Can We Make This Vintage Varney F3 Run? Hasn't Run in 50 Years!

Рет қаралды 29,438

2 жыл бұрын

I was sent this vintage Varney Union Pacific F3 Locomotive last year from a viewer known as HO Scale Modeler. According to them the engine was bought by a train store 50 or 60 years ago and was never sold until they found it and sent it in. The engine showed no signs of starting after a simple test so from there it was a matter of trying to figure out what was wrong with it and mend damage that had been done to its chassis.

Пікірлер: 124

@williammcgeehan3424 2 жыл бұрын

Open frame motor. That's the exact type motor Life-Like used on its EMD F40PH from 1981.

@liamstrains6420 2 жыл бұрын

imagane how happy that loco is to be running for the very first time in over 50 years.

@MSRTA_Productions 2 жыл бұрын

SMT: Can we fix it? Us: yes we can!

@martinross5521 2 жыл бұрын

Brilliant repair Harrison. It sounds very happy to escape from 50+ years trapped in an antique cardboard box. You win 🏆

@shaygetz52 2 жыл бұрын

BTW...100,000 scale miles in HO is 6.6 million real feet. Aurora one time ran one of their N scale units as long as they could. It made over three months worth of continual running. They left it running one weekend when, at some point, it derailed, but only enough to jog the wheels. It still had contact and, by Monday morning, the locomotive cut four deep wheel shaped gouges into the track while running in place. I run my new units three hours continuously the mesh the gears in. it quiets them down among other things.

@callmebigpapa 2 жыл бұрын

My Varneys are among my favorite trains.

@rj78productions88 2 жыл бұрын

She's a runner. Great job as always. Cool history on it too. I have a late 80's Life Like version of this with the same number. Was my first train set i got as a kid. It is my best runner. It flies just like this one. Great job.

@joallawestervelt6918 2 жыл бұрын

More magic touch and Harrison genius. Way to go. I always enjoy watching your repair videos. Thank you. 💕😊💕

@shockstrains5077 2 жыл бұрын

haven’t seen this loco in awhile!

@modelrailroader5619 2 жыл бұрын

Varney is an iconic name in model railroading, nice model and great job on the overhaul!

@qwincyq6412 2 жыл бұрын

Varney made some good stuff back in the day. I have a Varney flat car kit with a solid metal die cast frame!

@johnblair8146 2 жыл бұрын

Earlier versions of that F3 were made of all die cast metal.

@streamlinedtransit 2 жыл бұрын

this is the best train channel of all history, hands down

@TheLeggedOne 2 жыл бұрын

I was just rewatching the testing video this was in, always nice to see an old train brought back to life

@CR7659 2 жыл бұрын

IIRC they had a brass plate with a hole in the center which held the drive truck in place. It comes off when you take the motor off. What you did works just as well. It should have a shaft to the front truck to make it eight wheel drive.

@andrewferguson5653 2 жыл бұрын

Another successful repair! I'm surprised that engine was unsold for so long.

@MattKonsol 2 жыл бұрын

That is a pretty cool engine btw it’s always a runner!! Serenity!!

@ciaranburke3243 2 жыл бұрын

That's lovely, great condition 👍

@CRRAIL6905 2 жыл бұрын

Hey smt! Glad to see you got it running despite the clips snapping, got to get it in somehow!

@markshogan2642 2 жыл бұрын

Varney always made good stuff.

@MrGrumpyToast 2 жыл бұрын

You could drill a small hole in the bottom of each truck over the gears just enough to get some grease in there, just an idea :)

@oscartorres96 2 жыл бұрын

Yes A Union Pacific Engine SMT California is Know For Southern Pacific in the 80s and 90s but In 1996 Union Pacific Bought SP So Now We Have Good UP Action here California Nice Video Harrison.

@stephenrickjr.7519 2 жыл бұрын

I really appreciate you getting the old locomotives running. It helps me a lot with my old locomotives. I have 3 old varney engines, the drives were worn out so I replaced them with athearn drives I got at the local flea market.

@steveweidner8311 2 жыл бұрын

Your lucky - my Varneys had Zamac cancer where the metal just falls to pieces. Luckily old Athearn drives can be modified to fit.

@HO_Scale_Modeler 2 жыл бұрын

Very nice job, you did the one thing I didn't want to try to do and succeeded. Context: it had some people interested in it thought the 70's - 90's (and did get tested multiple times) but was then put in back storage because of newer models replacing the older ones that were left. I just happened to stumble upon it when they were cleaning out all there really old stock including a TONE of Varney rolling stock.

@raymondleggs5508 2 жыл бұрын

You stopped that runaway train!

@whisk34productions16 2 жыл бұрын

Any model train: doesn’t work SMT mainline: hold my maple syrup

@donttreadonmetal5073 2 жыл бұрын

My dad has the PRR version of this, the No.37 Golden Eagle A-B-A train set from 1965. The powered unit died in 2015.

@randallellison6421 2 жыл бұрын

Great video as always Harrison, nice seeing the old Varney come back to life!

@CurdsFromDaCulvers420 2 жыл бұрын

Nice dude, repaired a loco from the 40s or 50’s and made it work while some Bachman models from the 80’s are broken beyond repair. I had one and no joke the model killed my dc controller and almost burnt my house Down because it didn’t work

@BrodyViele12 2 жыл бұрын

hey smt., a while back i got some old model trains for my grandmas and i tried to fix the but lost the spring ,1 was a life like santa fe and the other was a tyco power toque chattanooga. probaly should not have did it over carpet lol

@stevekovoc3939 2 жыл бұрын

That noise sounds like there's a lack of oil somewhere, it will probably go away as it breaks in over time, but I would recommend trying to find where that noise is coming from and then lubricating that part. Other than that, a very good runner, as these old Varney locos tend to be in my experience.

@RapidTransitFan 2 жыл бұрын

I’m going to send you a package with HO scale things this weekend

@williamsantangelo 2 жыл бұрын

Hi there Harrison vintage Varney is most excellent to collect and run vintage HO is about all I collect Lionel Flyer MARX Varney Atherns Penn and most of all I luv Revel Thank You!!!!

@RichardEKranz 2 жыл бұрын

Are those 4 units with the ice and snow weathering suppose to be from Runaway Train?

@garysprandel1817 2 жыл бұрын

With a GP35 or 40 on point trailing an F and 2 GP7 or 9s I'm going to hazard a guess your assumption is correct.

@SMTMainline 2 жыл бұрын

They sure are. Not entirely accurate models but they were a fun project and something I always wanted.

@garysprandel1817 2 жыл бұрын

@@SMTMainline considering I knew exactly what it was from a quick glance I'd say inaccurate or not you nailed it. Amusing story I heard about production is that the yard scenes were actually filmed on the Butte Anaconda & Pacific that had long chopped the noses on their Geeps but the movie's props guys did such a good job seamlessly blending the false high short hood to the existing chopped hood that a lot of the BA&P crews were asking where the old locomotives came from.

@haroldalexis4200 2 жыл бұрын

You did a fantastic job on the Varnet F 7 Union Pacific. That's a real beautiful vintage model diesel.. No doubt much better than the BACHMANN F 7 Amtrak the Varney was quiet in comparison. I enjoy your channel. Harold CN / GT

@MMRails 2 жыл бұрын

Great job! So creative. Did the headlight stop working? I thought I saw it come on during the test run, but then I didn’t see it on the layout. I’ll need a follow up video.

@colbeausabre8842 2 жыл бұрын

Back in the day when open frame "Pitman" type motors were the best we could get, we'd use pulse power rather than straight DC for low speed operation. Today, I'd replace the Alnico magnets with rare earth based super magnets

@swamphdaddy 2 жыл бұрын

That particular type Varney drive was always noisy; we used to call them coffee grinders. Maybe some grease on the gears would work and with that drive shaft between trucks it is essentially 8 wheel drive. At one point in the 60's you could get a Varney freight car in a box of Sugar Crisp cereal.

@michaelhoffman6354 2 жыл бұрын

Good thinking, glad you got it running!

@zeefantasytrains944 2 жыл бұрын

Very interesting and amazing how you come up with the frame solution.

@mercuryoak2 2 жыл бұрын

Very good fix. I myself never seen any varrney brand stuff in person maybe I think one freight car not sure. I would have thought it's a 8 wheel drive because of the driveshaft going between both trucks. I see where they improved Years Later by putting the motor in the center versus on the truck on the rear like what Athearn did. Good job macgyvering the part where there's will there is a way. Or as one wise man said LOL. Red Green : "If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy."

@mollycaz1 2 жыл бұрын

Very nice find. Great to see the old engine up and running.

@janinesSewingRoom 2 жыл бұрын

AWESOME video Harrison, as always! And also that is just SOOO cool!! I wish I had one! And how rare are Varnys?

@Gfysimpletons 2 жыл бұрын

Not very……….probably thousands of them sitting in attics and basements across the land

@paulsmith5398 2 жыл бұрын

They date back to the late 1940s/ early 1950s, i have a Varney power truck that has " stepped pullies" for using a "spring belt" for different speeds, the pullies are factory soldered on the shafts. I also have several Varney cars, from the 1950s, and some Life-Like cars that are Chinese carbon copies of the Varney cars. (Darn Chinese!)

@TheGrover1968 2 жыл бұрын

Old Varneys are cool.

@Polara1524 2 жыл бұрын

*engineered to run over 100,000 scale miles*

@ChristopherBrown-mq1lg 2 жыл бұрын

Great job 👍

@cpcnmodelrailroadingrailfa9339 2 жыл бұрын

Your so talented of course you could get it running nice video

@Shadow0fd3ath24 2 жыл бұрын

Someone send this man some new tips for his solder iron!

@waynewootton5385 2 жыл бұрын

i love your ho train lay out smt

@davidztog9011 2 жыл бұрын

Wasn't the light working when you tested it on the table with the motor out? Hard to believe HO or H0 has been around much longer that that Varney, Harrison. Check out the History section in the Wiki link below. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/HO_scale Thanks for sharing. 👍👍👍

@RapidTransitFan 2 жыл бұрын

You are my favorite KZfaqr keep up the good work, I liked the video and i’ve been a subscriber sine 35K subs

@SMTMainline 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks a bunch!

@dozer0565 2 жыл бұрын

Another thing that sodder can do is corrode the reason that I mentioned this is because I've had something that had a corroded sodder joint

@hondachopper6978 2 жыл бұрын

Solder joints need to be rinsed afterwards with 90+ % Isopropyl alcohol.

@paulbervid1610 2 жыл бұрын

Great work

@daviddeezmusic2313 2 жыл бұрын

Great job SMT!

@Brianrockrailfan 2 жыл бұрын

great video

@myvideosetc.8271 2 жыл бұрын

Why this videoas are so satisfying?, thanks¡¡¡¡

@Petemonster62 2 жыл бұрын

SMT - Maybe the hobby shop tried to repair it for a customer, but found the mounting parts were no longer available? Then the customer decided they didn't want it back & it ended up sitting in the stock room.

@waltercampbell9322 2 жыл бұрын

The channel rocks!! Love to see the hobby still around strongly. You are doin a great job and your videos are very helpful! You have a great knowledge of the hobby! Just curious, what power supply are using. Love the power and draw meters? Keep up the amazing job!!

@crsrdash-840b5 2 жыл бұрын

I noticed the trucks are the prototype versions instead of the common Bloomberg B style. most model railroader companies used this alot. I'm starting to like the old drive systems.

@spamtongspamton97 2 жыл бұрын

You just gained a subscriber

@waynewootton5385 2 жыл бұрын

you do great work great job smt

@Ryanfry262 2 жыл бұрын

There is a date on the inside of the shell, what year is yours? I have the Missouri pacific one from 1954

@OgaugeTrainsplusslotCars 2 жыл бұрын

Nice Union Pacific.

@That_random_idiot 2 жыл бұрын

1,000 miles of history

@davidv.3135 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@callingalltrainfans9891 2 жыл бұрын

Finally!

@massmike11 2 жыл бұрын

Look like there is enough motor shaft there that you could install a flywheel on it if there is enough room in the body.

@Trainsbigandsmall 2 жыл бұрын

That company was created by Gordon Varney and he sold the company in 1960.

@Graulas 2 жыл бұрын

I saw that loco on eBay and was about to get it lol.

@vuurvrrailfanner4656 2 жыл бұрын

9:04 Runaway train just sitting in the background derailed

@erikthepirate8068 2 жыл бұрын

10:25 I spy trains from Movie Runaway Train!

@ATSF2926Productions 2 жыл бұрын

HOW DOES IT NOT RUN IN 50 YEARS?!

@HO_Scale_Modeler 2 жыл бұрын

it ran on the test track occasionally from what I heard, so not 100% accurate but the last time it ran is undetermined.

@trevorgwelch7412 2 жыл бұрын

Lets Blow It Up While It Goes Through The Tunnel 👻💥

@Petemonster62 2 жыл бұрын

Trevor - What a coincidence! Tonight ( Friday 11/19 ), I was watching an episode of the Addams Family that involved the Lionel trains. This time, Gomez didn't blow up the trains, he was using Uncle Fester to power the trains.

@trevorgwelch7412 2 жыл бұрын

@@Petemonster62 Ha ha Sadly I sold all my trains since my Wife and I live in a small townhouse with finished basement

@cherokeecoyoteoffical4625 2 жыл бұрын

I'd leave it in the box since it's over been opened

@SMTMainline 2 жыл бұрын

It’s certainly been opened otherwise I don’t know how there would be so much dirt on the commutator.

@MinnesotaRailProductions 2 жыл бұрын

Hey SMT what was that rock thing you used to clean the rear truck wheels?

@mikehahn9966 2 жыл бұрын

Far out!

@johnlong5899 2 жыл бұрын

Mechanically, very much like the Penn Line gear drive model. The motor in the Varney model looks like a knock off of the Pittman motor Penn Line used.

@Westernstarguy4900 2 жыл бұрын

Nice a old f unit, how much money does it cost to get my train fixed from you

@johnathentribble 10 ай бұрын

Nice train i like it cool

@ATSF2926Productions 2 жыл бұрын

By the way, how do i mail you ho scale stuff???

@jamminjr7856 2 жыл бұрын

What happened to the light? It was working on the bench

@SMTMainline 2 жыл бұрын

I think it burned out or I broke a wire. Ether way I didn’t notice until after...

@pauljohansson695 2 жыл бұрын

The f unit were used for passengers.

@ErickC 2 жыл бұрын

Reference materials make it pretty clear that UP's 1400-class F3s were delivered for freight service. Lots of railroads used F-units for passenger service, sure, but the vast majority of F-units were used to haul freight. And most that were built for passenger service ended up in freight service near the end of their lives anyway.

@DogsInFremont 2 жыл бұрын

When you did the first test there was a light on the inside of the cabin. I did not see the light while it was driving. Did I see that wrong?

@waynewootton5385 2 жыл бұрын

is life-like a good ho engine please reply thank you

@nathankeske5697 2 жыл бұрын

Hi smt :)

@TanVasinTrains 2 жыл бұрын

Will you get a katsumi shinkansen

@thetoontrain6073 2 жыл бұрын

hi smt! I had recently gotten the tyco king coal loco and it has a bit of a metallic smell after running it for a bit. i literally know nothing about model trains and I don’t know if the smell is bad or not. Do you have any ideas of what it is?

@detroitdieselseries5071 2 жыл бұрын

Vietnam war era HO engine

@Max-dn3zn 2 жыл бұрын

@moistyfinch2226 2 жыл бұрын

Hello ! Im a dc collector and I’m looking bc for a power full power pack and control for my layout , do you have a reasonable priced one that you know about ?

@RapidTransitFan 2 жыл бұрын

Made the video within 20 minutes, 17 minutes to be exact

@raymondrrousselle5856 Жыл бұрын

Do you do anything with N scale trains ?

@cheesewonton7263 2 жыл бұрын

Lol

@cheesewonton7263 2 жыл бұрын

First

@MSRTA_Productions 2 жыл бұрын

@@cheesewonton7263 negative

@paulsmith5398 2 жыл бұрын

I like to repair older HO models also, and am looking for either an AHM or preferably IHC GG1 chassis to restore. I have one that the motor is shot, and the drive wheels have deteriorated, any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated. I also have 3 Athearn rubber band drive locos, 2 F-7s and 1 GP-9, the motors run, but i cant find the rubber bands to fit, and am thinking about converting them to the newer style Athearn trucks, any help with these is also appreciated! Huge thanks if you can help!

@hondachopper6978 2 жыл бұрын

They can be found on eBay. A guy makes them from silicone if I remember correctly.

@paulsmith5398 2 жыл бұрын

@@hondachopper6978 sorry, i dont do ebay.

@Petemonster62 2 жыл бұрын

Paul - I think SMT found some O - rings that worked for Athearn drive bands. He used them in one of his previous videos.

@paulsmith5398 2 жыл бұрын

@@Petemonster62 well, thats a great thought, there are several local places that sell a load of various size o-rings, and i used a few of them to replace traction rings on Tyco diesels and on a pair of American Flyer 0-6-0 steam switchers. I also put new wiring, Kadee couplers, and Intermountain Wheels on the tenders to replace the brass/ plastic wheelsets. They look much better, and since the pick-up is on the tenders, i added a tad of extra weight to enhance that. One of the "A-F" engines is from 1953, the other 1956, both younger than me, and i am certain that theyre really made by Marx! One has a smoke unit and "chuff" the other one doesnt.

@Petemonster62 2 жыл бұрын

@@paulsmith5398 - I think I read in Model Railroader years ago that Marx started making HO trains in 1957 & American Flyer HO trains debuted in 1938. I think SMT made a couple of videos on replacing the bands in an Athearn F-unit & an Athearn RDC. Those sound like good improvements that you made to the steamers!