO, N, and other scales of electric train that run on DC power is that when you put them on the track, they light up but don’t move and instead make a weird noise. If your model train won’t move, I can tell you how to fix it. Here are my tricks for model train locomotive troubleshooting.

The cure is usually simple, involving switching a couple of wires.

Dave Farquhar

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How to tell if a Lionel tender has a whistle

Dave Farquhar Toy trains November 27, 2015September 15, 2016electric trains, lionel, train show, troubleshooting

One of the things Lionel did that set its electric trains apart from its competitors was integrating a whistle in the tender that was included with its steam locomotives. Because of the added play value and charm, the whistling tender is a sought-after feature, even in this era when electronic sounds are so inexpensive that even dollar store toys sometimes have them.

Here’s how to quickly tell if a Lionel tender has a whistle.

Dave Farquhar

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Lionel train light bulb chart

Dave Farquhar Toy trains June 19, 2015February 23, 2019american flyer, ba9s, billboard, electric trains, hardware store, KW, lionel, lionel train, LW, marx, NYC, o gauge, trainz

Lionel used 15 different types of light bulbs in its O gauge electric trains in the postwar era, but in most cases–87% of catalog numbers, and a lot more than that in actual number of items produced–you can get by with two. Since knowing when can be difficult, here’s a Lionel train light bulb chart.

Lionel almost always specified 14 or 18 volts. Using an 18-volt bulb in place of a 14-volt original, or a 22-volt bulb in place of an 18-volt original results in longer service life. And there were two base types that Lionel used more than any other. Read more

Dave Farquhar

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Tips for using Dept. 56 and Lemax-type buildings with Lionel trains

Dave Farquhar Toy trains November 29, 2014December 10, 20211:64 scale, 1950s, american flyer, christmas, Cobblestone Corners, Dept 56, Dollar Tree, electric trains, estate sales, holiday village, Lemax, lionel, marx, marx trains, s scale

A frequent question I see regards the proper scale of snow village-type buildings, like Department 56 and Lemax, and whether they’re suitable for use with Lionel electric trains.

The answer is that their scale varies, but the buildings work very effectively with traditional Lionel trains, or, for that matter, 1:64 S scale American Flyer trains. Many hobbyists have built elaborate winter-themed layouts using these buildings. Typically the scale runs from anywhere from 1:64 to 1:48, with lots of selective compression to make the buildings fit an approximate footprint. The very same thing is true of the Lionel trains of the 1950s, so, intentional or not, they end up being a pretty good match.

The figures sold with these buildings, on the other hand, tend to be much larger–very close to 1:24 scale. This discrepancy bothers some people more than others. 1:24 figures are better suited for G scale.

Dave Farquhar

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The Marx connection to Hafner

Dave Farquhar Toy trains January 25, 2014January 27, 20221950s, american flyer, electric trains, ives, lionel, Louis Marx, marx, marx trains, New York, New York City, o gauge, tin, wyandotte

Hafner was a Chicago-based maker of clockwork-powered O gauge trains during most of the first half of the 20th century. The trains were inexpensive but durable. William Hafner developed the clockwork motor as a hobby around the turn of the previous century and put the motor in toys. Eventually he decided to make a train–perhaps he thought his two sons would like one–and he did. He even sold a set or two, but didn’t have the facilities to mass produce them, or the money to buy such a facility. So he approached William Coleman, who had an interest in a struggling farm tool company, and after Hafner secured an order for $15,000 worth of trains, Coleman agreed to use the company’s excess capacity to produce the trains.

And so began American Flyer, the company that battled Lionel for the hearts and minds of train enthusiasts for about sixty years, until 1967.

Dave Farquhar

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How Ives-branded track clips ended up in Lionel sets

Dave Farquhar Toy trains September 24, 2013March 10, 20221950s, 1990s, american flyer, e-unit, electric trains, ives, Joshua Lionel Cowen, lionel, Lionel O27, MTH, New York, o27

Ives-branded track clips for Lionel O27 track are relatively common, and although they are often mistaken for pre-1933 items, they were actually manufactured for several decades after the Ives brand name disappeared from the marketplace, and by Lionel, not its erstwhile rival Ives.

Lionel stamped the Ives name on track clips to protect the trademark. If you don’t use a trademark for several years, someone else can apply for it and start using it. Lionel didn’t want that.

Dave Farquhar

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How I freed a seized-up garbage disposal

Dave Farquhar Landlording September 6, 2013November 26, 2015electric trains, InSinkErator, landlords, lionel, marx, pepsi, vinegar, Waste King

I’m sure all landlords have a story like this, but let me tell you my garbage disposal story. I don’t know what the last occupant put in that disposal, and I don’t want to know. What I do know is that it was completely seized up and wouldn’t run.

The motor hummed, which I know from years of tinkering with old Lionel and Marx electric trains that meant the motor wasn’t completely dead, so I had to find a way to free up whatever was keeping the motor from turning.

The usual fix is to use a garbage disposal wrench (which is really just an allen wrench–so you can use any allen wrench that fits) to spin the motor in both directions until it turns freely. There’s a little key in the center of the underside where the wrench goes. Mine wouldn’t budge. I wasn’t being wimpy either–I’d lean on it to the point where the disposal itself was shifting in its mount, but the motor stubbornly refused to go anywhere.

At this point I’d about written it off. A 1/3 horsepower Waste King Legend disposal costs around $55 online, and sometimes you can get their low-end half-horse unit for around $5 more, so I figured I didn’t have a whole lot to lose, and I knew I couldn’t make the disposal any worse.

Dave Farquhar

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The price of Amazon

Dave Farquhar Uncategorized July 8, 2013July 7, 20131980s, electric trains, greenberg, lionel, marx, New York, new york times

Slashdot posted a link to a New York Times piece that asserts that the full extent of Amazon’s existence hasn’t been felt yet, but it asserts that book pricing is becoming whimsical.

My experience disagrees with that. The market will stabilize. I think the cost fluctuations are because the market hasn’t stabilized yet.

Dave Farquhar

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