Classic Postwar Lionel Trains found at an estate sale!!

[@TheFRiNgEguitars]

The appearance of age and decomposition can be great adds to a Lionel layout. The broken gondola could be "welded" or its trucks on a shop siding as spares! That caboose is awesome, and I would consider not cleaning it up too much, but oiled, clean axles, yes!

[@deweyhall712]

Nice selection of BIG STEAM on the wall.

[@TomzTrainzandAccessories]

Great score for $80! You did really well. Don’t be intimidated with the 497, nor any of the other items. Clean everything up first, then prioritize one project at a time so you don’t overwhelm yourself. If you start with the #497, I can help you out with that. Rewiring it, and restringing it is not that difficult. Purchase the correct ribbon cable for it, and we can start the soldering process. Also purchase some new fishing line for it. You can also find a green roof for it eBay, or even at train shows. The thrill of the hunt makes it fun.

[@phantombrakeman4983]

The Lionel catalog is a 1959 catalog. It's always been my favorite. they had a lot of great stuff that year.

[@Berkshire736]

All of that for $80? I’d say you totally rocked it! Really cool seeing a lot of the rolling stock has the flying shoe pickups.

[@kensbackshop6399]

Would have loved to find all that old dirty rusty lionel track it would been christmas again,,,,thanks for sharing

[@rennethjarrett4580]

Just a thought, to clean any of the rail cars, just remove the top shell and use Dawn dish soap and a soft tooth brush and they will come out like new. The metal ones if you do that you must dry right away to have them not rust or use a dry method. The plastic let them set for a day or so to dry and then put them back together. For the rusted track, use the scotch bright type pad, or even the red ones. You will loose the factory finish, but the rails can come pretty clean for the running contact points. The ones that are not so rusted, use a track cleaner product or just a rag and WD40 and they will come out pretty good. Don't use steel wool, and also on any scotch bright or sanding clean them off well before using. Many Lionel engine have magnetic wheels and the steel particles will eat up the gears.

[@michaellindsey8769]

Nice haul

[@trainman5603]

I have good luck cleaning tracksuits a product called "NevrDull." It is actually a cotton wadding used to polish silver. The baggage cart goes to a Marx tin freight statiin. It is quite large and lithiographed. I like your idea of framing pages from an otherwise rough catalog! It is really easy to find tell tales for the brakeman car. It is also easy to find piggy back trailers. For $80 you did really, really well!

[@joshuacampbell9990]

You did well with that purchase. Everything should clean up nice and be fun projects. For me that’s the fun of the hobby, it’s how I can afford it lol.

[@trainman5603]

I love getting old track and switches. I get a can of NEVR DULL cotton wadding, tear off a piece, pour a drink, flip on the idiot box and watch the news or a classic movie, and start cleaning the tracks. After the movie is over I have a bunch of good, clean track. 4:32 The red baggage cart is for the MARX large tinplate freight house. It is hard to find. Keep it and take care of it. I have a 497 that was worse. It is totally restorable! Nice haul! Hint on the brakeman car: the shoe to activate it wi be blue or translucent. If blue the missing brakeman was blue. If translucent the missing brakeman was white. The thing you could not figure out is a lift for a MARX garage playset.

[@Cbtrainnut]

Nice haul! Enjoy the journey while fixing the trains and accessories. Pictures as you go along. Good luck!

[@jasonbrown4239]

Always gold I found a train rusted to hell in a shed they said I can just have it the track wasn't good but I got the engine to run so I took everything apart a repainted everything myself and its one of my favorite trains to run and I got that when I was 14 I'm 44 now

[@angeloavanti2538]

You could use the Pv gas station as a flat. Put pumps in front. Enjoy.

[@joeystrains.9316]

Great finds!

[@izzynutz2000]

So did you ever start doing any of these I'd like to see that cold car get cleaned up and the engine get cleaned up and like you said all of it is worth fixing

[@Pgk.railway]

I did but unfortunately I didn’t make videos on any of them

[@johnknippenberg-LandmarkYards]

Lots of cool projects, some KZbin videos might help you with repairs. That 224 looks like a fun fixer-upper.

[@kingjulian9496]

For 80 bucks you did great.

[@cathrynm]

I think almost everyone has exactly that same 'old box full of Tubular track and switches'

[@robertreynolds9607]

Awesome find dude!

[@richardsobieck9660]

You done real good!

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

The American flyer engine is a modernized clockwork engine 🚂. All of the cast-iron ones were originally clockwork that were later electrified by the company as electricity became more and more available to regular people.

[@leepenlack5548]

you did really good!

[@josephkearney9319]

I just bought one those 497's a few months ago for 60 bucks at an Antique store

[@royd.mercer1727]

Anyone ever seen a model marked "not to be sold for profit" on it? I recently have and I mentioned to the seller about it...I still bought it and then donated it to a children's home with other stuff.

[@Pgk.railway]

I have not but that’s awesome!

[@josephrandazo2627]

Great price for the project Go for it

[@raymondleggs5508]

ancient model trains

[@richardnelson-ux1zz]

80 dollars isnt bad price for vintage post war Lionel trains

[@Pgk.railway]

Oh absolutely!

[@RyanScott-pm9dt]

Ill trade my postwar stuff for that fish you got mounted on the wall