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 Posted - March 02 2015 : 09:42:20 AM
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This is what got me interested in scale modeling. Found it in my parent's attic one day when digging around as a kid. Finding this and my dad's old 1/25 scale AMT car models got me into modeling at age 10. Now that I have more space and slightly more $, I've switched gears to model railroading and put the scale model cars aside for a while.
There's a gondola and box car also along with a metal tunnel and a good bit of track. I wish I had the room to set up a good size layout, but I don't have 2000 sq ft. 
The engine needs a good cleaning. Does anyone have any resources on tuning these things up?
Thanks,
Tim
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Posted - March 02 2015 : 12:13:32 PM
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The single photograph makes accurate identification difficult.
That said, I do believe I see an angled fibre reverse lockout lever sticking out of the top of the boiler.
You need to turn the engine over and confirm it is a clamshell design, left half and right half, held together with clips, black plastic or bakelite.
If so, and it runs, don't try any heroics on it. Just normal maintenance (you can pull the brush cover off....but get the "gears" back together right). Pole piece pulls down, rotates the brushes, which have contacts around the outside.
I have in the past repaired these....usually with mondo amounts of epoxy holding the shells halves together.
Some folks might not have any issues...but most did.
If I remember, the pickup rollers are two sleeves that bobble around in the bottom of the motor block.
Now...if you have one of the normal metal blocks, good! Better! But usually not with the angled firbe e-unit lockout lever.
When we had these in for repairs, often the pivot point for the moving pole piece had shattered. We tried to lock them in forward so they at least would go around in circles.
Dave
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Posted - March 02 2015 : 12:49:46 PM
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The loco is #1110 http://www.postwarlionel.com/cgi-bin/postwar?ITEM=1110. Looks to be 1949-1952. Not sure if that's metal or not.
After some digging around on the net, looks like they are plastic. http://pictures.olsenstoy.com//cd/locos/loc1110b.pdf
I'll have to see if I can do some general maintenance on it.
Thanks!
Tim
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Posted - March 02 2015 : 3:06:57 PM
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Most of the basic maintenance comes down to a few things - oil and lube the wear points ( armature shaft ends, side rod pivots, grease the gears ), and then clean the electrical contacts ( brushes build up oil and crud on them, the armature copper pads get burnt and dirty, and the contacts in the E unit, that which allows the engine to reverse, has electrical wipers that can lose contact, and cause the engine not to reverse automatically, and pads on it need cleaning off ). I've never seen a clamshell type before, they're either bakelite or all cast metal that come in my shop for work. Cleaning the wheels is also a necessity, as they build up oil and crud, if you see them sparking on the track, then they're too dirty. A thorough wheel cleaning will help the engine run better, either with a green scrubbie pad, or a dremel with brass wire brush, will quickly clean off years of accumulated crud.  The Scout was a common all-purpose Lionel engine, and mass produced in quantity. THey're fairly simple to get going again, unless something major has broken or burnt up. Just take it slow and write down or take pictures of the parts as you take them off, so you know where and how they go back together.
Jerry
Train repair tech, Train Depot, CHantilly, VA, USA
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
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Posted - March 02 2015 : 4:16:15 PM
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well it says its a starter set Yeah but sounds like from the article the motor is cheap made
AKA can only pull 4-5 cars
I wonder if there's a way to put a better more powerful motor in it?
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Posted - March 02 2015 : 9:57:44 PM
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| I think AMC said pretty much everything that needs to be said. I'd clean it up, make sure the wheels get good contact, and try it out. The Scout isn't the top of the line, but it's a start.
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Posted - March 02 2015 : 11:14:13 PM
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The other problem they have I see is the wiring gets old, and either burns up, or the acidic solder rosin has eaten into the copper wire, and it turns green, and now it's not conducting well. Then you really need to replace all the wiring inside. Once it turns that bluish-green at the solder joints, the copper is usually crystalized and does not conduct electricity well. Just replace it with similar thickness wire. Obviously you need a good soldering iron for that.
Jerry
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
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Posted - March 03 2015 : 12:36:54 AM
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An 1110 Scout with clamshell block has no wiring to deal with. Maybe one, mostly buss bars. If you haven't opened one, don't. You need a good wheel puller, need to pull wheels off one side, pull the clips, open the case halves and hope like hades you have a diagram, as they fall apart in pieces. The moving pole piece, pivot, a spring, buss bars. Then you'll find broken bakelite bits, and out comes the epoxy. If I remember, even the headlight socket is enclosed in the block, just the bulb glass sticking out.
They made a model with a PullMor motor, open, if you can find that.....
I have two or three shells for an 1110 left on a shelf because the blocks were trash. I cut the backheads out and glue them into die cast steamers.
Dave
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Posted - March 03 2015 : 09:06:31 AM
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Thanks for all of the advice guys! Going to try simple stuff before anything invasive.
Thanks,
Tim
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