Louis Marx Train Set 999 repair.

[acommontateer]

I have just been reunited with this classic train set that was given to me by my parents about 60+ years ago. The story is too long to tell but this object was a magical experience and looking at the cars I was reminded of some wonderful, uncomplicated times when I was young and my parents still living. Unfortunately, taking the transformer out of the box broke off a large portion of the original insulation from the power cord so, hoping against hope, I set up the track, hooked up the cars and using a borrowed transformer, opened the switch.................No go. I'd like to have the original transformer and the 999 engine repaired unless the cost is outlandish. Anybody got any ideas. Thanks, Bill

[tjl0824]

The engine should be an easy fix, are you familiar with servicing trains? What exactly is the transformer? (pictures would be helpful) If it needs is a cord, those are replaceable. I buy all mine from a local parts dealer, but I'm sure any home improvement stores carry an equivalent.

Trevor

[acommontateer]

TJL, thanks. Don't know about the "servicing trains" question. Are you asking if I know how or is that some company or organization or book? (I didn't say I was the sharpest tool in the shed!). What I am calling is the speed controller that converts the AC house current to the DC current used by the train system. Appreciate your interest. Bill

[jeffrey-wimberly]

You need to be careful in determining what kind of power the loco uses. Except for a few exceptions those old sets use AC voltage on the track, not DC. Look at the output voltage listed on the transformer. If it says AC and you're trying to make the train work with DC it'll be no go.

[TRAINCAT]

If you need a transformer I have the exact one here that came with those sets. Its for sale cheap. This set used an A/C 12.5 volt transformer. It is green in color with a big chrome silver lever/knob. There is a guy who repairs MARX trains and is very good at it. His name is John Twarog from Brunswick Ohio.

Email: [e-mail]

Roger

[arkady]

acommontateer

Are you asking if I know how or is that some company or organization or book?

He's asking if you know how, and it seems that the answer is "no."  Since you're new to the world of toy trains (welcome to the hobby, by the way), it might be good for you to check this link:

http://www.justtrains.com/Service/maint-main.asp

This page is oriented toward Lionel, but it should give you a good general overview of what's involved.

And here's a page that has some beginning Marx information that you might find useful:

http://dfarq.homeip.net/2010/11/how-to-fix-old-marx-locomotives/

As for your transformer cord, replacing them is a simple matter, and requires no particular previous experience in servicing a toy train.  Any decent hardware store will carry cords and new plugs.

Proceed carefully (it's always easy to get discouraged when you're learning), and you'll be on the road to a fascinating new hobby.  I wish you all the best in getting your 999 and its associated memories running again.

[jwse30]

If you still have access to the transformer you had borrowed, I would try out the 999 again, assuming it was working when it was packed up. But before you do, clean up the wheels and the slider shoe with a scotchbrite pad. By cleaning the wheels, I mean the edge of them that would make contact with the rails. The slider shoe is the copper piece that is under the engine between the wheels. It should be reasonably shiny to work well.

Also, you'll want to make sure that you can turn the wheels by hand before trying to put electricity to them. If the motor and gears are so gummed up with old grease and oil that they won't turn by hand, there's no way that little motor is going to be able to do it. If that's the case, you may need to take the body off the frame to gain access to the motor, and start cleaning the gunk out of it. I generally start with a plastic safe contact cleaner and spray the whole works liberally. Then I scrub the gears and axles down with an old toothbrush, and spray again to rinse off what just got worked loose. Let dry for a while and try it out.

Sometimes these engines may need a bit of a push to get them going after being idle for so long. If you try that out, you want to push down on the engine as you're pushing down the track. You'll want to see the drive wheels (the ones with the rod attached to them) spin while you're pushing it. After a few runs with some help, it may start running without assistance.

A lot of hobby shops that sell Lionel trains will have a repair guy that will likely be able to get your items up and running again. Not knowing where you are located, it would be hard to recommend a dealer. Perhaps there's one locally listed in the dealer index in the back of Classic Toy Trains? While these items sound to have a great sentimental value, they likely don't have a lot of monetary value, and could very well cost more to repair than to replace.

One more thing to consider should you wind up at a hobby shop to get your train repaired is that while your Marx engine will run on Lionel track, it most likely will nit run on Lionel switches or crossings. The drive wheels on your 999 probably have a gear on one side that extends all the way to the edge of the wheel, which makes the wheel too fat to pass through Lionel switches. I point that out to prevent you from buying items to expand your empire that won't work.

I hope some of this is helpful to you, and Merry Christmas!

J White