Wiring for post war tenders

[Old Mo Hobo]

 I have just recently re-acquainted myself with my trains from many years ago. I am beginning to repair any problems that I find with wiring that has become brittle and needs to be replaced.  I am re-wiring a Lionel 6466WX Tender and am wondering if there is a standard guage wire to be used in it's repair.  I want to make it as original as I can in the process.  As long as I am asking, is there a preferred vendor to purchase some type of flexible wiring from.  I have all the Radio Shack etc. stuff but it looks like there is a need for much more flex to the wire so that it doesn't wear and receive abrasion from the moving parts.  I can only go back to year 2000 with issues of CTT so my resources are limited but getting better.   

[kpolak]

Welcome Mo!

I started buying from Dr Tinker http://www.drtinkertrains.com/ .  There are others, and I'm sure local shops will carry this as well.

The flexible wire can be purchased from train parts store.  Its called  super flex wire (24 ga).  This connects to the roller.

Dr. Tinker also has the solid color cloth covered wire (.50 per foot + $9 s/h) if you want to keep it origional on the interior.  18-22ga solid core wire will do just fine from Radio Shack.

Kurt

 

[bfskinner]

Old Mo Hobo,

Dr. Tinker (David Laughridge) has decades of experience, knows all that can be know about repairing Lionel trains, has oodles of parts, and is very helpful. I have enjoyed all my dealings with him. However, his minimum-order policy ($30 plus $9 s&h) may be off-putting if you have only a small order.

If so, I suggest trying Brasseur Electric Trains in Saginaw, MI.

       http://www.traindoctor.com/service/catalog.asp

Look under "Wire and Tubing."

I use black 22-gauge super-flex (aka superflex) wire exclusively in my connections to the pickup rollers. In my opinion this wire is better than what Lionel used in their postwar trains.

Even with super-flex, care must be taken when soldering the wire to the pick-up roller in order to minimize stiffening the wire by the application of too much solder at the joint. Super-flex "works" by having about a zillion tiny wires that can slide relative to each other inside very flexible insulation. If you are not careful, you can destroy its advantages by soldering the wires into an inflexible mass right at the joint where you want (and need) the flexibility, so that the roller can move around freely.

Perhaps someone else can explain this more clearly than I.

For the internal wiring (which doesn't need to flex in operation) I find that thin solid wire and the old cloth sleeving works well and is easy to install. Brasseur's can supply these items also.

Hope this helps.

[Old Mo Hobo]

Many thanks to both of you.  I did discover the minimum charge and at times, I will cover this.  I will have more in the future so hopefully you will be able to help me when it is time to do the 2026 engine.  Go Wolverines from an old Wolverine!

[bfskinner]

Old Mo Hobo,

Good luck with your projects, and Go Blue!

[kpolak]

Old Mo, it sounds like you and I are on the same projects, in a different order.

I recently went thru a '47 2025, I'm waiting on parts to repair the smoke unit...I broke it.  I don't think was ever used, and I saw some white material in it, and tried to remove...It turned out to be a spider web, and I hooked the heater element.

Now I am on to a 2466wx tender, something not right with the whistle.  I also need to disconnect the hot shoe...It keeps triggering the coupler at the switches.

Good luck,

Kurt

[bfskinner]

kpolak,

Before disconnecting the hot shoe why not try to fix it? Jim Barrett of the OGR Forum has a solution that fixes a lot of Lionel shoe problems. Basically, it involves some minor grinding of a new profile that improves the "angle of attack" of the shoe against the control rails and switch parts. Sometimes the switch rails and/or frog need a little smoothing out also. Or perhaps part of the switch that shouldn't be electrically "hot" is.

If you are interested, I'll can try to locate the source more precisely.

I envy you. If I lived in Ann Arbor you'd find me at Zingerman's Deli far too often!

[kpolak]

I used to love Zingermans and their giant hommade pickels.  Big $$$.

I used to work on State at William, and was closer to Sottini"s on 4th, so I spent most of my time there.  Zingermans is a ways down Detroit St..  Too far to walk.

I'd love to see how to modify the shoe.  Please send if you can find the article.

Thank you,

Kurt

[kpolak]

It looks like the hot shoe modification is in Jim Barretts backshop Vol. 1 video...

Let me know if you find a hardcopy.

Thanks,

Kurt

[bfskinner]

Kurt,

In addition to the "Backshop video" mentioned above, the Jim Barrett article re modifying "slide shoes" (the term he uses) can be found in O-Gauge Rail-roading magazine, Run 175, October 2000, p120 ff.

The article contains clear diagrams and photos, as well as other important wiring considerations. I recommend reading it in its entirety.

In addition, I have found that some of my old Lionel postwar 022 switches have worn in subtle but significant ways that may be difficult to find on visual examination. For example, some versions of the 022 have a thin metal strip down between the center and outside rails that apparently were added to keep the wheels from dropping too far down next to the "frog." Others do not have his feature, and the Bakelite (?) base can be worn down over time. The best way to diagnose a bad switch is probably to substitute another switch and see whether it works.

[Old Mo Hobo]

Kurt:  I don't have all the video assets that others have, but I have found great articles in both the March 2004 "Repairing Lionel Whistles" and the February 2003 "Repairing Lionel Smoke Units" to have been a great help for me.  Unfortunately, I have found that the more I learn, the more I break with this learning process.  Good Luck!