Cruddadore Vanderbleh to Commodore Vanderbilt

[Darth Santa Fe]

As the title says:

Bleh,

Stripped,

Restored.

The thing was obviously in bad shape when I got it. The body had horrible paint all over it, the nameplates were rusted and one was painted, the headlight was missing, and one of the wheels was swollen and exploded. Robert Grossman was very helpful in getting new parts to replace all the ones that were beyond use or missing, and I would recommend checking with him for most any needed stuff for Marx trains. The new nameplates are solid copper and brass instead of simulated metal color over steel, so I should probably give them a coat of lacquer for protection from tarnish.

Here's what it needed in the end:
Complete cleaning of motor
Metal motor bushing to go in place of worn fiber bushing (old Athearn motor part fit great!)
New spring for pickup shoe
Complete stripping of all paint
Sanding of steel parts to get rid of rust and rough spots (extra polishing for handrails and screws)
Full nickel plating for the domes and smokestack
A coat of primer, two coats of black, baking, and a lacquer finish for the body
Lacquer finish for handrails and nickel plated parts
New headlight assembly, nameplates, smokestack lense, and geared wheel
Reassembly

And in the end, I got a great looking, great running piece of toy history, and I only paid around $40 for everything!

[balidas]

Looks great! Excellent work!

[Seayakbill]

Great job in bringing that little guy back to life

[Darth Santa Fe]

Thanks everyone.

I got a message from Robert Grossman, and the nameplates are actually pre-clear coated to resist tarnish. Definitely the place to get replacement parts from!

[Garfield]

That is some impressive work.

What kind of paint did you use?

[Darth Santa Fe]

Krylon "Now" primer and gloss black. It's cheap, you get a good amount, and it dries very smooth.

[dsmith]

Very nice restoration.

Here are two of my refinished Marx Commodore Vanderbilts .    The first is electric and the second is windup.

[vsmith]

Nice restorations

Can someone recommend a good source for body trim parts?

I have one thats missing the smokestack trim piece, I'd like to reinstall it when I repaint the engine.

[Darth Santa Fe]

vsmith

Nice restorations

Can someone recommend a good source for body trim parts?

I have one thats missing the smokestack trim piece, I'd like to reinstall it when I repaint the engine.

http://www.trainpartsformarx.com/shoppingcart.htm

Part #44. And if you don't have the original, you may also want the #35 smokestack lens. I used a red one in mine, and I can say that it really does look better with a good lens in place.

[vsmith]

Thanks, thats going to be a very useful site !