My newest (and shiniest!) acquisition!

[Darth Santa Fe]

This past week, I found and won a great Lionel Flying Yankee set on eBay!

The camera flash makes the little scuffs and scratches look a lot worse than they actually are. In fact, in person, the chrome looks amazing for its age! Even before cleaning, I was impressed with how smooth and quiet the thing runs, and after a light cleaning, it runs like new (and the motor is so quiet that I almost can't hear it over the wheels on the track)! All it really needs now is a little cosmetic work (fresh paint on the front and back, some new window material, and a 617 plate for one of the cars), and it'll be just about as good as a new reproduction set.

As if that wasn't enough already, the whole set was only $210. I think I got a good deal!

[Zero Export]

Darth, VERY NICE!!!

I honestly never cared for tin Plate or the Flying Yankee. Untill I got the MTH Lionel Corp re pro of the CITY Of Denver Set.    I can't get enough of this tin plate stuff now........ Repro or Original issue

What a wonderful time gone past....

Ryan

[gunrunnerjohn]

That's a very nice looking Flying Yankee, and a great price as well.

[Hudson#685]

Darth,

Congrats on the Flying Yankee. It looks great and the price is also.

Enjoy it!

John

[overlandflyer]

Darth Santa Fe

... All it really needs now is a little cosmetic work (fresh paint on the front and back, some new window material, and a 617 plate for one of the cars), and it'll be just about as good as a new reproduction set.

i'll agree with everything on your cosmetic touch-up list except for repainting the nose and tail.  once you do this you irrevocably change your original train into a refurbished train.  i'd find a Flying Yankee in C6 (what it looks like to me) condition much more desirable than a repaint in any condition.

...gary

[charliebrown]

I'd have to agree to no on the repaint. It's like old furniture. As soon as you refinish the price drops in half. Besides the train looks great.

[RedfireS197]

Darth,

            That looks great just the way it is.  If it was mine, I wouldn't think of repainting.  Repainted items, no matter how well done, just aren't the same in my opinion.  It's more than just the monetary value that's lost.  Once the original paint is gone, the character is gone too.

If this piece was so beat that it wasn't presentable, then I'd consider a proper restoration.

[RockIsland52]

DARTH   I also think it looks sweet just the way it is.  JACK.

[Darth Santa Fe]

Thanks for your thoughts everyone!  The paint is still in decent shape, but what worries me is that some of the places where the paint has chipped or worn are beginning to rust.  Keeping the original paint intact would be nice, but at the same time, I want to keep the metal intact, so I'm a bit torn on which way to go at the moment.

[lionelsoni]

I suggest treating the rust with phosphoric acid.  This is from Wikipedia:

"Rust removal

"Phosphoric acid may be used as a 'rust converter', by direct application to rusted iron, steel tools, or surfaces. The phosphoric acid converts reddish-brown iron(III) oxide, Fe₂O₃ (rust) to black ferric phosphate, FePO₄.

"'Rust converter' is sometimes a greenish liquid suitable for dipping (in the same sort of acid bath as is used for pickling metal, but it is more often formulated as a gel, commonly called 'naval jelly'. It is sometimes sold under other names, such as 'rust remover' or 'rust killer'. As a thick gel, it may be applied to sloping, vertical, or even overhead surfaces.

"After treatment, the black ferric-phosphate coating can be scrubbed off, leaving a fresh metal surface. Multiple applications of phosphoric acid may be required to remove all rust. The black phosphate coating can also be left in place, where it will provide moderate further corrosion resistance (such protection is also provided by the superficially similar Parkerizing and blued electrochemical conversion coating processes)."

My favorite source of phosphoric acid is Coca Cola.

[LL675]

great score! like just the way it is.