Lionel Postwar #1615 - Reviving A Vintage Steam Locomotive!

Repairing a Basket Case Lionel Steamer on this episode of Toy Train Tips and Tricks. Hello again, this is Mike with another episode of Toy Train Tips and Tricks. I recently picked up this Lionel number 1615 040 Switcher from 1955 for a great price, around $35 including shipping, but the catch is it does need some work. These Lionel 040s trace their ancestry back to the model 708 scale Pennsylvania Railroad class B6060 Switcher and several semi-scale versions of the same from 1939 featuring detailed side rods and valve gear and the classic squared off bell purifier box so common on Pennsylvania Railroad steamers. By 1940 Lionel had modified the model for the 027 line as the number 1662 040. But unlike other Lionel steamers, as this model progressed from scale model to starter set gem over its quarter century of production, it retained most of the scale model details, other than the six-wheel drive of course. Even the least and cheapest of the post-war line, the number 1625 of 1958, maintained its excellent looking lifelike side rods. So while this particular model may be a bit of a basket case, it's worth a small investment of time and effort to get it working again. On the track with applied power, I can tell the engine is trying to run. I can hear the reverse unit cycle and the motor attempts to engage. I'm thinking that a bit of cleaning and lubrication may be all I need to bring this steamer back to life. If you plan to do many post-war repairs, I suggest trying to locate a post-war repair guide with parts diagrams. There are excellent editions by Greenbergs and K-Line, and original Lionel service station manuals can sometimes be found on the web. But all of these sources are currently out of print and can be pricey. Still, if you plan to do a number of locomotives and cars and accessories, it's worth the investment. Another less expensive option is a number of sources have released PDF versions of these manuals on CD-ROM. A link for one of these is included in the video description. Also, try a web search for the item you're trying to repair. Sometimes you can find a diagram that you need and a thread for the Ogiege Railroading or Classic Toy Trains online forums, or sometimes even a Reddit thread. If you have no diagram to work from, work slowly and take lots of photos of your work in progress so that you can see what goes where when it's time to reassemble. To access the motor of most post-war Lionel steamers, you must remove the boiler casting from the drive. In this case, we will also need to disconnect the side rods from the powered wheels and sometimes from the boiler casting as well. Unlike most Lionel steamers, you cannot access the front mounting screws without first removing the two screws that hold the front coupler bracket and headlight mount in place. Then, remove the two screws that secure the steam chest assembly. With the steam chest removed, you can now separate the boiler from the motor assembly. Keep track of which screws go where, because these are not interchangeable. While you can access the motor without removing all the side rods, I usually separate them completely so I don't accidentally bend a side rod while working with the motor. In this case, the side rods are attached with a variety of hex head, phillips, and slotted screws. Lionel's hex head screws are usually quarter inch drive. I remove the long phillips screw holding the side rod and eccentric assembly to the rear wheel, as well as the copper colored slotted screw that attaches to the boiler. Again, keep track of what goes where. With the boiler removed, look at the motor brush plate. This is usually a triangular piece attached with two or three nuts and or screws. Again, these lionel nuts are usually quarter inch drive. Remove the cover to expose the brushes and the motor commutator. The commutator should be shiny and copper colored. The black deposits on this one are the reason the motor will not run. There are a variety of methods for cleaning the commutator. Some use pink pencil erasers, and I've heard of some who use emery boards. But I reserve that for only the most extreme circumstances, as one could accidentally cause permanent damage to the commutator with these. My preferred method is electrical contact cleaner and cotton swabs. Spray the tips of the swab and rub. It takes time, and it may take a dozen or more swabs before you see progress, but the crud will eventually come off. This one cleans surprisingly easy considering the thickness of the deposits. Also use a toothpick to clean the slots between the three commutator sections while you're here. Now check the condition of the motor brushes and brush springs. These brushes and springs appear to be in good shape. Maybe the previous owner changed them out because they're in much better condition than the commutator was. If you do need replacements, contact a reputable Lionel parts dealer. My go-to shops are Hennings Trains and the Train Tender, but there are others. There are several different brush types for various Lionel motors, so it's important that you get the correct brushes for your motor. By the way, these are not paid endorsements, they're just the parts dealers that I've had very good success with in the past. Reassemble the motor and be certain to add some light oil to the commutator shaft and bushing on both sides of the motor. Failing to lubricate here is the primary cause of premature motor failure. Turn the wheels by hand and oil the center posts of anything that spins, and add a light touch of grease to anything with teeth. While I had everything apart, I thought a good cleaning was in order. I used mother's mag and aluminum cleaner on the metal side rods. Unfortunately, much of the original plating is gone, so the final result is not as great as I had hoped. Likewise, I bathed the boiler in water and a very weak soap solution to remove as much dust and accumulated gunk as possible. I also attempted to use a process that I saw on Ben's Trains channel, whereby he used a black permanent marker and motor oil to restore the painted surface on die-cast steamers. My results were not as promising as his. The finish is now shinier, but the process did nothing to hide the areas where the original paint had failed. Next was reassembly. Reattaching the boiler was a simple task of replacing the three mounting screws. Then I similarly replaced the steam chest casting. I carefully reattached the side rods, first on one side, then the other. I found it necessary to carefully realign the main driving rod and the secondary rod. Rotate the wheels so that the main rod is parallel with the track and at its greatest distance from the steam chest. Then align the secondary rod parallel to this, but oriented so that it is at its closest possible point to the steam chest, and tighten the drive screw at this point. Otherwise, the secondary rod may wander too far from the steam chest and fall out of its slot. As each side is reassembled, rotate the locomotive wheels a few revolutions in each direction and check for any binding, and adjust as necessary. Speaking of Henning's Trains, I needed a new coupler bracket and pilot assembly for my locomotive. The previous owner had mutilated this part and even mounted the coupler upside down for some reason. I considered making a new 3D printed part, but Henning's had an original part in stock at a fair price, and it was much faster than trying to design my own replacement. Replacing the bracket and pilot assembly completed my locomotive reassembly. Perhaps the weakest link of the 1615 steamer is the tender. The mostly plastic tender is too light and will frequently derail on curbs when switching cars, especially when backing up. Remove the single screw from the front of the tender to remove the shell, and then use your favorite method to add weight for the desired results. The previous owner used a rock, and part of the television listings from the Boston Sunday Advertiser of January 20, 1957. Hey, the Ed Sullivan show is on tonight at 8 o'clock. You'll definitely want more weight than a rock and paper, and I don't think scissors will help either. Anyway, I added two stacks of washers to mine and secured them with hot glue. That should do the trick. Also, check the drawbar connection between the locomotive and tender. The locomotive side of the drawbar has a springy clip that makes a tight connection with the tender. This helps maintain electrical continuity with the outside rails through the tender wheels, supplementing the four locomotive wheels. And now, the moment of truth. It runs! So, while my little 040 is a little worse for wear visually, it runs like a charm, and my $35 investment, okay $45 with parts and supplies, still looks pretty good for a scale-proportioned, decently detailed post-war steamer. I may repaint it someday, but for now, the well-worn paint job shows that this little switcher has been well-loved over its seven decades of life. My total rehab task took less than a week, including waiting for parts to arrive. Many of the techniques shown here will work with other Lionel post-war steamers, from disassembly, to motor cleaning, to lubrication, so hopefully there's something that you can apply to your own collection. If so, please help us out by liking the video, leave a comment, subscribe to the channel, and tell your friends and neighbors. So, clean up those basket case locomotives and keep the trains running, and we'll see you next time on Toy Train Tips and Tricks.