Uh hey guys, need help with Brass Locomotive

[Anonymous]

Actually I'm new here and I regged here to look for some suggestions on what I can do with a train I recently acquired....

It's a Brass Lima 2-8-8-4 with the front set of drive wheels a little crooked, the ladder off the back of the tender=broken, the steps on the cow catcher came loose and the roof of the cab is slightly "dog-eared"

All the problems with it are cosmetic (I hope) and was wondering how I would go about fixing these things? Are there like any seaoned professionals who could restore/repaint/realign everything on my train? If so, how much $$$ am I looking at spending to have this done?

Any info would be very much appreciated, thanks in advance.

[areibel]

Hi Rain!
It kind of depends on what you want to do with it, are you going to keep it as an operating loco or as a collectable, or are you going to sell it?
If you're going to keep it, get it fixed! Pick up a copy of Model Railroader or Railroad Model Craftsman and check out the ads. I know MR has several places in the classifieds in the back that advertise brass repair/ repainting. Loose parts aren't too bad, but a bent or warped cab roof might be. Ditto the drive wheels, it might be real simple or a big job, but I can't really tell with out seeing it. Ball park guess on the cost could be aywhere from $50 to a couple hundred. I know that's a big range, but it will get you prepared for the "sticker shock" for a worse case.
If you just want to sell it, I'd try Ebay. There are enough crazies on thee, especially for big brass steam, that you'd probably do quite well that way. It's hard to say if the repairs would make a big difference. but say you spend $250 to get it fixed. You get $400 for it. But for something like that, I'll bet it would easily go for $200+ as is. No repair cost, no shipping back and forth,etc.
If you can post some pics, I might be able to better asess the damage.
Al

[newhavenguy]

Sounds like it took a dive off the layout to me. Where are you located? Caboose Hobbies in Denver has a very good brass and repair department. You might give those guys a call or go the web site at: www.caboosehobbies.com and send an e-mail. The phone number is right there too.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the help guys, Im in Ontario....And I got it off of eBay for 700$ shipped so there's NO way I'd sell myself 300$ short (I plan on keeping it anyway) unless you meant 400 USD [|)].....yeah, you meant USD, stupid me.


I actually took it to the guy and he was good enough to asses the damage:

-Pilot wheels bent...needs to be tightened...

-catcher turned in oppossite direction of the front platform, will have to be gently bent down....

-that plastic coupling between the sets of drive wheels needs to be replaced with one thats more flexible.

-6 Breaks (all front) are missing...they are plastic and easily replaced...I guess... *shrugs*

-and 1 ladder needs to be bent back into a proper position.

Apparently an outfit called Georges trains in Toronto deals with brass and restoration....I'll check into it...again thanks for the help, guys...



BTW....I have nothing to take pictures and load onto my comp with....I could post the auction pics though...

regards,
Chris.

[Anonymous]

Pics:







They're pretty blurry...you'd really need to be holding the thing and turn it around to see all the flaws....that top pic however, shows you how the alignment is screwed with the the front drive wheels....

comp is acting up again...Im out. CYA, boys.

[areibel]

She's a beauty Chris! And from the list it doesn't sound like the damage would be too bad. I'll bet a good shop could get her back in shape.
The brakes you are talking about, are they the small pieces that mount around the driver, the brake shoe details? They shouldn't be too much, ditto the plastic coupling. And the "body work" isn't hard, you just need some one fussy to make sure it's just right when finished.
I will go along with New Haven Guy, Caboose Hobbies is an excellent place if you can't find someone closer. Probably not he cheapest, but both the work and customer service are top notch.
Good luck!

[dknelson]

Greenway -- don't they sell replacement parts for brass? I think they are on the internet
Some of the experienced custom painters have a stash of repair parts. Which reminds me of the days when at a swap meet you might see a brass locomotive "basket case" selling for ... oh maybe $15. The Cal-Scale castings alone were worth more. Of course that was also back when an Athearn freight car was $1.79.
Dave Nelson

[AntonioFP45]

Beautiful steamer!

I hope that your repairs turn out well. Don't be shy about asking the repair personnel "detailed" questions about quality and warranty!

Hope you enjoy your unit. BTW: After repairs, are you painting it yourself?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by AntonioFP45

Beautiful steamer!

I hope that your repairs turn out well. Don't be shy about asking the repair personnel "detailed" questions about quality and warranty!

Hope you enjoy your unit. BTW: After repairs, are you painting it yourself?

Oh, no....I'm not some discerning hobbyist....Im a pretty young guy with no experience or knowledge of train collecting....I just saved up and decided to get this one particular locomotive.....

So what I'm saying is: no I wouldn't DARE paint it....I think the brass is sealed in a finish coat from the factory...if anything I'll try and see if I can cover up/polish any ugly spots on the train, put it in a nice display case and....let it sit there?

most of you guys would prefer it painted?