I picked up this set from a member over at the OGR forum a while back. It was showing its age. Lots of rust, a few missing wheels and handrail stanchions. After months using it to test paint, this morning I finished it. This is a Lionel 259 circa the mid-1920s. Given the copper and brass, likely was sold as at set in 1924.
Prewar restorations can get expensive. Often I have to buy more junk to salvage parts from which is strangely cheaper than buying reproduction parts. In this case the tanker handrails were made in-house. The stanchions for them are reproductions. Beyond the paint, everything else is original Lionel.
If you check out our pricing, you may notice that tinplate locomotive restorations cost a lot more than diecast. Parts are the reason.
No one can restore lithographed stuff properly, but with a little research, regular tinplate can really be made to shine!
Here’s the before photo:
And After:
Big Jack's Trains 