BJR Repairs and Servicing Work Bench

[BJR]

Hello.

A few years ago I began purchasing non-running locomotives from eBay and Adverts with the aim of restoring them to full working order. What started as a small hobby quickly developed into a real interest in the mechanical and electrical side of model railway restoration.

I particularly enjoy the challenge of diagnosing faults, carrying out repairs, and carefully servicing older locomotives to bring them back to smooth, reliable running condition.

As the collection has steadily grown, space is becoming a bit limited, so I’ll likely begin moving some restored models on in the future to make room for new projects.

In the meantime, I’ve decided to start documenting some of the restorations currently passing through the workshop.

Here are a few of the projects presently on the bench.

Cheers,

Ben

 

 

[BJR]

First up on the bench is this Lima OO Gauge GWR 4589 Prairie Tank.

I picked this one up from a gentleman on Adverts. From what I can find online, these were produced during the 1980s and feature:

• Ringfield motor mounted low in the chassis
• Plastic gear train
• One powered axle driving the coupled wheels through the side rods

As you can see from the photos, it was pretty manky when I got it — rust around the valve gear, filthy wheels, greasy underside, and the paint and decals were very tired and faded. There were also a few missing details, including a lamp iron and some roof vents.

I gave it a quick test on my little bench track and it wasn’t budging at all.

Once I stripped it down, I was happy to find that all the internal parts were intact, which saves a huge amount of time trying to source or fabricate replacements.

All the metal parts went through the ultrasonic cleaner, while the plastic components got a good wash in warm soapy water.

I then gave the Ringfield motor a full service and bench tested it. To my surprise it ran great. No idea when this thing last turned a wheel, but it’s always a great feeling hearing an old motor come back to life.

Reassembly took a while, especially getting the wheel quartering and motion set up properly, but after fresh lubrication and putting everything back together, it was finally time for another test run.

Back onto the track… and boom — alive again.

I’m still undecided on whether to fully repaint and reline it. Part of me likes the worn, weathered look it has earned over the years. It’s got a bit of character about it. Going to try and find some of the missing details and put them back on.

Anyway, that’s another non-runner rescued and back in service.

Cheers,
Ben