Post War Lionel Repair Books Source

Where are you looking?  Amazon; eBay????

I have looked on Amazon, eBay, and the Kalmbach Book Store.  I called the Kalmbach Bookstore and was told that neither book was still for sale on their web site in either print or PDF format.  Are they available somewhere else in print or digital format.

DS,

How about listing some of your questions here on the forum?

You'll likely get some very helpful answers and maybe some pictures.

Try this book instead.  You can usually find a used copy for less than $30 on the 'Bay.  It's got most of what you'll need to repair your postwar lionel, the remainder is easy to find on the internet or through this forum.

Traingeek

Thanks for the suggestion of the K-Line book.  The least expensive one I have found so far is $100. I will keep looking.

I found a listing for a book by the same name but different author "Aurotech".  Is it the same book as published by  K-Line? 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/COMPLE...1:g:71cAAOSw5cNYjoc2

There is one on the 'Bay now for $28.

Traingeek

DS,

You say you have "Greenberg's Repair and Operating Manual for Lionel Trains 1945-1969" already?

If so be cautious about buying the books mentioned above, there is a lot of similarity between them and the one you have, not a 100% but do your research ahead of time.

As I suggested before, post your questions here on the forum, you will get good answers! Save your money and buy another box car instead.

 In the 1980s my uncle painstakingly collected post war service literature and reproduced these 2 volumes, binders and all.

These are what you want! - But, yeah, scarce and not cheap!

The books by Aurotech, Greenberg, and K-Line are abridged reprints of the Lionel factory service station manual. I don't think there is any original material in any of them. You can also go to the Olsen's parts web site, and take advantage of the free material they've put online. Not only did they put up most of the Lionel factory service manual, they have created their own custom pages for items that did not have much factory material.

Over the years a number of large format, loose leaf reproductions have been done. Greenberg did at least one.

The small format reprints are probably all most people need. If you want to have every page that was ever printed, then I think that the closest you can come is to purchase the large format, soft covered four volume set that Greenberg put out some years ago. Get the second edition.  I see them on EBay with some frequency. That is where I got mine. Below is a photograph of one volume, lifted from EBay. Note that the volumes were sold as a set, I don't think I'd buy them individually.

 In the 1980s my uncle painstakingly collected post war service literature and reproduced these 2 volumes, binders and all.

Ted was very helpful in his willingness to sell individual pages to people like me who needed them to replace missing pages from their manual sets. I filled out my set using his pages, and also have one of his orange binders.

C W Burfle and Lionel6457,

Thanks for the information.  I now understand a lot more about the Lionel Service Manuals and the various books of information printed over the years.  When looking on eBay for the four Volumes printed by Greenburg, I saw the abridged reprint mentioned and another listing for the same (I believe) on DVD.  I have looked at Olsen's web site many time for information and they are to be commended for the effort involved in posting the information.

The question that started my first post involves a pair of 3361 Log Cars and a 3472 Post War Milk Car that needed some repair - a coupler needed a new spring and the internal wiring needed new insulation.  Now that those two items are finished I need to test it using a test set up of a few sections of track, a UCS section, a UCS controller and a transformer. I have tried the 3472 Milk Car and a 3361 Log Car on my test track but have not gotten them to operate or to uncouple.  I am looking for a simple way to determine which of these is not working properly.  I am pretty sure it is not the transformer and the tubular track since  the bumpers on each end of the track light up when power is applied to the center and outside rails and the transformer  tests okay on a voltmeter. 

I will test the controller tomorrow using a diagram on the Olsen's web site.  Is there an easy way to test the electromagnet in the UCS track section?  How to test these cars off the track?

C W, you mentioned a fiber spacer button in a post on 3/21/16 between the 2nd and 3rd leaves of the UCS controller.  What do they look like and where do I find a replacement (or make one)?

Any additional information will be appreciated.

Thanks

Dennis

Easy way to test the magnet:
apply power to the track
hold a metal screwdriver over the magnet
press the uncouple button
Is the screwdriver attracted to the magnet?
If not, something is amiss.

What type of track are you using?
What is the model number of the uncoupling track?
Has the coupling track / controller been rewired?

Roving Sign posted:

 In the 1980s my uncle painstakingly collected post war service literature and reproduced these 2 volumes, binders and all.

These are what you want! - But, yeah, scarce and not cheap!

Looks like you can find these two volumes on DVD for a reasonable price at this LINK.  If it's as advertised it should do the trick.

Pete

wow ,thanks for the tip on Olsen's site,,,found what I needed ,,,,bravo

C W Burfle

I am using tubular tinplate track. The uncoupler/unloader section is a UCS-6 and it appears to have been re-wired.  I tried the screwdriver and there is only a little attraction.   I applied 14 volts to both sides of the connection post on the bottom of a 3361 log car and got movement of the solenoid.  I think it must be the pickup shoes not making good contact with the rails.  I will try some other operating cars and report back.   Suggestions?

I found a different UCS with another controller and it made a big difference.  The screwdriver was definitely attracted to the electromagnet.  I then tried several different operating cars and all uncoupled on both ends.  A 3472 Milk Car and two 3361 log cars operated as I believe they should. 

A 3461 log car uncoupled but did not dump logs.  Any suggestions?

A 3356 green horse car uncouple and vibrated (doors opened) when the unload button was pushed.  However, it vibrated and doors opened when the uncouple button was pushed.  Any suggestions on what is happening and how to fix it?

How do I fix the other USC/controller combination? 

I would assume that someone has posted information on how to fix all of the above, but I must not be using to correct search terms.  Any help will be appreciated. Should I start a new thread and ask these questions?

Thanks

Dennis

I have 4 of the Greenberg manual's, all in great condition. Since I dont use them that much anymore and haven't been doing many repairs as I used to I may be interested in letting them go to a good new home!

If you're looking more for step-by-step instructions, there are two great resources.

1) the Backshop Video Series, sold here. 

2) as others have said, ask the forum. Lot's of great advise from some very knowledgable folks. I've started copying some of the most often used solutions I find here in a document library.

Tim

A 3356 green horse car uncouple and vibrated (doors opened) when the unload button was pushed.  However, it vibrated and doors opened when the uncouple button was pushed.  Any suggestions on what is happening and how to fix it?

The 3356 horse car should only have one slide shoe. The other end of the coil is connected to the frame (ground). When you press uncouple, all of the 5th rails are energized, so the mechanism operates. When you press unload, two of the 5th rails should be energized, and two are connected to ground (assuming a good controller and proper wiring).  Therefore, your horse car operating when you push uncouple is normal. Whether it works when you push unload will depend on whether the slide shoe is in contact with the hot rails or the ground rails.
In other words, there is nothing wrong with your car.

A 3461 log car uncoupled but did not dump logs.  Any suggestions?

If it is not the same car mentioned above, the first thing I'd to is test the car by placing leads on the terminals. If that works, then I would place the leads on the little studs in the center of the two slide shoes.
There is a good chance that they just need cleaning.
I would start by cleaning away any muck with a QTip moistened with mineral spirits. Then a dry QTip to dry it off, followed by a little polishing with a fiberglass burnishing tool. Then another round of QTip / mineral spirits.
I would also check to make certain that the spring is pushing down on the shoe, and is springy.

I guess it's possible for the stud to be so worn, that it does not make contact with the extra rails, I really have not seen much of that situation.

You might also clean the tops of the extra rails on your UCS uncoupling track.

One last possibility: a bad solder joint. They happen.

I am using tubular tinplate track

Doesn't matter now, because you wrote that your uncoupling track is a UCS. I was wondering whether you had "O" or "027" track because the uncoupling tracks differ.

Timothy,  Thanks for the link to the Backshop Videos.  At $0.99 they are a good resource.

C W,  Thanks for the comments on the 3356 Horse car.  I bought an OTC connector on eBay and will try it when it comes in.  I will try the corral with the car and see if they both work together.

I am using O gauge track with the UCS.

On the 3461 black log car,  what terminals are you referring to in your sentence "I'd to is test the car by placing leads on the terminals. " Are you referring to where the wires from the slide shoes are soldered to the wires from the coil?  Contact strip 3451-31?  The plunger in the center of the coil is loose because it falls down when the car is turned upside down.  I will clean the slide shoes and test them again.

Thanks for all of your help.

Dennis

Are you referring to where the wires from the slide shoes are soldered to the wires from the coil?  Contact strip 3451-31? 

yes, there should be two contact strips, with CH-46 insulators between them. One test lead on each strip.

C W - Thanks for the comment above. When I bought the 3461 Lumber car as a non-working car, the wires (one each from the coil and one each from the sliding shoes) were soldered in pairs to each end of one 3451 contact strip.  Tonight, I unsoldered the wires from one end of the contact strip and twisted them together.  The car now dumps very quickly.  I will have to order another contact strip 3451-31 and insulator CH-46.  I now understand the wiring diagram from the Service Manual.

With your help, I now have another operating car to thrill my grandson.

c. lee colbert posted:

C lee Colbert ...sent you an email.  

Thanks

$200 for all 4 volumes, plus shipping by medias mail USPS.

DS, not sure where you got those prices, but I have the Toy Train Repair Made Easy book by Plummer with a list price of $16.95 and the Greenberg's Repair Manual (7th ed) with a list price of $24.95.  I have used these as well as several of the videos in the Jim Barrett in the Backshop series (ORG pubs), with great success on many vintage Lionel accessories.  Brought many of these dinosaurs back to life after decades of dormancy! 

I also second the suggestions to post your specific questions on this forum for advice. This helps when the print and video resources don't address your specific issues.  I have done this with excellent suggestions. 

Enjoy your trains and accessories with your grandson!  My grandkids love the classic vintage Lionel accessories - regardless of realism. 

Michael

Michael,

Where did you find the "Toy Train Repair Made Easy: 21 Lionel Postwar Projects by Plummer" for $16.95?   I checked Amazon, eBay, and Barnes & Noble today and the best price I found was $85.  On Google Books you can preview a few of the pages from the book and it looks like it would be very helpful just as you mentioned. 

As you suggested, I have posted some specific questions on this Forum and the members have been very helpful.

Look forward to hearing back from you.

Dennis

Dennis,

Well, I had NO IDEA this book now costs this amount of money.  I have mixed feelings about this.  Looks like the book is out of print (original pub date of 2000), so the ones for sale appear to be considered "collectors" items.  I checked the resources you noted and can confirm the prices.  Nasty. I guess that's what the market will bear.   I would never pay these prices.  I must have purchased my copy years (decades ?) ago.  Guess I should put this in a safe when not in use!

Given the going prices, I think you could get sufficient advice on repair of Lionel vintage accessories using other resources, as you have already found out.  To the ones already listed, I would add past issues of OGR magazine and Classic Toy Trains magazine (is it OK to list the latter on this forum??). 

Best wishes,

Michael