1.) Household Cement is all that is needed.

2.) To repair cracks use JB Quick epoxy it holds Bakelite like a rock.

3.) This is one plastic I've had no luck with. Warping can be negated by heating with a hair dryer and bending them holding in position until cool.

4.) Use a hair dryer and heat the coupler up until the white release agent residue liquifies then spray down with WD-40 and wipe clean. You may need to repeat this process and wash with rubbing alcohol to remove the oils.

Gandy

I agree with the gandy dancer.  Back in the 60's I would buy damaged heavy weights for about #3.00 each.  Some were cracked some were missing ends some of the steps were broken off.  I would scratch build the end and steps.  Since this was before I found J B weld I would use Walthers Goo to hold everything together and would use extra plastic to overlap the joints to strengthen them.  I painted the cars in Pennsy and B&O colors.  I am still running these cars today and have not had to redo the repairs I made 40+ years ago.

Gandy, does household cement have any other names? It might be a local term, or maybe I've just never heard of it. I did the hair dryer trick on the couplers, but will have to do it again. I had an idea to put a brass angle strip inside the floor to flatten it, but will try the hair drier first.

Major, I have a few broken/missing steps also and it looks like they had been previously attached with Goo. They are missing now, so I may have to build a few.

Thanks gentlemen!

Elmer's E1001 5/8 Ounce Household General Purpose Cement

This is one of many out on the market. I usually get what ever is in stock at Lowes or Home Depot at the time. Sometimes Elmers, sometimes some other manufacturer.

Depending on how gummed up the couplers are several tries may be needed to get them loose and operating correctly.

Gandy

Thanks!

OK. Repro window material received, cut and glued in. Couplers had to be replaced with some old ones and some repros. Body cracks are epoxied. Wheels are glued to the proper spacing on the axles. Several of the doors have been repainted (one of them was factory assembled upside down). C&NW green is fairly close match and just a tad darker.

Next steps are to put the wheels back on the trucks and re-set the angles of the couplers.

The two 652 coaches can then be reassembled. The 653 combine still needs something to straighten the frame. I'm looking at brass angle channel along the inside of the floor.

Too bad I do not have a camera.

Everything is on the rails, running and looking good. 6 dark green Bakelite heavyweights is my kind of a train..

The only way I was able to loosen the link couplers was to remove them and wire brush the stud that holds them in. Apparently they had gotten corroded over the years. Some of the couplers could be saved, but about half of the ones I took off had to be replaced. Fortunately I had the tools made years ago.