Trying to Fix a HO Steam Locomotive that Hasn't Run in Years - Christmas Display Contest

[@SMTMainline]

To join: make a train display with a holiday theme, add the hashtag #SMTXMASTRAIN2024 in the description. 🎄All people who make a display can vote for someone else by responding to this comment with the name of the channel they thought did best.🎄 Rules: You must vote for someone else, only one entry per person, there must be a train and a holiday theme. Fraudulent votes will be removed. Beware of scams with accounts that impersonate this channel - I do not charge for shipping or anything else so don't send them money.🎄The votes will be tallied in early 2025 - Best of luck 👍 I look forward to seeing your entries ~Harrison of SMT Mainline

[@frogfrogforg]

Scotty 5555

[@MarkRobertson-zh5yz]

NStrainproductions

[@NStrainproductions]

Everett railroad 11 productions

[@Phoenix_Henrys_Home_Line]

K4 Productions (I liked the number and quality of the trains)

[@TrainBandit]

Jill Burwell ( the chicken is awesome)

[@raybame5816]

Really like your channel. Love the way your positive attitude, coupled with intelligent analysis of the issues applied in a logical manner, results in success. You are certainly a positive mentor to all the young (and not so) enthusiasts out there. Considering the planetary reach of this platform (YT), it's ppl like you who take to the video waves to help so many others. Thanks and have a great Christmas / Boxing Day or, for the rest of us, Festiveus.

[@Photoline1]

Yesterday I revived a a 15 year-old wired computer mouse. Hair and fibres with a little grease/oil on them had wrapped around the axle of the mouse wheel, leaving it immobilized. With a little rubbing alcohol, q-tips and a toothpick, I got the mouse going again, as new. Thanks for the tips and tricks of model cleaning - they can apply to any electronic accessory, even manual ones.

[@alexyo3927]

That was a fun thing I did at school

[@SMTMainline]

Learning to repair stuff can go a long way. From learning to repair model trains I've been able to fix all kinds of things around the house. Everything from a electric pencil sharpener to an outboard starter or dishwasher. I'm glad to hear the videos helped :)

[@joshuahing-rowell7469]

Nice I revived a 20 year old mouse to a 2020 Mac with a Adapter and it’s built for windows but doesnt work for windows for some reason

[@lordofuselessness3654]

Your videos on the older trains with the old DC-71 motors have really helped me Mr mainline, I’ve managed to resurrect an old steam locomotive I bought for $5 CAD at a hobby store by closely looking at how you cleaned up the commutators, I can’t thank you enough for the help and I hope to see more trains be brought back from the dead in 2025!!!

[@TheCastleRailYard]

I love watching your technical videos, they have given me so much knowledge on my locos and all thier internal parts and how they work.

[@gordonlong3095]

Another nice video! It’s always a pleasure to see you work your magic (in this case, your holiday magic!) on a locomotive and make it fly like an eagle around the SMT Mainline. It looks 1000% better as well. I hope you get a lot of great submissions!!!

[@keithblevins5093]

Harrison, it's a joy to watch you work on these non functioning trains. I wish you, and your family a Merry christmas.🎄☃🎅

[@johndixon-l1c]

You are an amazing mechanic. Nicely done. She looks great pulling a train.

[@SMTMainline]

Thank you, I'm happy with the results.

[@piedmontrf81]

Very nice! My local abandoned shortline had an old Norfolk & Western 2-8-2 like this. Unfortunately it basically spit fire, causing grass fires along the right of way, and so as you can imagine they quickly disposed of it 😂

[@garysprandel1817]

First off a merry Christmas to you and the family Harrison. Those old Mehano mikados were always a nice budget friendly steam engine. Had two of them I ran at the club and on our club's modular layout. One represented the home town road ( Chicago & Northwestern ) and the other got a tender repaint for the Chicago Great Western.

[@Loki-tc3fi]

Once again the guru of the rails has shown the way😊 Great job! Happy holidays to you and your Miss!

[@MattKonsol]

Very awesome restoration work on this mehano Canadian national 2-8-2 steam engine! I hope you have a merry Christmas!

[@kellyashfordtrains2642]

How can you possibly give such a beautiful American steam engine away? My model steamies are never on display, because that attracts dust. I don't want the motors of my expensive model steamies clogged up by dust. I say keep the engine, and she will give you years of joy. Merry Christmas.

[@SMTMainline]

It will make a wonderful addition to someone's home 🙂

[@Scotty_5555]

Merry Christmas SMT got mine uploaded! thanks for the videos this year!

[@MichaelBarber-z8f]

Very nice locomotive train. I have one exactly like it but slightly different. Haven't run it in years,not sure if it works. But I have it in mint condition. I want to get another track one day and build up a train layout. Thank you so very much for sharing this video and merry Christmas 🎄⛄

[@vk5jajay147]

Greetings and Merry Christmas From Jay in Adelaide, South Australia.

[@TheSBkids7]

I love watching your videos i’ve been watching your videos since I was a little kid

[@RioGrande486]

I've always loved the Mehano USRA light mikado. I have an IHC version (however it was still manufactured by Mehano I think), and it's in the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge scheme. I personally think they're pretty nice locomotives for what they're worth.

[@Jettaheizer]

Hello Harrison, what a great coincidence! A few minutes ago I just stumbled across a video KZbin suggested to me from Keagan's Railroad that he uploaded exactly one month ago about the President's Choice Insiders Express Set and that set happens to contain the exact same locomotive! Of course without decoder and with the original light bulbs. Just wanted to let you know. Have a great christmas! Greetings from Germany, Franz

[@xlthecoolguy-lz7uh]

Finally a steam repair! There's been a bias to diesel repairs in recent videos, so glad to see the steam fans are getting something.

[@alexyo3927]

They're all electric

[@xlthecoolguy-lz7uh]

@@alexyo3927 The prototype, not the model. Of course the model is electric.

[@SMTMainline]

It's always fun to take on a steam locomotive repair.

[@xlthecoolguy-lz7uh]

@@SMTMainline Which is normally more of a challenge as they have many, many more moving parts.

[@ChunkOhboi]

Dude I saw your video fixing your grandma trains was epic hope you know you are a very good grandson and she love you a lot man!

[@SMTMainline]

Thanks. I hadn't taken on a project that complete before but her reaction made it all well worth it.

[@trainfan4014]

Awesome video. I like how you use old locomotives and put them back to new

[@hankkrendl8952]

I just found some old locos I had bought and the them on the track and they all ran! My son also found an old pemco steamer we had bought from a local shop used. I fixed it very similarly to how you did yours, just less invasive lol. Makes me happy when people take the time to fix "broken" things and make them work again 😊

[@VintageRenewed]

I love these little mehano engines I got a pacific from them in the early 2000s, added dcc to it years later and it still runs well. I even modified it to have a kadee on the front of it so I can switch with it or run tender first like tourist trains do

[@Suncast45]

You are such a pro at model railroading. Enjoy all your videos in Kentucky. Merry Christmas to you and all your Family!

[@JerseyBill-x9r]

I did not think this was going to turn out as well as it did, and it definitely surprised me even the LED was saved. The internet is asking $80 and up for a working Mehano 2-8-2 with that same road number so this is an excellent prize for your now traditional Christmas contest. Great repair plus video and Merry Christmas to you, Chole, family, and Nerf Cat. Jersey Bill

[@SMTMainline]

They have held their value well. One of my first locomotives was a Mehano steam locomotive and it still runs great 16 years later.

[@andrewferguson5653]

Great repair, SMT! I got a good laugh from your remark, "From the Island of Misfit toys". I also have the Mehano CN 6060 and CP 2468, both have DCC. Merry Christmas!

[@92essink]

Sure enjoy your repair videos. Nice work!

[@RailroadRailfan500]

Ah, those indestructible Pemco/Mehano/IHC steamers! I several in my collection, all of which are great runners when they get their turn on the pike. Great video, Harrison! A very Merry Christmas to you. Happy Boxing Day.

[@MrBnsftrain]

I was just editing my video for your Christmas train competition when I got the notification for this video. Hopefully this choo-choo with square wheels on its caboose (or tender in this case) will find its way running like new on someone's layout!

[@mercuryoak2]

I absolutely love the way Mehano made their locomotives. I have i thinklets see... A Pacific, Mikado, the 2-10-2 President's choice train set and a consolidation. Great runners. Good job restoring. I hope you & Chloe and your family have a merry Christmas and a happy boxing Day 😁

[@nairous7867]

Loving the vids! I hope to get back into the hobby soon, I haven’t had model trains since I was about 10 years old. Me and my grandfather would run them all day on his layout but unfortunately he had to downsize and give up the layout. I’ll be starting from scratch, I’m short on cash because of medical issues but I’m sure I’ll get my first set in 15 years soon!

[@casstelles]

I owned the early version of this IHC locomotive made by Mehano, but looking at this version, it's the later version or last version from Mehano. For those who may not know, there's a flywheel in the drive train which wasn't offered in earlier versions. This version is a model which you want to acquire with a suggested upgrade for a decent Mikado. This upgrade would be adding a 5-pole MK-130 motor from places like Ali-Express for improved performance. These motors are relatively cheap for the price, and they maximize the value for the performance. As for the TCS decoder not working in DC power, I'm betting the "Analog Conversion Mode - aka DC power" is turned off in CV 29 since it responds to DCC commands. This can be corrected by changing CV29 to the correct value to enable the mode or it can be changed by a factory reset of the decoder. Sometimes, the later method is better since the new user doesn't know all of the CV value that have been changed.

[@RadiationMalfunction]

It’s finally contest time! I look forward to these.

[@KLM747_Fan]

Great loconotive there and, good luck in the christmas display contest :)

[@alanwbelcher]

Merry Christmas Harrison, and to all the viewer. Once again, a great save.

[@BrandonCabral-y4g]

and SMT Mainline I love your videos and I just want to say merry Christmas and happy new year. Make sure Nerf cat is doing fine.

[@lifequest7453]

wow I have interest in trains, and actually have one, still in the box, lol, creativity does not seem to be my biggest priority. great to see you make that engine go again... thumbs up...

[@dnhman]

The decode is probably good I think there is a CV you can configure to turn off analog use . To turn off DC, simply reverse the above procedure by subtracting the value of 4 from CV29 and change the CV50 value to 0. 9:25 😊

[@ChrisBrowncfreak]

came to say this. Also it's easier to grab a laptop and JMRI to see all the settings and change them easier :)

[@NormanAllen-ps9ju]

Once again I am ultra impressed with your skill in reviving old locos ; Esp. this Yugoslavian-made one !!

[@SMTMainline]

Thank you, this one was a real joy to work on.

[@briandonovan9560]

Another great repair, it would be cool to see a SMT Mainline lettered caboose to use when running steam era.

[@jimorlando5700]

Mehano’s are indestructible! I have a Pacific that’s been dropped numerous times and still runs great.

[@SMTMainline]

For sure, one of my first was one and it still runs great after many drops and years of use.

[@BLUE6_6]

Great job!!!!! Great video!!! I bought a used Amtrak Metroliner from eBay..... Love eBay..... It's going to need some work, but I'm up for the challenge.... I always wanted a Amtrak Metroliner ever since I was a kid ... Finally got one.... This coming Saturday!!!!

[@SMTMainline]

Might be the first time I've heard about someone saying they like eBay. It's certainly convenient, I'm sure that Amtrak set will be sweet!

[@raoultrahan13]

Your videos bring me a little bit of joy. Thank you for that.

[@SMTMainline]

I appreciate hearing that.

[@benniehazelwood9276]

Train Doctor did it again. Got the Train running again 🎉🎉🎉🎉. Marry Christmas to you and happy new year to.

[@newhavennscale]

Good job, SMT! Merry Christmas. You did inspire me to make a Christmas video.

[@SMTMainline]

You did a nice job with it!

[@newhavennscale]

@ Thank You!

[@MaxPiper]

Thank you for the lessons, Happy Holidays!

[@SMTMainline]

Happy holidays to you as well!

[@LoveShaysloco]

One thing I learned from you it's one of three things. With the loco needs some tlc with you being alc on grime followed by needing a lube job then a broke wire. Which if you do /check the rest since you have it open and may need it in a few hundred laps. Tlc (tender loving care) alc (aggressive loving care)

[@crashryanphoto]

It's alive!!!!!!! Great job in tearing that locomotive apart and restoring it. I would have broken half the parts and misplaced the others! Can't wait to see everyone's displays!

[@Trains-stuff]

Awesome that you got it fixed and also it would be cool if you equipped it with sound

[@Csx1254]

Great footage and great loco

[@jubicyy]

Merry Christmas SMT/ Harrison 🎉

[@dansmodelrailways7886]

TSC decoders are great. I have several TCS T1’s fitted to my locos here in uk and they are all excellent performers

[@oskarvalance3041]

Another good video. Well done. From Texas 🤘

[@NathanLovesTrains1074-z2q]

7:27 I cannot stop seeing at that little steam train in the background

[@jessenoklahoma]

This video is very helpful Harrison Just purchased a 4-6-2 mehano that has the same symptoms I'm sure it's not DCC but assembly and repair should be similar Thanks for the knowledge share Happy New Year

[@wowdad3055]

Nice Video again , Merry Christmas for you and family.

[@Historyseal]

Merry Christmas smt mainline 🎄

[@SMTMainline]

Merry Christmas

[@damienvaldez2437]

awsome train buddy.

[@TomLuTon]

One of the locomotives from the President's choice train sets from the 1990s

[@markwilliams2620]

Merry Christmas and a bountiful or relaxing Boxing Day. I really want to build a Milwaukee engine shed for nana's Hiawatha.

[@UPLINKUSA]

The repair master does it again.

[@doctordeath.5716]

To help you out, Harbor fright as 6 pack of different brushes, Nylon brass and steel brushes, and they work great depending on what Area of the locomotive you're working on but for the nylon brushes they work great on the plastic gear when cleaning them.

[@Raul_MP]

Sweet restoration, a DCC Mikado isn't bad at all for a christmas gift, Mehano I personally found a bit finnicky for DCC installs, I own a Mehano Prestige Euromed high speed train, and despite being DCC ready, I had to remove some capacitors on the bogies to make the lights properly work, and even then, it would stutter along unless you went very slow or very fast, I ended up fixing it by using a Lenz decoder instead of a ESU LokPilot basic. I'd participate, but I don't think I need more steam engines, heck, I recently bought a TRIX Big Boy, and I must say, much better than anything RIvarossi ever made, and this comes from a Rivarossi enthusiast.

[@jdenm8]

The TCS T1 decoder is a 2A Peak, 1.3A continuous 2-Function decoder. Interestingly, they tout its suitability for controlling turntables. The wires for functions 3 and 4 are present, but only because it uses the standard 9-Wire plug; those function outputs aren't present on the decoder itself and don't work. The specs directly call out DC Mode support; supposedly it should be automatic, but I couldn't find the link to the programming reference on their website is dead. It's an obsolete model that's been replaced by the TCS T4, but should still work well enough.

[@BubbaTroy]

I watched all of your videos and I'm a huge fan of you

[@SMTMainline]

Thank you!

[@williamsantangelo]

Thank You Harrison Merry Christmas

[@RussellThePuppet8888]

Man I wish I can participate in this contest but I don’t have enough room for a layout, but I wanna say whoever wins that locomotive I am happy and proud for them🚂👍

[@edbetsworth2772]

Merry Christmas to you!

[@Stanf954]

CV 29 has to be set to a value of 34 for the Dual mode DC/DCC to work on the TCS decoder. Reprograming that CV value or resetting the decoder CV #8 to 8 will let it work on either power format.

[@ytzpilot]

Looks like it’s from one of those Presidents Choice kits, nice fix 🚂👍

[@SMTMainline]

It probably was.

[@AB-nu5we]

I use various CRC products to degrease my electronics. I'm surprised I haven't seen them used here on say, the locomotive repairs. 3M has Novec, however, it does list some plastics as being incompatible with (listed on a pdf on their site product page) . I haven't used it. Keep up the fun rebuild/restores.

[@SMTMainline]

I try not to use too many sprays in the basement as it's not well ventilated but I do find break clean to be very effective.

[@michaelleonard3911]

You did a great job on repair things

[@SMTMainline]

Appreciate it!

[@dundasjunctionmodelr.r-jam8267]

Cool Harrison, success on the repair , maybe I might do a video

[@dundasjunctionmodelr.r-jam8267]

Ok Harrison I entered a video Merry Christmas

[@halfbloodeddemon4038]

I actually recently got a con-cor B&O light pacific with the exact same kind of drive as this locomotive and unfortunately the commutators did in fact fail, so I plan to replace the motor with a spare brushless motor that I have. The locomotive has a lot of mileage on it and I can tell because the flat faces of the brushes have been worn down to a slight curve.

[@dbtech7914]

That's a nice locomotive. Now I'm motivated to get to work on my Christmas train.

[@SMTMainline]

Thanks

[@habbyguys]

I have the same loco. Ran great on DC. So i put DCC with sound in it.

[@sparky107107]

nice repair, good luck to everyone who enters

[@BigRed-dr6we]

@03:07 Decoder is TCS T1 2 function with back EMF. It is still available, circa $20 so a current generation decoder. I'd test the TCS T1 decoder before you throw it away as it may just need resetting: To reset any TCS decoder to factory settings, you program CV 8 with a value of 2. - ESU decoder tester: Part number 53900 tester for decoders, NEM651, 652, 21MTC, pluX22, next18, single wires. It has a coreless motor, LED monitor, 20mm spk, an extension port. Sound decoder tester ESU part number 53901: Decoder tester extension for LokSound XL V4.0, LokSound L V4.0 with LED monitor & servo connectors.

[@CPLWTrainz]

for the decoder thing, id prob say the TCS decoder doesnt have the CV for running with DC set to on

[@robby062]

I have an Athearn trainmaster with TCS which is set to DCC only as well.

[@robby062]

Whenever I buy a loco and suspect it’s DCC, the first I do is pit the loco on a programming track and see of O can read the decoder. Often when locos sit around (especially Bachmann’s with factory DCC), I find a factory reset takes are of everything.

[@jemhobbies]

The issue with the decoder not accepting DC could be with CV 29. One of the functions controlled by CV 29 is to turn DC conversion on or off. If set to off the decoder will not allow the engine to run on DC. If you set CV 8 to 8, that will usually reset the decoder.

[@cmdrflake]

This is a nice looking USRA light Mikado. In fact, Grand Trunk Western 4070 is still around! (for now, at least)

[@jerrybeauchamp2311]

So I sent a link to my display it's been around 5 years since I last had them running, pulled them out of the attic this year for my grandson. We've had a great time cleaning them putting them back up. It's so much fun when it snows nothing looks better than it's snowing and a big train going around. Also yes that little train in the middle is HO scale. I did have some more cars on it but the wind was blowing so I had to eliminate a few of them and I did not run the trolley during the rain and snow

[@useruser-oc8xn]

I am very sad today. My Tech II controller died. fortunately I had a side available on my homemade controller. So I ordered parts. a tip121 Darlington pair. 2 for $7 plus shipping or 20 for $10 free shipping and faster delivery . Amazon makes no sense to me whatsoever. DOOD! I know you must be straight edge, but you are starting to look like one of the MYSTERY INC. crew. SCOOBY DOOBY DOO! Just kiddin, love ya and your work!

[@SMTMainline]

That's a bummer! It's rough when parts like that go out on you. I sometimes wonder how much longer my Tech 3 has. P.S. I'm not offended by being referred to as Shaggy, it's not the first time. I actually dressed up as him for halloween one year which wasn't too difficult 😂

[@tttsprinkles-u2v]

I found an HO train at the yard sale for five dollars and I don’t know if it runs. I haven’t tested, but I don’t know where my stuff is at for my trains

[@BLUE6_6]

Merry Christmas 🎄🎄🎄

[@robertlucido3686]

About you mentioning that one of your New Year resolutions was moving your layout to your garage, would that include your N gauge layout and your Z gauge, O gauge, and G scale as well

[@codygeorge2025]

Merry Christmas smt!

[@chasesrailwaylinesrr6447]

It appears to be a mikado Made by IHC, A later production as it has separate handrails and not just molded ones,

[@Kira-vy7vc]

babe wake up SMT uploaded

[@BNSF_Railfan_Productions]

A thing you should keep on mind when trying to run dcc on a DC layout is that in order for the majority of decoders to run on DC, you have to program it, if you have anything to program decoders, you would be able to find something on running on analog(dc) and most of the time it is disabled. I do not remember what cv it would be to change that at the moment.

[@SMTMainline]

I'll have to adjust CV 29 and see if that works on the previous decoder.

[@BNSF_Railfan_Productions]

Yea. If that doesn't work than the decoder is probably shot.

[@doctordeath.5716]

I have trouble trying to find a Canadian southern or western steam locomotive for a Reasonable price in 3 different scales, because I work with and run 0 and 0 27 scale and HO scale trains. I do not remember what the Canadian railroad name was but now it is on rail.

[@pathvalleyrailroad9277]

Dual mode decoders can have the DC option shut off during programming. CV29 bit 2 controls that option.

[@henkherta1vanzitteren50]

Beautiful Movie Seans Harrison And I wish you all A Merry Christmas and joys full of a good and Healthy 2025, And that it will be a Beautiful year Sean,s Greetings From Henk van Zitteren Train Driver On NMBS Belgium Railway😀👍

[@Slimshadyfan1-qu1]

Thats cool

[@JuanSilveti-z9p]

Hermosa locomotora

[@cjfauxx6266]

I have a Mehano / IHC Pennsy GG1 (number 4800) that I converted to DCC. It's a SUPERB locomotive thanks for it being one of Mehano's last run of them with the dual can motor drive. It can pull my PRR passenger consist with ease and I clocked out at 102 mph (scale speed) with it. I did make a review of it on my channel. Mehano in short, was probably the best entry level brand out there. Edit: I made a clip for the Contest, Hope you see it (its a YT short)

[@Trainsaregreat365]

Amazing I'll definitely compete in #SMTXMASTRAIN2024

[@PackerTrain3831]

For the Decoder not working on DC there is a CV that can be set to allow the decoder to work on DC or not that is why the original decoder wasn't working on DC. If you reset it it should work on DC then.

[@The_Duggler25]

Perfect video for today seeimg as its Canadian national birthday today