how to repaint and or renumber ho scale train cars

[Anonymous]

i want to know how to renumber cars and how to repaint? also how and what is best to use ,to get a engine back to workingorder and running on my layout!

[Anonymous]

Before i start - i just want to add an additional question to your thread hopefully someone can answer - How should i go about repainting a Pullman corrogated streamline passanger car such that i dont sand down the corrogations?

Scrhino - I can help you in the loco division. There is no better way to fix an engine by taking it completely apart, cleaning it, and putting it back together. This partly depends on the age/type of engine you have. By doing this, you accompli***wo things. First, you know what the insides of the engine look like and where things belong. Always be careful when disassembling locos, as some (like Atlas S-2 and 4's) have small peices that may try to run away when you open it up[}:)].

On any engine, clean away dirt with a paper towel, cotton swab or toothpick. A little isypropal (rubbing) alcahol might help if need be. Make sure electrical connections are strong and (if there are stray wire for lights and such) covered over so that they do not short out [once had a loco not run becuase a bulb a wire on the engine[xx(]].

Second, pop out and open up the gear housings. Make sure that you put the gears in as they came out!! or it will not run right. Polariod/digital cameras are excelent when it comes to this kind of thing. Grime has a tendence to build up on these and add resistance till the cows come home. Toothpicks clean gears and sprockets best (dont forget to clean the wheels too). In the gear housings, make sure that there is good electrical contact between the wheels and contacts. If the contact is not touching, a little bending will easily cure that. As you reassemble the gear housings, put just a drop of oil on each axle (there will be 1 small axle for each gear to sit on, that you saw when you took them off). Never soak them in oil, as the oil will attract and collect dirt, become gummy and accelerate the time need for "next scheduled maintenance." before you reconnect the drive shaft and test your loco, turn the shaft at the top of the gear box and see if the wheels spin (they will turn very slowly). if the shaft wont rotate, then you put the gears in wrong (hey, ive done that too).

The last, and likely most annoying part of revamping an engine - cleaning/replacing the brushes. This is all the cleaning needed for the motor that should be needed. NOTE: the brushes are held by springs against the motor. the springs will want to leave you when you take off whatever holds them in (screw, small flap cover). so do this slowly and perhaps in a box so you dont loose the spring (their not that hard to find if you so loose them). make sure there is a sufficient bit of carbon still there, and if the engine has been layed up for a prolonged period of time, scrape a little of both ends to ensure conductivity. while these are out, if the engine is the older (60-70's) type that is part of a single cast block that makes up both the engine and wheel truck, take off the cover and clean any dirt that could cause resistance in the motor itself. oil can have a mixed affect here (some one correct me if im wrong) - oil on the axle is good for better running, but dont get oil on the distributor plate that the brush rubs against as to maintain conductivity.

finaly, you are ready to reassemble your engine. by cleaning it thuroughly, you can made less room for error, should a problem still exist. if the train runs, awesome, im glad i could be of help. if not - heres some troubleshooting to fix the other problems (which you know cant be from dirty stuff cuz you cleaned it!)

if the engine still does not run, use a voltmeter (i use one as simple as a wire with alligator clips at each end and light inbetween to show relitive power - the presence of conductivity is a yes/no thing - no gray area) to check wether power is getting to the motor. if power is not - then check the wiring to the motor (trace the path power should be taking, and look for broken connections and shorts both to and from the motor). if power is reaching the brushes and not the motor, replace the brushes. if power is reaching the motor, but the motor does not move , there is still too much resistance (or load) on the motor. disconnect the motor from the drives. if it runs, there is too much resistance in the gear housings, so take another look. if it does not run, then you may have a damaged motor that needs new wraps. at this point, it may be easier to order a new motor for $5-$10, solder new connections and be on your way.

if you ever give up on fixing an engine, you can always remove the gears and let the wheels free-wheel. ta-da! - a B-unit dummy (i did this to a 20-year old loco where i couldnt open the motor casing for repair).

Good luck.

[cjcrescent]

Actually the question here may be , how to renumber a car made by ___________? The make actually will determine the answer. Athearns can be renumbered by erasing what numbers you want to remove with a pencil eraser. Other cars have to be completely stripped, repainted and then renumbered. And depending on the make, a myriad of products can be used to remove everything from just the lettering to the entire paint job. To just remove lettering I used everything from the pencil eraser to Walthers solvaset to denatured alcohol to various commercial strippers and pastes. It all depends on who made the model.

[AntonioFP45]

Good answer above. As for repainting streamliners without sanding corrugated lines? Piece of cake! Just immerse in 91% alcohol for 1 to 2 hours, scrub with a toothbrush, wash with soap, dry off, pick off any leftover paint flecks and you're good to go!

[tjsmrinfo]

u can always do like the prototype--- get a used car patch oveer their reporting marks after you wether the painted car

tom