I have a very small tinplate collection. This Lionel S motor I got last weekend at a show for about $20 is apparently now my oldest electric train in my collection. I got it as a project. I am not sure what model number it was. It has the strap style light and the pre 1918 name Lionel name plate.
There is a fair bit of work to do on it. The strap headlight has a missing tab and need the most work to free up and replace the bulb. The wires to the headlight are there but has lost all of the insulation. Does anyone offer new replica parts for that? The couplers have no vertical tabs just the slots. Not a huge deal to my mind. The wheels turn freely but I want to clean things up before I even try to apply power. It is missing a roller as well so I have to figure out how to deal with that. It had a very rough repaint and now I am considering how I want to restore it. Five minutes in the sandblaster removed the repaint quickly.
It is reassuring how nicely it looks after a quick process it definitely makes me want to keep going.
I am open to any advise. This is my first restoration. The headlight and missing roller are the big issues in my mind. But getting the motor going may be a big ordeal.