Lionel Standard Gauge Passenger Car Restoration Advice Requested

Hi Rich: The best way to loosen those tabs is to heat them either with a soldering iron or a small tip torch. This will help prevent them from breaking off. Also, I would recommend extra heat after disassembly (and before painting of course) to anneal the metal to allow you to re-bend the tabs without breaking during assembly. I use a small Bernz-O-Matic torch for such work, and have been successful.

@artyoung thanks for that tip! I never would have thought of heat. Also I’m going to order a set of long “picks & hooks” online. Using the heat with a long 90 degree pick should do it.

Rich,

I restored these (7 cars in total) and never found a trick. It is just a PITA. I used strong picks and different size screwdrivers to open, screwdrivers, punches and a small hammer to get them back down - gotta find the angle to get to them.

Tough work with rheumatoid arthritis, but I got it done.

Once you pry the tabs up straighten them with needle nose pliers. When reassembling, I don't bend the tabs. I just twist them with the pliers. This holds them tight and reduces the chance of breaking them off. My 259E is my Christmas Train.

John and Gene thanks for the info and both of yours end results look great! Hopefully so will mine. The 259 is such a great little runner. I might have to use your set Gene as inspiration for a O gauge consist also.

@Lionelski John when you painted the roofs did you suspend them and paint both the bottom and top at the same time? Or do you typically cover the screw hole, paint the inside than the outside last?

Also do you air dry, oven dry or use a heat lamp in a drying box?

Appreciate yours and anyone else’s advice!

Hi Rich,

After stripping I filled in any small dents with "red lead" type auto body filler from a tube, sanded and primed. As I was painting these cars a grey color, I left the inside of the roof primer grey. Did not cover the screw hole.

After the paint is dry to the touch I placed the parts in a 200 degree oven for 2 minutes or so. Seems to me that this settles the paint down nice and smooth, and enhances the shine. If it was summer, I would have just put them in the hot sun outside

By the way, the paint used was rattle can from Home Depot and Lowes. The grey is Valspar 84201 Rugged Suede, the Redish color is Rust-Oleum 7768 Burgundy

I agree with twisting the tabs, whenever I have to take tinplate apart, that's what I do.

I use a long small screwdriver through the window and twist it back and forth under the tab. That starts the bending of the tab without needing to pry straight up. Once you get it bent a little, you can turn the screwdriver with the head perpendicular to the tab and then push gently. I recommend heating and annealing the tabs too, if you can reach them. I broke a few tabs on old STD gauge before I learned this.

For painting, it's best to hang the parts and paint both sides at once. Otherwise, the overspray ruins the finish. I have a very large box that I use for a paint booth. Drop a hanger through the top, then you can turn it to get both sides. I prefer drying in a lightbulb oven for an hour then let the parts dry another two days before assembly. (That's with Rustoleum paint which takes forever to dry.) Also, wear a mask or scarf while painting. I failed to do that a few times and was wiping paint out of my nose for a few days. That can't be good for you!

George

John, Gunrunner and George thank you all for the advice. I will definitely use the heating and annealing trick. Twisting the tabs will be my first method for sure. 

I planned on using a large spray box followed by a foil lined drying oven box. using the kitchen oven will probably not be a viable option. 

I have had good luck flattening them out with flat faced pliers that don't have grooves on the tips. Do it slowly, maybe a little at a time, not all at once.

Jim

@Jim Waterman. Thanks Jim for the feedback. When the time comes I may try this method on the more accessible tabs and twist the lower ones. 

What colors were used on the 332 standard gauge railway mail car the doors are orange and the body is a greenish color. The paint on the car seems to be original. What color touchup paint do I use and where do I get it?

Go to Henning's Hobby Shop (forum sponsor...top of the forum pages) website, click on the Collector's Paint, Color Chart, left margin icon.

Peacock (#217) and Orange (#248) are the colors of your cars.

____________

Back to the OP's project...  I'm trying to do a similar seasonal effort on a set of 600-series passenger cars.  All the cars have been completely disassembled...for a couple years, now.  Not having a lot of success getting the old paint off, though.  I know there's been a lot of forum responses on the subject.  Haven't tried them all...yet.  Hoping for a commercial, locally available product that won't break the bank...or me.  (I always get around to these seasonal, stinky projects after the weather turns sour and doing them outdoors is not acceptable per the label or my septuagenarian tolerance.  It's among those things I've never learned to get synchronized with in life!!  It may go on the 2023 list after all.) 

Very impressed with the restorations shown, though.

KD

The original poster's thread on his repainting of the coaches into a Christmas train inspired my own project this past year: https://dandhcoloniemain.blogs...passenger-train.html

@dkdkrd posted:

Go to Henning's Hobby Shop (forum sponsor...top of the forum pages) website, click on the Collector's Paint, Color Chart, left margin icon.

Peacock (#217) and Orange (#248) are the colors of your cars.

____________

Back to the OP's project.

Not having a lot of success getting the old paint off, though.  I know there's been a lot of forum responses on the subject.  Haven't tried them all...yet.  Hoping for a commercial, locally available product that won't break the bank...or me.  (I always get around to these seasonal, stinky projects after the weather turns sour and doing them outdoors is not acceptable per the label or my septuagenarian tolerance.  It's among those things I've never learned to get synchronized with in life!!

KD

I've had good results using TSP... purchased at Ace hardware, and I didn't detect any foul orders.

Mark in Oregon