Working on a couple of projects, currently a 124 station and a 514R reefer. Just a couple of questions.
1. It is widely recommended to heat the tabs before bending. My experience with brass (ammo reloading) is that if you heat the metal and let it cool, that anneals it and it remains ductile once it cools off. Is that also the case with the old steel on the tabs? I'd just as soon anneal the metal before painting and not try to heat up a freshly painted part to bend the tab back.
2. Does anybody have a way to get the roof off a 500 series boxcar/reefer without taking the sides apart? I took a new Lionel Classics 514R reefer apart to paint it and I could not get the roof off without taking the body apart. You can get the roofs off of a lot of tinplate rolling stock by pinching, squeezing, and pushing in various directions, but this one was stubborn. Any tips for the future?
