Here is a project I worked on over a couple of evenings. I have always wanted one of these Bicentennial Specials. After seeing Steve build one from a vintage kit, I really looked for one.
Found this one on fleabay mislabeled and in the 'o' gauge section. There were just a few pictures but it looked complete. Made an offer and got it. These two pictures are from the sale. 
It showed up poorly packaged in the box, rattling around with the pilot point breaking through the cardboard. The wheels fell off the tender, but that was an easy fix. Luckily, nothing was bent. 
I put a little power to the engine with test leads and it started running...slow....it got better after a few seconds. The front driver set had a bad wobble... The headlight even worked. It passed the test. Then I disassembled the locomotive as far as I wanted to. I used a damp soft towel to start loosening the dirt. That stuff was really glued down so out came the baby wipes (no alcohol or fragrance). Wiped again with damp towel then got out the Pledge...gently wiping and buffing with a soft cloth. I left the brass with patina. It would involve a much bigger tear down for the brass. The wobbly wheels were straightened with a ball-peen hammer after making sure the axle wasn't bent. Some gentle, and not so gentle, tapping put the wheels back straight. They have a slight wobble now, but very slight. Then I reassembled the loco...oiled and greased on all the moving parts.
All in all it came out well. The engine has some scratches, but came out looking good to me. I think I might repaint the red on the wheels and possibly paint the faces on the pilot wheels and the tender wheels. The last pictures are to show it off.
