Restoring Accessories

[Anonymous]

okay I'm the newbie floating around so please bear with me!!

I recently purchased some accessories off of Ebay and will want to restore them a bit....

One of the items is a flashing crossing sign from Lionel...

1. What is the best way to remove rust from these tiny items?
2. How can I repain the crossing "X" sign and have it come out semi-nice? (since the letters are raised, I assume there may be a technique for doing this)
3. Repainting..any tips?

Also if you have any other useful info which I haven't covered, please share!!

Thanks everyone!!

[Big_Boy_4005]

I'm assuming that the crossing signal in question is a Lionel 154 style or other common type. Perhaps the most unusual signal is 155 with the flashing lights and bell. If the 155 is what you have, it might be best to leave it alone. Anything else, go for it.

To repaint raised letters, a small brush with a slightly steady hand would be my first choice. You could try putting paint on a scrap of wood, and pressing it against the raised part, but this can be trickier than it sounds, and result in under or over applying the paint.

Rust: a wire wheel in a Dremel might be the best tool for the job. Depending on the size and location of the rusted area, sandpaper of increasing grits might work.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info!

I am getting both the 154 and the 155...

Why did you say to leave the 155 alone? I'd like to paint it...its pretty rusted..bell and all...

[Anonymous]

sorry i just looked up the 155 its not the one...this one has a visioble bell on the post....I'll need to figure out what it is when it arrives...

[Big_Boy_4005]

The 155 is a more unusual piece, only made for 2 years. It is more sought after by collectors, and in nice condition fetches substantially higher prices than the commons, which were made for many years.

However, if it is well rusted, much of the collector value is gone. Then only the play value remains, so it might as well look good and work well for you.

[Big_Boy_4005]

Marx had one with the bell on the post. Got one of them too.[;)]