Lionel #59 street light.

I do not believe anything comes apart on the 59 street light. It is all soldered together. The fiber washer in the socket, 61-22, needs to be removed. This part is readably available, so it could be drilled out if necessary. The hard part is removing the old wire and all of its insulation around the goose neck. Then make up a new wire assembly with the 61-22 washer soldered to it. Insert a thin solid bare copper wire into the base end and work it all the way around the goose neck to the socket end. Then solder the new wire assembly to the bare solid wire and pull it into the lamp.  Install a lamp and test it, then attach the wire to the terminal post.  Note that there is only one wire in this lamp. The connection to the socket shell is through the housing.  The second binding post makes contact with the base.

Thank you! I looked and couldn't see a second wire, but what little I know kept telling me a second wire was required. Had rust on terminals. I took them apart and cleaned everything, found a bulb, and we have success. I'll have to get the neat bulb that it needs.

David is correct on his response. Have a quantity of the goose neck lamps. What I do to get the fiber board out of the socket is to use a small paper lip with a sharp end and to bend it in a little hook and try to pry its out. This will take some time or to speed up the process is to drill a very small hole (size of the paper clip) in the fiber board and to use the paper clip with the hook to the fiber board out. This way you can save cost of purchasing a new fiber board. On re-assembly, once the wire is snaked thru, just gently pull the fiber board into place. Make the wire a bit longer than needed as the extra can be pushed in (make sure a bulb is in so the fiber assembly does not get pushed out. Love these lamps 58/59/61/67. Once you do one you will be looking for others