Disgusting 1950s RS3 Locomotive - Can We Make It Run?
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- Опубликовано: 14 окт 2024
- I picked up this 1950s die-cast Hobby Town RS3 locomotive on eBay over a year ago in a scrap lot. It appears to have been poorly assembled and the gear boxes were absolutely disgusting as they were packed with dry grease and dirt. This is a challenge in comparison with what I usually work with but with a bit of effort, can it run again?
Fiberglass pencil: amzn.to/2VeB6CU (affiliate) USA
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!
Thanks. I'm still learning everyday but I try to share what I know.
@@SMTMainline
Well you know a heck of a lot more then I do at this point in time.
@@SMTMainline the lights are gone...
@@General_Taylor No, they’ve been reinstalled. This was just mechanical work, the cosmetic work was done later ( see latest video )
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
Thanks a bunch!
"Putting a locomotive on the track can reveal a lot about what can be wrong with it"...
.
.
It's dead, Jim.
In this case it didn't reveal much.
"What am I, a doctor or a locomotive fitter?"
@@JBofBrisbane What's kinda depressing is how many of us here actually _get_ that reference. ;)
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.
Great suggestion on the brake fluid, I've also used oven cleaner with great success.
Wish I had thought of that. I should get a couple cans because it can apparently also make a good starting fluid.
@@SMTMainline buy some nulon start 'ya' basted that stuff works well
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.
Doesn't brake cleaner eat into the plastic, though?
My grand parents got me a old Bachman Gravy train set from the 80s
Nice :)
for dog food? why didn't they get you a new set?- were you bad?
That's unesisary @@tommurphy4307
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.
Thank you!
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.
back then none of us knew what a wonderful piece was
Superb restoration. RS-1/2/3 have always been my all time fav. Have assembled many Hobbytown of Boston kits back in the day. In my opinion they were the best. Pull the paint off the wall! If memory serves correct they had a Pittman DC 90 motor as its prime mover. I'm 72 and been out of the hobby for about 55 years. Due to medical issues, I had to give up fishing...and now it's back to my other love. Great vid and hope you do many more. I've got a lot of catching up to do !!!
I find them a bit more challenging to work on than say an Athearn but to your point they can be great runners and have high quality parts. Apparently hobbytown still makes parts for them too
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.
That was a tremendous restoration! You did a fantastic job of redecorating it too. Excellent choice of colors!
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++++++++!
Thanks, I will try my best
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.
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.
You might be right but I still think something is slightly off with the drive.
@@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!
@@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.
@@arrow1414 thats not what he said- i think he was referring more to the treatment it received from its previous owner(s)
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
Great Job !!!! I really like your videos. You make me want to get back into model rail road again.
And Harrison resurrects yet another hopelessly dead locomotive! Amazing work.
Thank you!
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
nice Go-Trains btw! are you from Quebec? idk if go trains even operate outside of ON
@@nedyrb133Gatineau
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.
I had my doubts when you started But you pulled it off again ,,, great job 👍👍🚂
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!
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.
The Omnisiah thanks you for bringing back the Machine Spirit of this little train. May you revive many more.
Thank you!
Harrison! Amazing. Fixing this one proves that you can fix anything! Congrats and kudos!
There is something so satisfying about seeing a really deteriorated locomotive cleaned up and brought back to life! Your skills are greatly appreciated!
Wow, you definitely have a talent for these old locomotives. Fantastic work and fantastic video. Good job
Thank you!
The spirits of countless modelers are looking down on your efforts and smiling !
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 👏
WOOF. That was one grody mess! Fun to watch it come clean and return to working!
Alco road switcher - one of my favorite engines of all time - many thanks for getting this going .
Like watching a bear come out of hibernation. First you see a little movement and then you hear the full roar. Good job!
Wow ! Can't believe what a difference it all made ! This old loco was a huge mess when you first took it apart !
It still needs work but it's a solid step in the right direction.
@@davidandrew477 its sad that they have to be MADE to run well- they should do that out of the box
this was amazing, thank you for helping me learn to restore engines, it has helped me alot. Keep up the great work!
Glad to hear they're helpful!
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.
Haven't heard of dinky detailing. Canadian tire is where to usually go to find stuff for all my projects.
I love the early RS locomotives. You did a great job getting her running. Stay safe - Larry.
Thank you
Great work. I have a couple of these Hobbytown drives and they’re nearly indestructible and will pull a ton. Don’t worry about the current draw, it’s normal for them to pull between 0.5 and 0.7 amps with no load. When they’re pulling 50 or more cars they’ll go up to about 1 amp.
I will try to get it down a little more as it's almost pulling 1 amp without being under load.
how much do they pull while smoking themselves right before they get trashed??
@@tommurphy4307 I’ve seen two pull a hundred-car train and I’ve never heard of one burning out a motor.
@@karenparker3086 that must have been a huge layout with very broad curves.
Somewhere in your model railroad career you have graduated from repairman to craftsman ! Keep on and you'll become an artist !
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?
Thank you and yes, I plan to make a second video with the cosmetic work.
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.
Thinking the same thing. Looks like one of the new haven locomotives in Essex, CT
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.
No plastic, no sensitive electronics and things are actually meant to be taken apart. They are much more enjoyable to work on.
that may be because the plastic they had back then was crap
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.
Thank you!
i thought it looked awesome- you ruined the patina, harrison!
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
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.
Incredible!!! And I love the paint job. You turned it into beauty. 👍👍👍
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”😊👍
Provided I do it right, I think it will rock the Great Northern paint scheme.
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.
This one was a real challenge.
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
@@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
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.
@@tommurphy4307 where did the taller idea come from I don't even understand that response at all
This video was one of your best.
Thank you!
Love Hobbytown drive mechanisms. Good job restoring this model.
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.
"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. ❤😊❤🇺🇸
Thank you for your kind words. I have one of those magnetic bowls but I forget to use it often. Thanks for watching!
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.
You should paint and cosmetically restore more engines like this, I really enjoyed it
That's the plan.
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.
I think you're right. I may end up re-doing the paint if it begins chipping.
@@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.
that's why the good Lord gave us zinc-rich primer
good advice- i do my diecast vehicles the same way. it really toughens enamel.
Thank you, interesting! Why wasn't the light from the spotlights restored?
They broke while being removed. I will add new ones in the future :)
@@SMTMainline Thanks for the answer! You have a very interesting passion! I wish you good luck and interesting finds!
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.
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!
I don't know if a previous response mentioned this, but Easy-Off oven cleaner takes off paint really good. A few minutes on (don't let the Easy Off dry up) & it wipes/and washes right off.
I've gotta try that.
@@SMTMainline One more thing... I used it on a plastic Aurora 1960's Bat-Man model over a year ago (some kid painted it silver) and it had no bad effect on the plastic.
do you have to wait 30 minutes like it says on the bottle?
@@tommurphy4307 I think I gave it more like 15 minutes. You'll see the paint peeling off. Just don't forget about it & let it dry up, or you'll have to do it again. I bought some oven cleaner at the dollar store, and that time it didn't work at all.
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
I will keep that in mind.
He's a Loco Wizard. There has to be a twist. The Loco Wizard ha such a soulful wrist! You have a great gift!
Wow.I know of one that’s pushing 70 years old. Thanks to regular maintenance, New York Central 8231 still performs!
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.
@@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.
hopefully it doesn't look like it was painted with a broom
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.
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?
its just conductive lubricant- harrison prolly gets that from labelle
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 work. You really understand Model locomotives.. Well done
It’s wonderful feeling to get a old engine running again. Good job 👏
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 .
I'm curious too. I don't think it was ever run much.
I see a lot of this that would greatly benefit from a pair if fine needle nose pliers. Some are even magnetic and that just helps so much in close quarters with small screws and parts.
Great content! I would love to see a series that you restore old locomotives paint and all!! Maybe some cars too!!
I might make some more
painting is overrated- except in this caSE
Glad to see your fixing locomotives again I am still leaning ,stilling buying track and bed.
It all takes time
learning and....stealing?
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.
I suspect the pulling capacity is low at the moment but with a bit more work it may be impressive.
or how many m-80's it can hold
imagine if it was brass or tungsten!
I got out of VR to be greeted with this
today is a good day
Happy to hear that :)
Great video and well done. Nice memories of my father's old trains I grew up with. Thank you!
So question: when you take out the old grease from gears and rods, do you just wash them in water or soak them in a different substitution other than deiseal fuel?
I scrub them under warm water with dish soap and then dry them immediately.
Super clean available at most can. Tire stores not only removes th old grease and crud but also with in most cases an overnight soak paint as well
just use dawn- super clean is just plain nasty shit to be around
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.
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!
This is the one from last stream right? Love the RS units.
It's been in two. Tough project.
Another win for Harrison!!! Nice job bud! By the way, I know I was going to look for some parts for another loco you had. Upon further review, it wasnt the same manufacturer so the parts I have wont help :(
Finding identical parts can be tricky. Thanks for the thought though.
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.
why does everyone say how great these things are, and then you mention how it was rescued from the trash. make up your mind!
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 mechanical set up on this engine is really nice for a 1960s piece. The quality of the parts is amazing and held up great.
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
another incredible job from SMT!
Thank you!
Looks like something from an NREX yard
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 .
Thank you!
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.
Harrison I have several of these Hobbytown engines, what looks different to me is the motor has the brush plate facing down, all mine have the brush plate on top, these engines are great pullers I've pulled up to 30 cars with mine Hobbytown also made PA"s E8's and powered frames to fit Athern, Varney, Mantua/tyco diesels
That may be why it looks odd that he's soldering to the Brushes. Should not have to.
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.
We have plans to fully restore the original farmhouse at my place ( I call it the Big House, as it truly is a big house, two stories, an attic, and a basement ) and once we fully restore it, I plan to put an HO Scale layout in the basement, and an N Scale layout in my bedroom, as the bedrooms are pretty big. So are the closets in the bedrooms. Do you think I could probably put the N scale layout in the closet? That would be interesting, in my opinion.
disgustingly satisfying! great maintenance work!!
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 !!
Feliz 2022 para ti también.
No doubt, this takes the award for the all time worse yuck you have ever had to clean, Harrison, at least since the case of the spider eggs! Congratulations on being able to recognize the potential and restore the beauty in the beast!
Hobbytown locomotives were legendary back in the day. They were sold as kits, you got a box of gears and shafts and bushings and some rough castings. A skilled machinist (there were alot more of them around back then) could build a locomotive that ran smoother than any pre-assembled model and it could pull bricks out of walls.
0:00
Smt: Hey folks *continues his intro*
Me: GOD WTF HAPPENED TO THAT THING
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!
i've been N scaling for 55 years- before that I ran HO stuff.
That paint job reminds me of something you would see on the Nevada Northern. They had a large fleet of Alcos .
I can't wait to finish it.
they had a lot of alco steam units- but just two rs-2's (that are still in use)
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.
Huge fan of metal parts. I intentionally left the sides off until I begin working on the cosmetic details.
so great- it took a crap YEARS ago....
Well that was a challenge, nice work
It sure was. Thank you
Yes, that is indeed a Hobbytown RS3, and yes, the Great Northern rostered them. There are a variety of detail parts missing - horns, bell, number boards, etc but with plenty of pics online it shouldn't be too difficult to replicate one. The tricky part may be replacing the missing stanchions and the handrails.
you can get stanchions in brass- fairly reasonably
Great restoration, SMT. I was horrified when I saw all that old grease inside it.
It was pretty bad but I'm happy to see it running again :)
in new york you would be haurrified
Impressive work, thanks for sharing this careful restoring.
That is a much more recent Hobbytown drive than the 1950s. It looks like one you can buy today from Hobbytown Of Boston (yes, they are still around). You can choose from a "traditional" open frame motor or can motor. The early version had rubber tube connectors, the gear tower was at the end of the truck instead of the middle and there was no flywheel.