There was never any doubt that you'd get it running. I have no real skills whatever with such things but, after watching your videos, I could manage a simple fix; this project was definitely post graduate level, though!

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks. I'm still learning everyday but I try to share what I know.

@claytons8263

2 жыл бұрын

@@SMTMainline Well you know a heck of a lot more then I do at this point in time.

@General_Taylor

2 жыл бұрын

@@SMTMainline the lights are gone...

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

@@General_Taylor No, they’ve been reinstalled. This was just mechanical work, the cosmetic work was done later ( see latest video )

"Putting a locomotive on the track can reveal a lot about what can be wrong with it"... . . It's dead, Jim.

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

In this case it didn't reveal much.

@JBofBrisbane

2 жыл бұрын

"What am I, a doctor or a locomotive fitter?"

@josepherhardt164

2 жыл бұрын

@@JBofBrisbane What's kinda depressing is how many of us here actually _get_ that reference. ;)

My grand parents got me a old Bachman Gravy train set from the 80s

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

Nice :)

@tommurphy4307

2 жыл бұрын

for dog food? why didn't they get you a new set?- were you bad?

SMT... what a beautiful effort you put into this locomotive. From Gunk to "Golly, it's Alive!" And you've taught quite a few of us that these type of oldies mixed up are great diesels in true life... and that motor purr is classic! Wonderful job, Bravo! I'm so impressed! John Kamloops, BC

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks a bunch!

Wow! Good work! Those old Hobbytown drives are tough, and heavy. This should pull more cars than a lot of your engines. A suggestion on paint remover: try using brake fluid. If it doesn't work heat it up slightly (careful with plastic shells). I've stripped hundreds of model RR engines & cars with that method over 40 years.

@hexxoid9263

2 жыл бұрын

Great suggestion on the brake fluid, I've also used oven cleaner with great success.

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

Wish I had thought of that. I should get a couple cans because it can apparently also make a good starting fluid.

@southaussiegarbo2054

2 жыл бұрын

@@SMTMainline buy some nulon start 'ya' basted that stuff works well

@TrainNerdWill

2 жыл бұрын

Before resorting to brake fluid or oven cleaner, try a soak in 99 percent isopropyl alcohol. It will lift most factory paint, and isn't nearly as noxious. Forget Kato paint, though. That stuff needs to be grit-blasted off.

@specialopsdave

2 жыл бұрын

Doesn't brake cleaner eat into the plastic, though?

It was a pleasure to watch, not like some restoration videos i've seen where they pretend to restore but they swap out so many parts without implying so they can look like the genius restorer.

I got Lionel Train Set in 1959. We spent many hours playing with that set. Thanks for rescuing this wonderful piece of childhood memories.

@tommurphy4307

Жыл бұрын

back then none of us knew what a wonderful piece was

You found it! There was an RS3 on John Allen's Gorre & Daphetid that was traded just before the 1973 fire. It would have brought $3,000,000 unmolested, but now I'm afraid it's worth $3.

Outstanding job Harrison! The future of our hobby is bright as long as younger folks as yourself are a part of it. Please continue to keep you and your loved ones well and keep up the great work keeping these treasures out of landfills.

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Looks like something from an NREX yard

I got out of VR to be greeted with this today is a good day

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

Happy to hear that :)

Nice Alco RS-3 Harrison and to answer your questions on if Great Northern owned any, the answer is yes, in fact there is footage of these units (see the DVD "Empire Of The North: The Forming Of The Burlington Northern" as one example), unfortunately I do not know how many GN had or their number series at the moment, but a quick Google search should turn something up! The colors you used are very close to the prototype GN units with the exception that there is a green strip that runs the length of the car body on the locomotive, there is also a GN herald on the cab with the road number on the long hood, hope this helps, happy new year!

The way the mechanism is made is pure quality. Great job from you. That was a dead and gone one but because of you is alive again.

And Harrison resurrects yet another hopelessly dead locomotive! Amazing work.

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

The Omnisiah thanks you for bringing back the Machine Spirit of this little train. May you revive many more.

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Glad to see your fixing locomotives again I am still leaning ,stilling buying track and bed.

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

It all takes time

@tommurphy4307

Жыл бұрын

learning and....stealing?

It fought you all the way,but you conquered it in the end and it ran around the track. As you say "Serenity."Great job 👏

I had my doubts when you started But you pulled it off again ,,, great job 👍👍🚂

With the orange paint and body style it looks like one of the ex-Penn Central, nee-New Haven Alco RS-3 locomotives that have been preserved. In Connecticut ?? On a museum tourist line.

@colbymclellan131

2 жыл бұрын

Thinking the same thing. Looks like one of the new haven locomotives in Essex, CT

That was a tremendous restoration! You did a fantastic job of redecorating it too. Excellent choice of colors!

Very interesting mechanism. That thing was certainly destined for the trash can before you got to it. I wouldn't be surprised if the current draw stays high. Electric motors have made leaps over the decades in regards to efficiency with better materials, especially for the magnets and brushes. I am concerned about the one knuckle on the dogbone that goes from the motor to the flywheel. It seems like it will be only a matter of time before it walks out of the cup. May want to put a spot of glue on it. Same with the cups on the trucks. They don't look like they want to stay. Likely due to shrinkage in the plastics or nylon over the years opening up tolerances not making a tight press fit anymore.

@arrow1414

2 жыл бұрын

No it wasn't made for the trash can. In its day it was a top of the line. As I said to Harrison that funky drive is part of a kit that came separatly from the loco and was intended to replace the original drive that came with the loco. As you saw it runs very smoothly. The only thing that is wrong with it is that the motor is a current hog, but that is only a problem if Harrison wants to add DCC. Then he will have to get a new motor.

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

You might be right but I still think something is slightly off with the drive.

@arrow1414

2 жыл бұрын

@@SMTMainline Oh wait! take it back. You do need that universal on the bottom of the loco after all. I thought the motor was connected to the truck under it. Its not! You need that bottom universal to have 8 wheel drive!

@ZicajosProductions

2 жыл бұрын

@@arrow1414 I think you misinterpreted what the original poster meant. I believe he meant the loco was destined for the trash in the decrepit state it had been left in. I think we can all agree that in its prime, this loco was great, prior to being fixed.

@tommurphy4307

Жыл бұрын

@@arrow1414 thats not what he said- i think he was referring more to the treatment it received from its previous owner(s)

this is by far the best restoration you've done . you've "kicked it up a notch". please do more of this level in future vids. A++++++++!

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks, I will try my best

this was amazing, thank you for helping me learn to restore engines, it has helped me alot. Keep up the great work!

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

Glad to hear they're helpful!

WOOF. That was one grody mess! Fun to watch it come clean and return to working!

Somewhere in your model railroad career you have graduated from repairman to craftsman ! Keep on and you'll become an artist !

SMT - I happened to think of this today: Next Spring, if you still have that bundle of flex track handy, set it up on the deck & make a video of your Santa Fe " Stretch " locomotive pull a long freight train, a long passenger train, a " Funeral Train " of dummy locomotives, & a Maintenance of Way train!

Love Hobbytown drive mechanisms. Good job restoring this model.

I was about to comment, “get yourself a can of carburetor cleaner for those greasy parts!”, than you busted out the diesel lol. I’ve been watching your videos for a long time now and you keep on getting better young man! You keep making model railroaders old and young proud SMT! Keep at it good buddy.

Alco road switcher - one of my favorite engines of all time - many thanks for getting this going .

Great job! Nice feeling when you get something that hasn’t run in years to start working again!

Great restoration. It looked pretty bad how ever it has come up well after painting and servicing.

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@tommurphy4307

Жыл бұрын

i thought it looked awesome- you ruined the patina, harrison!

Wow, you definitely have a talent for these old locomotives. Fantastic work and fantastic video. Good job

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Great video and well done. Nice memories of my father's old trains I grew up with. Thank you!

Harrison! Amazing. Fixing this one proves that you can fix anything! Congrats and kudos!

The spirits of countless modelers are looking down on your efforts and smiling !

It’s wonderful feeling to get a old engine running again. Good job 👏

I love the early RS locomotives. You did a great job getting her running. Stay safe - Larry.

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you

Great Job !!!! I really like your videos. You make me want to get back into model rail road again.

There is something so satisfying about seeing a really deteriorated locomotive cleaned up and brought back to life! Your skills are greatly appreciated!

It is so cool to see how you save the engines from the landfill and get them running again keep up the good work your nickname should be the Dr. engine saver

Like watching a bear come out of hibernation. First you see a little movement and then you hear the full roar. Good job!

Timos dinky detailing! I bet thats where you got the idea for the crappy tire paint stripper! great video yet again! The loco looks and sounds great.

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

Haven't heard of dinky detailing. Canadian tire is where to usually go to find stuff for all my projects.

Hey Harrison, Just wanted to give you a couple of tips. First, you can place the metal parts in vinegar. That will clean off the rust and caked on grease. Next you can lube the commuter with a product sold for slot car motors called "Voo Doo". It comes in a plastic bottle and is green in color. I use this all the time. I use that silicon pen to remove the scum then lube it with Voo Doo. Hope this helps.

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

I've used vinegar to remove rust but wasn't aware it could be used on grease as well. I can't say I've had a good experience with commutator lubricant. I find it usually becomes sticky fast, have you had this experience with Voo Doo?

@tommurphy4307

Жыл бұрын

its just conductive lubricant- harrison prolly gets that from labelle

Back in the day gowwing up like you, I had a best friend that also had a layout. We would trade off whos house we would hang out at and work on each others layouts. I really miss those days. Im going to have to find another person who has trains in common to get back into stuff like that once in a while. Or just get dedicated like you to my own. Ill be starting from sctratch when I move....I am currently buying and storing a lot of stuff so Im ready to go once it becomes reality.

@tommurphy4307

Жыл бұрын

ummm, thats what clubs are for- join one near you. the longer you wait- the more expensive its going to be.

so cool! found you on the Explore page... Canadian too from toronto... I love seeing you clean and patch-up/restore that locomotive... very satisfying. nice set-up you got there too... clearly a master within the craft

@nedyrb133

2 жыл бұрын

nice Go-Trains btw! are you from Quebec? idk if go trains even operate outside of ON

@bobbylee2853

2 жыл бұрын

@@nedyrb133Gatineau

That paint job reminds me of something you would see on the Nevada Northern. They had a large fleet of Alcos .

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

I can't wait to finish it.

@tommurphy4307

Жыл бұрын

they had a lot of alco steam units- but just two rs-2's (that are still in use)

You should change the title from “Can we get it to run?” to “Making it run”. Seriously this is impressive. Good job! These are some of my favorite videos right here

What a great all metal drive system! All screw fasteners and no snap- on plastic parts. Don't forget to put the sides on the trucks.

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

Huge fan of metal parts. I intentionally left the sides off until I begin working on the cosmetic details.

@tommurphy4307

Жыл бұрын

so great- it took a crap YEARS ago....

You should paint and cosmetically restore more engines like this, I really enjoyed it

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

That's the plan.

Great work. You really understand Model locomotives.. Well done

I've been model railroader for over 2 decades I've never seen a model in that bad of condition that was able to be brought into usable condition. I've gotta tell you that you have skill.

Wow ! Can't believe what a difference it all made ! This old loco was a huge mess when you first took it apart !

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

It still needs work but it's a solid step in the right direction.

@tommurphy4307

Жыл бұрын

@@davidandrew477 its sad that they have to be MADE to run well- they should do that out of the box

Beautiful old model. I really like models from the 50s and 60s. Their all metal construction will last forever. Thank you for rescueing it from the trash bin.

@tommurphy4307

Жыл бұрын

why does everyone say how great these things are, and then you mention how it was rescued from the trash. make up your mind!

Incredible!!! And I love the paint job. You turned it into beauty. 👍👍👍

Wow.I know of one that’s pushing 70 years old. Thanks to regular maintenance, New York Central 8231 still performs!

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

The parts seem to be of good quality but I imagine you would have to change the oil regularly to make them last that long. It's impressive to hear.

@cmdrflake

2 жыл бұрын

@@SMTMainline Get this. As I write this, 8231 is running like a clock on the Harlem line approaching Chatham on the 7:01. My Stewart RS3, 5503, is waiting to bring the North end local out when the 7:01 clears.

@tommurphy4307

Жыл бұрын

hopefully it doesn't look like it was painted with a broom

I have always preferred the older Locomotives like Varney ect. They may be old but the quality is better and you can always make them run. Not much plastic in them either.

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

No plastic, no sensitive electronics and things are actually meant to be taken apart. They are much more enjoyable to work on.

@tommurphy4307

2 жыл бұрын

that may be because the plastic they had back then was crap

He's a Loco Wizard. There has to be a twist. The Loco Wizard ha such a soulful wrist! You have a great gift!

"Well folks, can we make her run?" Of course you can. You have the Harrison magic touch! Nicely done! Did the lights work? Was awesome to see it take off running. You need one of those small magnet bowls that mechanics use to put all your parts in. Maybe would help to not lose any of those tiny springs or screws. 😉 I think about that, every time I watch you do repairs (which is always when one is posted up). I am always fascinated to watch you fix them. Very enjoyable. Thank you Harrison for sharing. Happy New Year to you and your family. ❤😊❤🇺🇸

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your kind words. I have one of those magnetic bowls but I forget to use it often. Thanks for watching!

@tommurphy4307

Жыл бұрын

whats fun to do is heap up a bunch of nuts and bolts in that bowl and then drive off with the whole mess stuck to the roof of your car.

Brings back memories. I had a couple of these engines in the 60s. They were smooth runners with the flywheel. The design was advanced for that time.

Great content! I would love to see a series that you restore old locomotives paint and all!! Maybe some cars too!!

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

I might make some more

@tommurphy4307

Жыл бұрын

painting is overrated- except in this caSE

Great work mate totally blame you for my love of restoring older locomotives lol

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

Once you start it's tricky to stop lol

Man what a mess! And what a great job getting it sorted out. 👌🏻

Amazing job! Well done young man!! 👍

Fantastic restoration. Your patience and problem solving skills are outstanding. Will you post a video with the truck frames, grab irons, and other details installed?

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you and yes, I plan to make a second video with the cosmetic work.

Great Restoration. Im surprised it even ran beforehand, but you did a great job on this very poor shape loco. Also you are right about it being a RS3 because my RS2 looks similar but this has a slight difference . The way you painted it orange and black frame looks like what they had for the new haven railroad back in the 1950s. The speed of that is also realistic where they only were road locos or switchers made to top out at about Maximum speed 65-85 mph (105-137 km/h) what i looked up which how you had this going is realistic speed and is geared right on the money.

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

This one was a real challenge.

@colbeausabre8842

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, that was my thought, "New Haven". BTW, it's an RS3 with a steam generator for secondary passenger use " The two biggest differences between an RS-2 and RS-3 are the RS-2 (and RSC-2) fuel tank is under the cab, and the fuel filler is on the cab side. Also, the RS-2 running board on the short hood end is flat, while the RS-3 short hood running board has a step up, because the battery boxes are on the running board. There is also minor difference in the unit's length." the RS3 and a few very late RS2's were 1600 hp, most RS2's were 1500 hp A guy at a club I belonged to in the Sixties had a pair of these models that he wired to run MU'd. They'd pull the paint off the wall

@mercuryoak2

2 жыл бұрын

@@colbeausabre8842 I have 2 ahm models that are RS-2 thats why I was saying it looks similar. Running wise this one is far superior being its 8 wheel drive vs mine is 4 . one runs better and it's missing parts like the railings and the other one looks better has all the parts but the motor runs not quite as good however when you run them both together they do pull pretty good however my stuff is all packed up for a while

@tommurphy4307

2 жыл бұрын

i say taller is better cuz harrison is a real casey jones.... also- switchers aren't 'made to top out' at any particular speed- they are geared to be efficient at operating speeds for their intended use.

@mercuryoak2

2 жыл бұрын

@@tommurphy4307 where did the taller idea come from I don't even understand that response at all

In their day, Hobbytown locomotives were absolutely the best. They used high quality gears and Pittman motors. I had an 8 wheel drive E-8 for a while. It would not pull worth two hoots as the idler axles took too much of the potential tractive effort.

It's ALIVEEEEE ! Awesome job on that loco. I wonder what the back story is on it. I have never seen an engine that bad inside and out. Well done .

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

I'm curious too. I don't think it was ever run much.

Nice work. Hobbytowns do tend to draw current. Side note. I bought a couple of used steam locos from Maine Modelworks. You bought the one I wanted but second choice turned out just as good. It was the 4-8-2 with the Scullin drivers. Turns out it's an original Bowser with a cast brass shell. 40's vintage. Doesn't run YET. Thanks so much for that and Happy New Year!

Now that was a project!!! Great job, Harrison. Would have loved to see that locomotive painted in all black with custom decals for “SMT Transfer”😊👍

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

Provided I do it right, I think it will rock the Great Northern paint scheme.

Did you reconnect the lights? I love that you showed what went wrong in the reassembly. That shows that you don’t edit your videos such that it makes you look like Superman. Well done, subbing now

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you. I plan to add new lights when I finish the cosmetic work. I try to be as honest as possible with mistakes, sometimes they are embarrassingly simple things I didn't notice right away but ether way it's always a trial and error experience.

Nice to see an old engine come back to life.

Well, I'm 72, and I don't think that thing has been apart since I was a kid. Good to see it run again. Maybe I will, too.

So that's what the inside of one of those looks like. I had a shell for one once upon a time. Very interesting drive mechanism, I've not seen that either. That was as much dried grease as I have pulled out of my old American Flyer trains! Also I like the idea of using diesel for degreaser. Looks like it worked good. I'll have to try that. It's geared very low, should have lots of pulling power. Nice job on the restoration!

The mechanism was designed f heavy grease so it’s likely that parts will touch each other in the absence of it. While modern lubricants are thinner and last longer, they don’t provide insulation and padding like traditional grease. Probably why the current draw is high

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

I will keep that in mind.

The mechanical set up on this engine is really nice for a 1960s piece. The quality of the parts is amazing and held up great.

I have used brake fluid to remove paint off of some of my plastic model trains. I put it in a container and let it soak over night. The next day the paint is lose and comes off. After I have it off I wash with soap and water and let it air dry. Then paint. I have not tried on metal train shells, but it might work on them as well.Your videos are very informative and educational. Good luck on your next painting project.

@tommurphy4307

Жыл бұрын

thats the worst thing you can do- just leave it over night....really, dude?

Great to see it running again! You must be overjoyed!I can sense your feeling. The wonderful feel good emotions that run through in in your body. Great! I wish I had a locomotive like that! That would be amazing!

disgustingly satisfying! great maintenance work!!

Impressive work, thanks for sharing this careful restoring.

This is the one from last stream right? Love the RS units.

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

It's been in two. Tough project.

Good job. When a configuration is a little unfamiliar taking a few snaps of the disassembly is a great way to get things right on the rebuild! Nice to see an old model back in action. 😉

@tommurphy4307

Жыл бұрын

thats for wimps- its called paying attention when youre ripping it down

Just a thought but if you could find a drill bit small enough you could drill holes in the posts and run a thin wire through them for cable rails.

another incredible job from SMT!

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Just a testament to the older engines. Taking a terrible siezed piece of trash into an awesome CN engine. The "Harrison" touch works every time!

Your a wizard Harrison , great rebuild .

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

That was one of the most satisfying videos I’ve seen. I’ve been modelling in N for 40 years and this video made me a bit envious of my HO friends!

@tommurphy4307

Жыл бұрын

i've been N scaling for 55 years- before that I ran HO stuff.

Great job - you must have been quite confident you would get it back together when you took it apart 😳😉! Almost makes me want to go down into my basement … several old locomotives H0 have been sitting there for years. My dad had purchased them decades ago and passed them on to me …

Fantastic job, glad to see one of those vintage hobbytown drives operating again. That sure is a gigantic flywheel! You should do a test to see how many cars it can pull.

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

I suspect the pulling capacity is low at the moment but with a bit more work it may be impressive.

@tommurphy4307

2 жыл бұрын

or how many m-80's it can hold

@tommurphy4307

Жыл бұрын

imagine if it was brass or tungsten!

Nice, thanks for sharing!

Excelente restauración, gran trabajo. Esa locomotora nesecitaba un poco de cariño. El video me pareció muy entretenido. Me encanta cuando volves a la vida esas maquinas destinadas a la basura. Por suerte estaba completa. Saludos desde Argentina y mis felicitaciones y lo mejor para tí en 2022 !!

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

Feliz 2022 para ti también.

That was an excellent engine in its day. Models of my youth. Looks like it runs great now that you’ve brought it back.

Well done SMT for an amazing resto. Here in the UK I’ve never come across a drive train as well engineered as that, what with a wheel and mechanical drive to both bogies ( trucks). I’m impressed with you video and just as impressed with degree of design.

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks a bunch!

@tommurphy4307

2 жыл бұрын

very impressive and leaves STUFF all over the garage floor- does that sound familiar??

This video was one of your best.

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Great restoration, SMT. I was horrified when I saw all that old grease inside it.

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

It was pretty bad but I'm happy to see it running again :)

@tommurphy4307

Жыл бұрын

in new york you would be haurrified

Well that was a challenge, nice work

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

It sure was. Thank you

Great job - enjoyable to watch 👍

Wow. That was a lot of little parts. Great job.

Great resto there Harrison. Just a heads up particularly when painting pot metal locomotives primer is usually good to do for a long lasting paint job and at least from my experience with my first MDC Roundhouse steam kit some 30 years ago that paint may need to be baked on. I read that in the instructions and thought I didn't need to do so but in handling the boiler the paint was coming off as I handled the boiler, slapped my forehead with a muttered " I guess they do know more than you dumbass " and repainted the boiler and baked the metal components the 110 degrees for 30 minutes and that paint was near indestructible. If you do find you need to bake the paint try looking up the required temp and time as I pulled those out of the air as that was 30ish years ago and have trouble remembering what I had for dinner last night these days but I do remember the oven was barely on and maybe an hour or under.

@SMTMainline

2 жыл бұрын

I think you're right. I may end up re-doing the paint if it begins chipping.

@garysprandel1817

2 жыл бұрын

@@SMTMainline also just a heads up for future point stripping one of the tricks us old timers would use either automotive brake fluid ( obviously mark and keep separate from brake fluid used in your car because to quote Egon from Ghostbusters that would be bad) or Pine Sol type pine cleaner. Safe on plastic shells and I only had one Atlas shell it wouldn't touch.

@tommurphy4307

2 жыл бұрын

that's why the good Lord gave us zinc-rich primer

@tommurphy4307

Жыл бұрын

good advice- i do my diecast vehicles the same way. it really toughens enamel.

Another engine successfully given a second chance at a running life ^^

The fun part is buying the kit and taking it from there. It is a lot of trimming and filing to get it together correctly. These kits never came with lighting. I have hundreds of parts, spare parts, left over from when I was building them way back in the early 60s. I still have the 6 wheel unit that I never got together.