As I'm going about getting some things from my youth (which were, in turn, my father's) back into shape, I needed to do some cleaning of the whistle unit on a #125 Whistle Station. The way I found it, the whistle unit was attached to the underside of the housing by a pair of double-sided "foam tape" strips (one at each end) that separated the whistle unit from the housing with a little pressure. I've now got the whistle unit back up to snuff, but the "tape" that was there is certainly not reusable. It then got me thinking: was this how the whistle unit was originally adhered to the housing at the factory - or did my father/grandfather engineer something when the two separated at some point in the distant past?
I looked to see how it might otherwise have been more mechanically connected and I don't see any obvious screw holes or the like. I've looked on-line and in the service manual books I have and they don't have a parts explosion to reference. I'm thinking of buying some double-sided Velcro tape so that it could be removed again in the future and reattached. How have others tackled this situation? Many thanks!
IT consultant by day, 3rd generation Lionel guy (raising a 3YO 4th generation Lionel Lil' Man) by night in the suburbs of the greatest city in the world - Chicago. Home of the ever-changing Illinois Concretus Ry.
According to my Lionel book the whistle WAS mounted with 2 sided tape. So it probably came the way you found it.
"IT's GOOD TO BE THE KING",by Mel Brooks
Charter Member- Tardis Train Crew (TTC) - Detroit3railers- Detroit Historical society Glancy Modular trains- Charter member BTTS
Thank you for confirming this - after some more research, I was able to find a parts list/BoM for the reissued 2125 Whistle Shed on the Lionel support site, which makes reference to a part "125-6 Adhesive Pad". This pad (or its 1950s ancestor) must have been what I pulled off. BTW, I've now reattached the whistle with a couple of strips of Velcro tape and it works like a champ - tight hold, easy to remove.
The double sided tape is some sort of black spongey material. I have had several, all with the same tape.
cwburfle The double sided tape is some sort of black spongey material. I have had several, all with the same tape.
The tape on my (well, my dad's) #125 was white - but it surely could have changed throughout the years of production. Am quite surprised it held up so well for so long - 65 years when I had to remove it this week, and it was still strong enough to hold for another 50 if I'd let it!
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