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I have been given a Lionel #153 tinplate engine from 1924.  Getting it running has sentimental value for my wife's family.  It has been to two authorized repair houses.  One said he tried but couldn't get it to run; the other one didn't even try - told me to find a running chassis and switch it out.  Any suggestions out there?

 

Bruzer

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Chuck probably could 

 

Don't put a new chassis under it unless you have no alternative. Anytime I run across anything old, I go down the checklist: is anything obviously loose? Are the wheels clean? Is there so much rust that something could be shorted? Is there zinc pest on anything important? (That would be the one circumstance in which I'd put a new chassis under it without debate.)

 

Gabe just suggested that you check the brushes and brush plates (and the springs if it has them.) If you have a voltmeter, it'll tell you whether or not the armature is any good. If not, that can be fixed too.

 

Based on our experiences with old tinplate, most of the time it's dusty or rusted. Clean it up and shake the rust loose (gently) and it'll probably go.

 

--Becky

Last edited by Becky, Tom & Gabe Morgan

Marvin Moyer in Orwigsburg has resurrected several prewar steam locos for me, he can rewind armatures, make field wiring whole again, and just has a great touch with prewar, and he likes working on them. If I have a problem with postwar, he will work on it when it's turn comes up, but give him a prewar loco, like my 262, and he will work it into his schedule. He is located in east central PA, and is listed in the TCA members guide, if you want a phone number and/or email, LMK. 

If it is the field windings , I have found it to be broken within the first several windings around .  I have shortened up this winding wire with much success in my # 33 and # 38 locos with first style motors.  

 

Use an ohm meter set to continuity , put one lead to the one end of the winding wire and the other at its other end.  It should make the meter tone out .  If not the wire has a break someware. 

 

Glenn

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