So I have a story to share. A story about Switchers, Christmas, helping others, remembering your youth, and passing on trains to a younger generation.
I don't do Facebook, but my wife does. It turns out there is a gentleman in my neighborhood who was reaching out anywhere he could for toy train help. He had dug out his childhood trains to run and to show to his son.
The engine he had was dead on the tracks. Since he was in the neighborhood I allowed myself to be volunteered to help, although warily, since I had no idea what was going on, and it was the evening of the 21st.
The next the information starts flowing and it turns out he has the mpc era Us steel Switcher. DC only, and the height of mpc era cheapness. So far this is bad news. I didn't have time to troubleshoot someone else's problems while still at work, and not a single one of the gifts were wrapped at the Zitrick house. Turns out the motor is turning or at least humming, but the output gear isn't moving. At first I thought this would be it, "sorry man I can't help at all-call a hobby shop". By the way, there's almost no chance of finding parts to help you. If you could find parts, it would be running for under $25.
I told him I couldn't diagnose anything without seeing it apart. After some hesitation he showed me a picture of a sealed gearbox with a dc motor that couldn't be removed without drilling out a the rivets. 
Just as things are looking hopeless for getting his trains running, he asks about whether his little transformer is appropriate for a larger engine, which I didn't think he had. Turns out the transformer came from the US Steel set , a dc buzz box, with a tiny AC accessory connection.
I hadn't seen one of these in years.
I started explaining, as gently as I could, that the engine he was working with was a lower end starter machine.
Also started explaining that most lionel engines run on AC power. So he started asking about what transformer was needed for a larger engine again. I gave some suggestions, and names of stores nearby where he might get an engine for around $100.
Then he hits me with this:
Lionel Gp-20 6-8369. What a beauty!!
It turns out he also had this engine as a kid. And, using kid logic of more was better, ran it using the ac and dc wires hooked to the rails. Good grief, but since it doesn't have a horn, it just ran really slow.
In order to help him out and speed things along I decided to just loan him a z-1000. We set up an appointment on the 23rd, and I went down to see him. He had the tracks set up in the middle of the living room. I hooked up the Z and showed him how to use it. The engine was in brand new condition! I oiled it for him and had him run it.
He couldn't stop smiling. It of course had never, ever, gone that fast or smoothly. The o27 track switches were a bit of a challenge but he had needle nose pliers at the ready, so I showed him how to pinch the rails for a better connection. The interesting thing to me was the concept of F-N-R operations was totally foriegn to him since he only really ever had the little buzz box. He was super excited for his son to come back over so he could show up his treasures and share the experience.
I told him he could just borrow the transformer through January. I am pretty sure he will be picking one up for himself soon.
It felt really great to share, and it was an eye opening experience to see lionel trains through the eyes of someone who had grown up with them, but really didn't know anything about what he had. Unfortunately I only had time for a short visit (remember that comment about the wrapping!)
I hope things went well with his son. I will talk to him after the weekend and let you all know how it went.
A paper model of a British Rail Class 03 
}}
