PW Lionel 2343 question

Probably not zinc rot.
It is curious. I think the horns are aluminum, and that doesn’t readily oxidize  
Alan

My guess would be storage in a basement for a long period of time.  I don't think the horns were aluminum.

I agree with Bill, this is from storage in a slightly damp environment.  The chances of saving the horn are slim to none.  They were made with stamped sheet metal (steel) which, I believe, was galvanized to prevent rust.  The white deposits are zinc salts from that damp environment.  The original horn was #2333-110.  I see reproduction horns on eBay for $25.  These appear to use a 9 volt battery but I have zero experience with them.

Maybe it was swapped.  Are the screws that hold look tampered with?  How about the solder connection?  do the shell screws look like they have been removed? 

"...aluminum, and that doesn’t readily oxidize."

click

The horn on mine is stamped steel and may look like aluminum because they were electro plated galvanize, but not all that well, or at least on my 1952 year run that I have had since new. (1953)

Old Chuck

Keep an eye out for original 1950 and later f3 horns on Ebay. You'll be much happier if you did.

The after market horns sound awful...

all Lionel PW horns use a 1.5 volt "C" or "D" battery...the horn top is aluminum the base is steel...better to replace it.check the forum..there was a topic about using 3-9 volts for the horn...hope this helps...joe

Thanks for the replies , I will look for a replacement horn . It certainly seems like it had been stored for a long time as I put it on a test track and it would barely move because of hardened grease in the gears.  

Clean the gears, grease them, clean tha brush contacts on the amerature, replace the horn and you will be back on the road!

@Ringo posted:

Keep an eye out for original 1950 and later f3 horns on Ebay. You'll be much happier if you did.

The after market horns sound awful...

Truth. I got a repo for an postwar ALCO. Looked just like an original but sure didn't sound like it.

Horns can be tuned for best sound possible ahead of time by taking the horn wire coming from the horn body and holding that to the + side of a D cell battery in new or very good shape (it matters) - then taking a wire from the D cell bottom and touching it to the horn frame. At least you'll get a loud Click, better yet if you get the horn to blow. You can tune it in small, gradual steps with the little screw on the horn either to the left or right to tune it best. Some people claim great results connecting 2 AA batteries for their horn (not the D cell coming up thru the fuel tank bottom) or even a 9 volt battery direct. Those horns were built well and I've been told they can take the 9 v. treatment with no obviously bad result - you can't "blow them up" with 9 volts.