Do You work on your loco's or send it out?

I do most of my own engine work now. Used to send out, but started working on the small Lionel electrics (they're so easy) and gradually got comfortable with steamers etc. I do send out anything that needs whee;s replaced or anything that requires tools I don't have.

I've given up on finding american flyer parts and no longer have any in my collection. I run everything i own, so nothing stays because it looks pretty on the shelf.

For parts, there are a fe out there, and a quick search will find previous posts. I've had good luck with Olsen's, but there are choices. 

Tim

First of all...Welcome to the forum! I've yet to send anything out. Prewar and postwar trains are simple to work on.

I'll echo Pappy's welcome and hope you enjoy and learn here.  As far as the motors, I do most of the work myself, it is pretty easy.  About the only thing I send out are if I need wheels. 

work on my own..faster that way..great way to learn..these guys on this site will help you out..there great at it!!!

About the only thing I send out is items that need to be rewound. Most of my inventory is older stuff so very few circuit boards to worry about.

Steve

I do almost everything myself. The exceptions would be major motor work such as rewinding, replacing pressed-in bearings or certain pinion gears requiring a special puller, and sometimes pressing wheels onto axles. Doing a repair, rebuild or restoration yourself gives you a certain pride of workmanship, and saves money to boot. 

Welcome Aboard!!!  Before I found OGR most everything was sent out. Now with the help I can get here I do most of my repairs myself.

Good Luck!!

Thanks for the replys all, much appreciated! I actually expected the opposite, figured most sent them out somewhere to be fixed. One of these days I will have to go out and find a beat up locomotive and give it a try myself and see what happens. You'll know it when I do it because I'm quite sure there will be alot of questions!

I have only had to send two of mine out for repair. Dad's 6110 wasn't worth bothering with by the local shop. Mom and Dad were living in michigan for a while, and Dad found out about Brauser's. Dean worked his magic on it, and made it look like new and run great. And I faemed out my MTH M1a for a new teather.

I work on all my post-war Lionel stuff. Before I begin, I try to find a salvageable junker of the same item to use for parts and assistance in part location on reassembly. I take digital pictures as I tear down items. I also use the Greenberg repair guides and I have learned much from this forum. Anytime i read an article in a Train magazine concerning repair or maintenance of PW items, I cut it out an scan it for future reference. I keep loose parts in small food storage containers. Work over a protected area--preferably white--so that it is east to find dropped items.

I advise getting transformers professionally rebuilt before using. Never work on any transformer that is plugged in.

do all my own repairs as I run at train shows and need to be able

to fix things and keep them up and running at the shows.

I also fix for others, as long as they are close. never had to ship

anything. Ive got a local hobby shop where people can drop stuff

off and I pick it up. and I fix trains for dealers at shows so they can let

customers know that the trains either work or dont. and they charge

accordingly. get most of my parts form ttender.com(Jeff Kane) or

K&K Hobby out of Utica, New York on French Road(although I hear through

the grapevine that K&K is thinking of selling out because they also have a

gun shop, but thats another story)(ThanksObama)!!!

good point on transformers.

I work on my own, my Dad

used to be an electrician and taught

us his trade. but if you dont know what

your doing, leave it to a professional.

Have worked on my pre and postwar all myself. General repairs: minor trim replacement, cleaning, lubrication, replaced a frayed wire, resoldered a loose wire. More advance repairs: Pressing wheels and bearings, rebulding pullmor motors, riveting couplers, total rewiring, rebuild smoke units, polish armatures, replace brushes, overhaul E-units. Eletrical: replacing rollers, terminal posts, breakers, line cords, re-diode ZW transformers.

Half of my fun is getting a junker in prime operating condition. The work is not hard, but you need a few specialty tools.

One thing I have not done is stripping and repainting. Want to try that soon.

When I was growing up, I sent everything out that needed to be fixed. In the last seven years, only one thing was sent out for repairs, and that was only because it was under warranty (Hogwarts Express Tender). I try to do all my repairs on my own, or with advice from the forum or my Dad (an electrician).

It all depends on the situation. With complicated stuff I would send it out. Simple conventional engines I would work on my self. 

Hi everyone...

Hope you guys don't mind me dragging up an earlier post, i thought this might be helpful to someone else in the future. At some point, I will try doing the work on my loco's, but for the first few I prefer to let someone who knows what they are doing do it....

With that in mind, I thought I would tell everyone about my experience with a company in Michigan. I had an American Flyer 3116 Potomac set loco that needed some work, and I hooked up with a company in Michigan called Brasseur Electric Trains. Have to say, they truly did a fantastic job. They replaced a couple gears for me, got the loco running in tip top shape, replaced a few small parts like lights and even a brass railing mine was missing. The loco came back to me packaged extremely well in what I would consider a timely manner at a reasonable price. Even came back alot cleaner than it left here! I'd highly recommend these guys for sure...I should mention, I have no affilliation with these guys, this isn't a shameless plug, didn't know a thing about them before I sent them my loco, but from now on, for the foreseeable future, they'll definately be getting my other loco's. I'll concentrate on having fun with them for awhile instead of working on them! Thank you guys for the tips...

Here is their site if anyone in the future is interested:

http://www.traindoctor.com/service/service.asp

Welcome mtj54. I send out warranty items and fix items out of warranty myself. I'm sure a time will come when I will send out an item or two I can't fix.  Most of my stuff is under 2 years old.  

I have done a few upgrades to TMCC on older stuff with parts and advice from Boxcar Bill.  I just picked up two locos at York and will be calling Bill to order some upgrade stuff. 

Again welcome and I wish you years of fun in this great hobby!!!

I do all mechanical repairs in house but send out about 75 % of the electronic repairs or conversions.

I do all the repair and cleaning on my pre and postwar trains and I also repair my modern trains. I do send out armatures and field coils to be rewound. I operate everything I own.

Eric Hofberg

TCA, LCCA

MTH ASC Tech

I've been in the hobby for the better part of 55 yrs and have yet to send anything out for repair.  As far as command control I stick with TMCC which I can repair.  Whatever DCS I had has been swapped out.

I do most of my repairs to engines, transformers and cars. Most of my engines are from the 1970's to 2000 and I'm slowly adding ERR TMCC to them. I do have Atlas repair my Atlas engines and Do have one MTH switcher that has sound problems(if thinks it's a steam engine) and I may change it over to TMCC. I do make my our engines from parts.

I have been operating toy trains for about 40 years and for the first twenty I sent just about everything out for repair and maintenance.  Finally, about 1993 I began to perform my own routine maintenance and basic repairs on all of my post-war equipment and over the years began to tackle the more difficult repairs like E-unit replacements and smoke unit installations.  In fact, a couple of times I have even ventured into some of my TMCC engines and performed a couple of successsful basic electronic repairs.  The really difficult stuff like armature rewinding, wheel removal/replacement and the real hairy electronic stuff I still send out.

I do all the mechanical and cosmetic work on my trains, and the trains of many others.

Back in 1942 when  I was 11 years   old, I sent  a locomotive out to have an idler

gear re-riveted on . Since then I have made all repirs myself iincluding TMCC

and DCS.

Al W.

I do everything myself. No job too big or too small. Real rewarding taking a junker and making it a neat runner. I try to keep things as original as possible, but if I have to go repro to keep it on the tracks, then that's the way it gets done.

one thing i have found handy to have around when working on anything is a digital camera.  before and while disassembling anything i take pictures.  really helps getting things back together.

i also work mostly with older trains.  Marx would have to be the easiest while with Lionel it helps to know what screws to remove and more importantly, which ones not to.

I have restored both a variety of Prewar American Flyer and Marx and two Lionel MPC FA's, as well as a SW1 and the only constructive comment I can make is do your research upfront, and make sure you have what you need prior to beginning as much as you can. Joining the TCA would be very helpful as well as their forum is useful although I prefer this one. OGR folks are great.  Above all else, take your time.

Bruce

I do everything myself, unless it has a circuit board, then it's time for help.

Steve

Like Steve, I don'y do electronis. Everything else, though.

i like to do my own work.  and if i end up over my head or make a mess of it i send it out  

On actual pre-war locomotives, I do the work myself.

On repros, I do some of it.  If it involves board replacements, it goes to the Train Shack in Burbank.

Due to age and health related issues,primarily hand tremors, I no longer do repairs and maintenance that requires opening up equipment. 

I do my own unless it requires special tools that I don't have.  However, I have a lot of tools.

That is a good idea.

      I work on all of my equipment and rolling stock and accessories.

Hi

Well I do all of my own restrations and I do a lot of restorations for our coustomers.

 Most of what I do is repaints on tin plate cars and locos. Painting is one of the thing I like the most. It is great taking a rust bucket and making it new agin.

Unfortunately I am not mechanically or electronically inclined.  I send my locos out.

Matt

BTW, a little off subject, the Train Shack is a great place to buy and have work done!  I live in Northern California by my son goes to UCLA and we got down there a lot.  I go to the Train Shack every time we go down there.  Matt