@RSJB18 posted:I have a couple of Menards lighted vehicles that I want to put on the layout. Now that the sign and vacuum are off my bench, I can get back to important stuff.
I started by testing the lights on both on the bench. The REA truck was fine but the '48 Ford was a different story. I didn't know Menards put smoke units in their cars......
To be continued....
Bob
Nice vehicles Bob .
Are you sure that wasn't exhaust smoke at the back of the 48 Ford Bob ? 
@Dallas Joseph posted:Nice vehicles Bob .
Are you sure that wasn't exhaust smoke at the back of the 48 Ford Bob ?
If only.....🤣🤣🤣🤣
I put the new lights in my 48 Ford. I also added a driver.....cause Tesla wasn't around in 48.....🤣🤣
After testing for pix I blacked out the back of the lights.
Been wanting to add command and sound to my Weaver RS-3. I could never find a way to squeeze command and sound in, it was always one or the other. Here's what it looks like with ERR cruise commander, it is a tight fit to say the least.
Although it ran well, I was always disappointed with the lack of sounds. Since I discovered that DCC can work in O gauge 3 rail locomotives I decided to install a Soundtrax Tsunami2 TSU-4400 into my RS-3.
As you can see the decoder and speaker fit with lots of spare room!
I also upgraded to LED lights.
The test run went great! It runs and sounds fantastic, I couldn't be more pleased with how it turned out!
Installed 3mm warm white LED's in the Lionel 44 ton switcher. The LED's have a 1K ohm resistor and diode in the circuit and are taped into the shell behind the original lense. Should use less power and no heat. 
I bought one of these https://www.menards.com/main/g...70157374-c-13318.htm
Within 10 minutes of opening the package, the coupler fell apart.
Also, two of the little plastic things that are supposed to hold the rope tight are missing.
I'm not happy at all.
But...
Any tips on holding the spring (inside the coupler) back far enough so that I can jimmy the coupler together? Or do I just buy another $30 $14-3/4" flatcar to get another coupler? 
Well, my dad and I were able, via a LOT of trial and error, to compress the spring enough to put the coupler back together. The rivets holding the top of the drawbar into the coupler had failed, so the drawbar had bent downwards and popped out. The drop of glue judiciously applied to each rivet will, hopefully, keep it together.
The 1948 M&Ms van will probably go into the bin or for sale; replaced by a 1947 Menards or 1948 (lighted) Pepsi van.
Added to my bench today is a pair of Lionel 6672’s, complete with some rust on the trucks and wheels, and some missing parts, which are replaceable. The problem is the “white” body shell. In addition to the bottom being sloppily painted flat black and chipping, it has a strong yellowing tint to it. Was it really white originally? Is the yellowness a problem of too much sunshine? I even thought of tobacco smoke, but warm water and Dove hasn’t been a lot of help. Any thoughts?
rich
Hi well I would have guessed age of the paint and also possibly discoloration due to Sun making color fad to the color you're seeing.
There is a car on Ebay so you can see the color looks white to me!
p.s. if you think it's due to smoke damage cigarettes you can wash the cars with Windex which has ammonia in it and will clean the smoke off completely, but you might have to clean more than ounce, I recommend using paper towels they will turn dark brown if it was smoke was as I had said! good luck and please shoe us pictures after the cleaning!
EBAY LINK REMOVED per TOS
Alan
@Rich posted:... has a strong yellowing tint to it. Was it really white originally? Is the yellowness a problem of too much sunshine? I even thought of tobacco smoke, ...
I offer this as 'related' experience. I have seven Lionel 9802 Miller (white) boxcars. They are cast white plastic with red lettering. One of them never came out of the box until a week ago, another couple of them were stored in a newspaper & cardboard boxes under the train table, and the others ran on my grandfathers basement table (no sun) for years and they also sat collecting dust on the table for 5~10 years after his passing. Only the 'still in the box' boxcar is clean and probably still shows the 'original white', but even that one has roughly one (only one) shade of age/yellow/tobacco/fade to it. The others all have a slightly irregular/non-uniform color/cast/fade to them that shows plainly to the naked eye but my phone camera doesn't pick up. I have gently cleaned a few of them to look a bit better, but they have not returned to the "boxed white". One of them had dirt/grease fingerprints (likely they are mine from decades ago 
) that I scrubbed and 409'd and hot water/dawn/brushed vigorously - but it still has a faded yellow-ish tint to it, and one of my prints is still noticeable.
Thanks Alan. I have several 3462, 3472 to compare to, and these 6600’s have considerably more yellowing, so I guess it’s a difference in how they have been stored or displayed, and also the composition of the plastic.
Dick
Thanks Woodsy. I was reluctant to try Windex because I don’t have any previous experience with it on Lionel paint, but it will be my next step
rich
@Rich posted:... I was reluctant to try Windex because I don’t have any previous experience with it on Lionel paint...
Even tough my boxcar is only worth a dozen dollars, I was hesitant to be too rough with it for fear of spoiling the lettering. The first time I used windex I diluted it 50/50 with water. It got some grunge off, but not all of it. Then I went full strength, but only briefly. Again, it removed another 'measure', but not all of it. Then it was full strength till I was satisfied. Just take it in baby steps.
I'm cleaning and rebuilding dozens of engines, operating cars/accessories, and rolling freight after decades of cardboard and newsprint storage to get them back to "good-as-they-can-be" running condition, because good as new isn't possible . None of my kit is minty or 'excellent' condition, but I still want to be gentle with them
EDIT: in fact if you search "lionel 9802" on the e-b@y, you'll see some of the different 'whites' of the same car.
I went through the same thing as you about 6 months ago restoring my stored collection. I ended up using Dawn diluted with distilled water, cleaning with a softish tooth brush, and then a distilled water rinse followed by a very soft cloth (I used tea towels I steal from my wife's stash). I don't remember if Dawn comes in different strengths, but if it does choose the mildest. I was able to clean the grunge off really well. I did go more gently around the decals, and luckily never did any damage.
Today on the work bench is something a little unusual, an American Flyer Prewar standard gauge switch. I'm in the process of rewiring, cleaning and repainting some of the parts. This should be an interesting addition to my floor layout.
@texgeekboy posted:... followed by a very soft cloth (I used tea towels I steal from my wife's stash). ...
What is it with our dear wives and their tea towels/dish cloths? I love my wife through and through, but my "bull in the china shop" still doesn't understand why the dish towels must remain clean and neatly displayed on the oven handle. 
She loves me enough that she retired a few older faded beach towels and cotton t-shirts and even made a space in a cabinet for "His Towels" so long as I understood that I was forbidden opening "Her" drawer of kitchen towels.
Actually I can understand why she doesn't want me touching them. I wouldn't want to use them after I'm through with them either!
The K-Line MP-15 really runs fast and a slower speed would seem better however this one did not have the "serial/parallel switch. There was a lot of discussion about rewiring and the sharing or lack thereof of the load on the traction motors so I did not want to make the choice permanent. There was a little bit of room between the fuel tank and the e-unit cut out switch and a mini toggle just fits. (it would have been better to more accurately check the room inside!). I drilled a 1/4" hole in the chassis and then slotted the hole for the final position. Soldering to the tiny lugs was a pain. My old Weller gun was too large and the pencil iron was too weak so the soldering appearance was a little messy but it works. (For some reason that picture did not take) Now either serial or parallel operation is possible. Pulling three heavy cars up a steep grade in parallel mode seems OK and the lights are brighter now.
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