Show your self made train repair tools

This is my VTS Kit; it helps vent frustration. Squash it in the vice, melt it with a torch, or smash it with a sledge hammer! I couldn't resist, hope the humor police don't get me.

Don

Don, if they do you can use all three tools on them.

Don't forget to dress your grinder with the offender before you begin.

I don't remember what this is called.

But it's good at making 0-27 curves even tighter

Interested to see where this thread goes....I offer not a tool per se, but something simple I've found very useful in my repair work.

When I get a package in a short but (relatively) large box, I cut off the top/flaps to make what I call a "project box". Nothing fancy, but I do as much of my repair work as feasible on a project within that box.  It helps in keeping springs and screws from disappearing into the recesses of my basement, and keeps all of the parts together in one place.  And, perhaps most importantly, it allows me to stop work at any time and "shelve" my progress so I can easily pick it back up. The boxes stack nicely on a shelf, so I can have a variety of repairs waiting for parts, inspiration, etc. in a fairly organized way.  Having the box be short is key - as you don't want to be reaching over the sides to do your work.

With the holidays just passed, there are likely a few appropriate boxes floating around the house.  Give it a shot to bring a bit of order to your bench!

Lids from copy paper are perfect for your and similar uses. I use one for making coal loads. It sits on my work bench with a plastic tray to raise the work up to minimize bending. Next to it is a taller box with the front cut down for spraying the adhesive that I use.

Don

Mine are low tech.

For removing security screws from the base of a PH180 power supply.

For tapping and turning eyelets to mount couplers and trucks on prewar trains.

For holding steel rod while I cut it.

Plastic bag full of styrofoam peanuts = train cradle for working on steamers.

George

Attached see my modification to a gear puller to remove the pressed on flywheel off MTH motors.

Why do you want to remove flywheels off MTH motors? - to install the PS3 tach reader bracket.

bruce

stew1957 posted:

i am impressed with the creativity and craftsmanship of the members at this forum. I would like to see some of the self made devices members have produced. 

This is an E unit ops check device I came up with. I do a lot of E units and nothing is worse than getting the unit buttoned up and  then there is some type of bugaboo that raises it's ugly head.

Yes, that would be Murphy's head of course.....LOL

Impressive and interesting tools to say the least.  Certainly one of the most informative and interesting threads in a long time.   OGR creativity at its best.

On a lighter note, there are some tools I am looking forward to seeing later in this thread:

- a tool that counts the rivets on boxcars or engines (automatic generation of a complaint thread would be a bonus).  If it scrutinized the hatch, piping, steps locations etc that would be dynamite.

- automatic paint color research app for your phone that uses the phone camera to compare the colors of TOY trains to known standards of the original full scale train rolling stock and engines (a multi tool that addresses different eras/mergers of each railroad color is a bonus).

- automatic debugger for those pesky electronic trains.  Looking for something that you just connect to the track with a email generator.  The ultimate would be something like a star trek tricorder that you just had to wand over the engine.

I like the Star Trek tricorder idea, with a phaser attached, perhaps. My favorite home made tool is unmodified, but I use a 3/4 inch wood chisel to pop E units apart. 

Always making some sort of special tool. The bent rods are used to untwist tabs on the handrails and number plates on the Flying Yankee cars. The long screw driver has a slotted end for twisting pre war tabs during reassembly.

Tin