Restoration of old train engine

Personally I would not restore that engine. By restore, I mean complete dis-assembly, polishing all metal trim, stripping of original paint, repainting, reassembly and motor refurbishing.

All that loco needs is a proper cleaning. Remove the handrails, clean the paint on the body and frame, and reinstall the handrails. Refurbish the motors and instal new wheels and she should be at least a Very Good condition original loco which is preferable to a restored loco.

What the cost would be is up in the air. It depends on what a good shop would charge to properly dis-assemble the loco and clean its body, service the motor and get it all back together. The wheels alone are $100 for the double set.

Gandy

Restore is my word and I probably used the wrong one. My friend would like for the engine to work and look good. If interested let me know and I will get you in touch with the owner.

Gandy Thanks  for the information, I agree, restore is the wrong word.

Brent

Thanks

Brent, another consideration is the cost to properly ship such a large loco. This is a Lionel standard gauge electric style loco. It is the second largest electric Lionel made in the period. They can be very valuable depending on color and condition. Well worth getting fixed. They weigh a lot and shipping locally would probably be in the $25 range with good insurance coverage. If the shop is across country you can almost double that amount. It's in the owners best interest to choose a quality trusted shop that is local. 

Lionel standard gauge is beautiful. Gracious running, and impressive to watch. They need a lot of room to run, but if you have the room they are worth it. Lionel coined the term standard gauge with the use of the phrase Standard Of The World. Most other manufacturers referred to this size as wide gauge. For the novice, in simplest terms it's twice the size of O. Lionel made them from the teens thru the late 30's, early 40's before dropping the line in favor if O. 

Gandy

I'm with Gandy, that engine looks too good to restore. If it were mine, I would go with a light cleaning, and mechanical repair, which would almost certainly include new (repro) wheels.

I would not polish any of the bright metal, because then the parts wouldn't match.,

All that written, it isn't mine, the owner should do as he or she wishes.

Brent,

Solicit help on the Tin Plate Forum. There are many folks who refurbish engines like the Lionel 408E in your photos. This particular model which mimics the New York Central's Class S electric, became the icon of toy trains.

Thanks, I did re post on the Tin Plate forum and have some great comments

Thanks Bobby