HOW TO... RESTORE OLD LOCOMOTIVES

If RTR offerings are outside your price range or not available, restoring an old locomotive can be a viable alternative, with a combination of attention to good running and selective super-detailing. The sequence of photographs in this article concentrates on the former, working on the basis of reviving a traditional DC locomotive from the pre-digital age.

Although there are various permutations and combinations of tender-drive, or split-chassis, all model locomotives are simple, low-voltage electrical devices at heart and steps outlined should apply equally – or at least on an equivalent basis – to any old locomotive revival project.

Cleanliness is next to Godliness, as the saying goes, and there really is no substitute for everything being clean to give the best possible current path to and from the motor for smooth running. This, however much