Restoration & repair

PDFs for the Collector
We have downloadable article collections on specific areas of interest to the collector, like the repair and restoration of vintage toy train locos, operating cars, and accessories.
Published: 11/19/2009
Get your toy trains ready for the holidays
A Christmas without trains? Unthinkable!
Published: 03/04/2009
13 tips for storing your trains
How to protect prewar and postwar O and S gauge toy trains
Published: 08/12/2008
Build an O gauge track cleaner
A new job for Lionel's 6656 stock car and 6465 tank car
Published: 02/21/2008
Halt Lionel handcar hang-ups
Motorized Lionel handcar performance upgrades
Published: 01/08/2007
More home-built hybrid Lionel locomotives
Build your own dual-cab O gauge locomotive
Published: 09/05/2006
Repairing Lionel's smoke units
Convert pellet-type Lionel smoke units to smoke fluid
Published: 06/01/2006
Cleaning plastic train cars
Fix up older Lionel and American Flyer cars
Published: 06/01/2006
Ready for the rails
Clean and oil O gauge and Large Scale engines
Published: 06/01/2006
Getting that old train running again
Get those O and S gauge locomotives back on track
Published: 06/01/2006
Do it yourself restorations
Eight steps to renew beat-up trains.
Published: 06/01/2006
Choosing a train to restore
Common postwar trains are excellent fix-up candidates
Published: 06/01/2006
Repair traction tires
Tips for changing steam-engine traction tires
Published: 06/01/2006
Brushplate bushing repair
How to tune those toy train motors for best performance
Published: 06/01/2006
Maintenance of the Lionel no. 55 Tie-Jector Car
Improve a popular postwar motorized unit
Published: 06/01/2006