Replacing collector shoes on a Lionel No. 3459 ore dump car

[San Jose]

How does one replace a broken collector shoe on the Lionel ore dump car? 

I tried first fixing the shoe plate onto the shoe using the shoe rivet, and then squeezing the plate through what seems to be a too-small hole in the bottom plate of the truck.  

Broke a bunch of these parts in the process.

S.O.S.

Nino from San Jose

Nino

[cwburfle]

The shaft of the shoe is placed through the hole in the bottom plate before attaching the fiber plate.
Be certain to orient the shoe properly. The beveled edge of the shoe goes towards the center.

To clinch the rivet you will need some sort of narrow support that fits into the groove in the shoe. And something to splay the open end of the rivet.

Lionel included a special anvil in their ST-350 riveting set. All the aftermarket manufactures of toy train repair riveting tools make them too.

[BigAl 956]

It's really hard to do without the specialized tool. I find it easier to replace the whole mounting plate with the shoe atached than to replace just the shoe.