Article initially published by Mike Isenberg in 2005.

By the time prewar tinplate pieces make it to today's collector/operator, many of them need a bit of "TLC." I recently bought a prewar set consisting of a 408E, 418, 419, 431 & 490. Many of the windows and "stained glass" strips were loose & one stained glass window was missing all together in the 431.

Graphic Arts being my livelihood, I often think: "How can I fix this myself?" For missing clear window strips, I use cleared Lithographic high contrast film that is .005 thick. I turn the emulsion side out for a slightly duller look, matching the original window strips better. I decided to make a color copy on transparency film for the missing stained glass window. I think it turned out rather well.

I used extremely small spots of clear silicone seal applied with the tip of a toothpick to re-adhere all the windows & strips. Some windows will be so distorted you will have to weight them down with a small but heavy objects (fishing weights, small bottles of hobby paint, etc.) while the silicone sets up.

It makes quite an improvement on the looks of the car, don't you think?

Tags: Tinplate Trains, Trains