A Guide to Getting 1950s Trains Running Again

These trains seemed nearly indestructible in the 1950s when they were new. Unfortunately, when they sit unused for four or five decades, time isn’t always kind to them. The good news is that if they worked when they were put away, often it’s possible to get them working again without much effort or expense.

Is it safe?
The first thing you need to do is check to make sure the train’s transformer is safe to use. These are electrical devices, and regulations in the 1950s were looser than they are today, and time isn’t always kind to them. If the electrical cord is stiff and/or brittle, it should be replaced by a qualified repair shop. Most major cities have at least one shop that can repair old trains, and from a repair standpoint the differences between Lionel, American Flyer and Marx are minimal. Check the phone book under hobby shops and look for the Lionel logo. If you can’t find one, start calling shops that say they sell model trains. Some will and some won’t deal in old trains, but often these dealers can recommend a shop or a local hobbyist who does.

If there is no such dealer in your area, a small appliances repair shop can usually repair such transformers, especially if the only thing it needs is a new cord.

The other outward sign to look for is rust. A rusty case usually indicates that moisture has gotten into the transformer, and moisture inside a transformer is a fire hazard. Any suspect transformer should be thoroughly checked out and serviced by a professional.

Don’t plug a transformer into the wall unless it passes visual inspection.

If you need a new transformer, modern Lionel-compatible transformers will work with Lionel, American Flyer, and Marx trains. Many hobby shops carry them, and they can also be purchased online.

What you’ll need
Most of the items you will need to get an old train running again are common household items. If you don’t happen to have them around, a trip to the local auto parts store will yield adequate materials.

• Cotton swabs
• Paper towels
• Rubbing alcohol
• Light machine oil (3-in-1 or similar)
• Light silicone grease
• Kitchen scouring pad (plastic)
• Toothpicks
• Soft paintbrush

You should avoid the use of WD-40 on vintage trains at all costs. For any job that WD-40 can do – rust cleaner/inhibitor, penetrating oil, cleaner, or lubricant – there is always a better household chemical to use.

Cleaning the trains
The first order of business is to clean any surfaces that are intended to conduct electricity from the track into the train. Lionel and Marx trains have pickup rollers or shoe (a strip of formed copper) on the underside of the train between the wheels. American Flyer trains usually have plastic wheels on one side and brass wheels on the other. On steam locomotives, these wheels are often on the tender, rather than on the locomotive itself. Any of these surfaces should be cleaned with an alcohol-soaked cotton swab until they shine. Avoid getting alcohol on any painted surfaces, as the paint on these trains is often fragile.

Ideally, conductive surfaces should be cleaned until you can wipe it with a cotton swab and the swab comes clean. If it’s supposed to conduct electricity, it will conduct better if it passes the white-glove test. Once the motor will run, there’s a trick for Marx and Lionel trains that makes this a much faster and easier process.

Once the conductive surfaces on the locomotives are clean, it’s time to tackle the track. Track that appears clean and shiny won’t need a lot of work – wiping it down with alcohol and a paper towel should be all it needs. Dirty and rusty track presents a bit more of a challenge. While some people believe rusty track shouldn’t be salvaged, sometimes you just don’t have much alternative. A kitchen scouring pad soaked with a household cleaner can work wonders on rusty track. Badly rusted track can be cleaned with Bar Keeper’s Friend with scouring pads and an old toothbrush. Bar Keeper’s Friend will remove the rust and polish the surface underneath to a bright shine.

It’s most important to get the rust off the top of the rails and off the conductive pins that go between the pieces of track.

If any pins are missing or too rusty to be salvaged, a local hobby shop may have replacements. If no suitable replacements are available locally, you can make crude replacements by cutting the head off a nail of the same diameter as the pin.

Cosmetic cleaning of trains can be tricky. First any dust should be brushed off with a soft paintbrush. Unpainted plastic cars can be cleaned with a mild soap such as Ivory and water. Don’t use an antibacterial soap, as this can attack the plastic. Painted plastic cars and locomotives are trickier. Some colors, such as the red and silver paint used by Lionel, are so fragile that even water will cause them to come off. It’s best to avoid cleaning any painted cars without first consulting an experienced collector.

The trucks (the part on the bottoms of train cars that hold the wheels) on American Flyer and some Lionel cars can become discolored. They are supposed to be black, but some of them have turned an unattractive gray color with age. This is caused by the mold release that was used when the parts were manufactured. The fastest and easiest way to reverse this is to point a hairdryer at it. Briefly aim the hairdryer at the offending part and watch it turn black again. Avoid prolonged periods, as this can warp other parts. Blast it for a few seconds, let it cool, then hit it again. Patience is the key.

If you have vintage Plasticville buildings, they can be cleaned in a similar fashion to the cars. A soft brush and a mild soap and water is usually all it takes to get them looking like new again.

Lube job
Lubricants can go stiff over time, so usually a train will need a bit of a lube job before it will run properly again. The wheels on a Lionel or Marx train will usually turn by hand without much effort. American Flyer wheels usually will not turn by hand and you shouldn’t force them.

Regardless of the make of the train, the treatment is still the same. Apply some light grease to any gears that are visible. Don’t overdo it – a little goes a long way. Next, apply a bit of oil to the end of a toothpick, and apply a drop to any axles you can see, anywhere the axle rubs against anything. Once again, a little goes a long way. Don’t apply a drop – try to apply half a drop. 3-in-1 oil is a popular choice for this, but almost any oil will do. Some people even use automotive motor oils. Yes, there are some snobs who won’t put anything less than Mobil 1 on their trains.

Once you’ve done this for the locomotive, flip over your cars and do the same thing. Apply a bit of oil, then spin the wheels by hand. Try spinning a wheel before and after lubricating. You’ll notice a difference, and you’ll be surprised how little oil you need to make that difference.

Power!
Although your first inclination is probably to connect up a loop of track, wire up the transformer, put the train on it and apply power, you shouldn’t do that. Usually the motor needs to run a while to get the cobwebs out (sometimes literally), and putting it right on the track only slows down the recovery process. Instead of connecting the wires between the transformer and the track, connect two wires to the posts on the transformer, but then flip the train over and connect the wire directly to the train.

On American Flyer trains, you connect one wire to the metal wheels on one side, and the other wire to the metal wheels on the other. If you can’t hold the two wires in place and balance the train at the same, prop the train up with some books or another heavy object. You may be able to loop the wires around the wheels, or connect them with alligator clips.

On Marx and Lionel trains, you connect one wire to the pickup shoe or a roller. Many Marx trains have a hole on the shoe where the wire can fit. You can just wrap the wire around a pickup roller on a Lionel. The other wire can connect to any convenient metal surface on the train. Usually I attach it to one of the front or rear wheels.

With the wires secured, apply power. Start it at a low setting at first. If the wheels don’t turn, give them a little push. You should see some sign of life. Encourage it a bit, and once they turn a little on their own power, turn the crank on the transformer up some more. If you see smoke coming from anywhere other than the smokestack, stop. This indicates there is binding somewhere, and you’re burning insulation. If it continues, you’ll burn out the motor.

If the motor doesn’t want to turn on its own, it might be the reverse unit. This was the most finicky part of any make of train. Tapping the train firmly with two fingers often helps.

But if the motor turns over on its own, gradually increase the power, and let the motor run like that for about 10 minutes. While the motor is running, go ahead and assemble a loop of track on the floor.

At this point, after the motor has run for about 10 minutes, you can really clean the wheels so they shine and so they conduct electricity at their very best. Apply a bit of alcohol to a cotton swab, and while the motor is running, apply the swab to one of the spinning wheels and hold it there for a few seconds. Remove the brush and look at it. It will probably be black with grime. Flip it over and apply it again. Repeat this process with new swabs on each wheel until you can put a swab on a turning wheel without picking up new dirt. It’s reasonable to expect to have to use a half-dozen or more swabs per wheel, but the train will look and run better.

After this final cleaning, connect the transformer up to the track and put the locomotive on it along with a car or two. Turn the transformer on a low setting and let it run around the track. Gradually increase the speed until it runs reliably, but not too quickly. You want the train to run on the track, not fly off it.

More often than not, this simple maintenance is all it takes to get a 1950s train ready for duty around the Christmas tree for this year and for many years to come.