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How to Wire a Lionel Engine

Lionel has been manufacturing model railroad kits and accessories since the turn of the 20th century, and many of the company's older products have become the apple of train enthusiasts' eyes. As such, there is widespread interest in rebuilding older electric engines, for which replacement parts may be either prohibitively expensive or downright unavailable. Among the common failures of any electric motor is the wiring that leads from the source to the motor. This is particularly so in smaller motors, such as Lionel trains, which use a light-gauge wire that can fail over time.

Things You'll Need

Jeweler's screwdriver set
Small wire cutters
Light-gauge wire (No. 20 or smaller)
Wire strippers
Electronic soldering flux
Soldering iron
Electronic solder

Instructions

- 1
  Remove any screws that hold the train's exterior shell together by turning counterclockwise with a jeweler's screwdriver. On most models, these are located on the bottom of the train. However, all models are different, and some models have no screws at all.
- 2
  Slip a slotted screwdriver blade between the engine's upper and lower shell and pry gently until the cover pops off. Set the upper cover aside.
- 3
  Locate the engine's electric motor -- typically a bundle of wound copper wire and a magnet that's about as big around as a quarter -- and identify the wires that lead away from the motor. On the simple direct current (DC) motors that power model trains, this is usually just two wires.
- 4
  Trace the wires to the point where they connect to the brushes or rotors underneath the engine. Note that on many models, a pair of wheels on the engine form the contact points with the power source, which runs through the rails.
- 5
  Cut the wires at the power source and at the motor with the small wire cutters. Discard the old wire.
- 6
  Determine which tracks in your set-up will provide the positive and which will provide the negative power supplies. Failure to do so could result in your train running backward. Note these leads on your engine. For example: Inside track, positive; outside track, negative.
- 7
  Cut two pieces of the light-gauge wire about 4 or 5 inches each. Strip about 1/8-inch of insulation from each end of both wires using the wire strippers.
- 8
  Hold one end of a piece of wire onto the soldering contact at the base of the train and dab a small bubble of flux onto the wire and contact.
- 9
  Press the tip of a hot soldering gun onto the contact point until the flux melts. Remove the soldering iron immediately.
- 10
  Hold the soldering iron just above the contact point. Uncoil the electronic solder and brush the end of the spool over the tip of the soldering iron, allowing a small bead of liquid solder to drip over the wire and contact point.
- 11
  Repeat Steps 8 through 10 for the second contact point at the base of the engine.
- 12
  Repeat Steps 8 through 10 at the soldering points on the engine's motor. Make sure to match the positive motor lead with the appropriate wire, as identified in Step 6.
- 13
  Replace the engine's cover and tighten all screws by turning clockwise with a jeweler's screwdriver.

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