I have this very strange piece. First off, can someone tell me what it is? Second, it is in really bad shape. The body is FULL of cracks, the wheels and frame, too. Because its so far gone, I feel like its a good tool to become better at locomotive maintainance and repair. If it comes out alive, great! It it slowly crumbles on my hands, oh well!
I will keep everyone posted on the progress.
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It's a prewar O gauge American Flyer #565. Good luck!
Looks like a dumpster candidate to me. Too far gone and not worth saving.
Yeah, unfortunately her time has passed.
If you bring that sucker back to life, be sure to post the results here! I'd personally be amazed, but stranger things have happened. 
"It's a prewar O gauge American Flyer #565."
Yes.
"Looks like a dumpster candidate to me. Too far gone and not worth saving."
No. "Saving" can be as simple as putting it in your layout's locomotive dead line, on in a scrap yard served by rail (like mine). Run again? Probably not. Dumpster? No, no. If you're going to do that, send it to me instead. Really.
D500 posted:
No. "Saving" can be as simple as putting it in your layout's locomotive dead line, on in a scrap yard served by rail (like mine).
If nothing will make it run, then it will definitely sit on a siding.
This is EXACTLY why there are so few Flyer O gauge steamers around! Almost every piece ever made has this problem. BTW, It's zinc pest, or zinc rot. Nothing you can do to stop it, as the metal alloy is self destructing.
If you put it on a siding make sure you can never power the siding. Pieces will continue to fall off and can short out powered track.
Chris
LVHR
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