Restoring a Vintage Canadian National GS4: The Challenges and Triumphs

🔧The vintage Canadian National GS4 locomotive we found was in nonworking order and missing parts.

⚙️The locomotive had design flaws, including a bad drive system and prone-to-cracking nylon gears.

🚂We determined that the primary issue was the misalignment of the drivers, causing the locomotive to not run smoothly.

🔩After careful analysis and repair work, including fixing the commutator and ensuring proper alignment, we resurrected the locomotive.

⚡To improve the electrial connectivity, we added metal wheels and a contact system, enhancing the locomotive's overall performance.

Was it difficult to find the vintage Canadian National GS4 locomotive?

—We found the locomotive at a train store and it was being sold for $30.

What were the major design flaws of the locomotive?

—The locomotive had a bad drive system with nylon gears and plastic axles, which were prone to cracking.

What caused the locomotive to not run smoothly?

—The misalignment of the drivers was the primary issue, causing the locomotive to have problems when running.

How did you fix the locomotive?

—We repaired the commutator, realigned the drivers, and added metal wheels and a contact system to improve electrical connectivity.

Did the repairs make a significant difference?

—Yes, the locomotive now runs smoothly and its overall performance has been enhanced.

00:00In this video, we take on the challenge of fixing up a vintage Canadian National GS4 locomotive.

01:30The locomotive had design flaws, including a bad drive system and prone-to-cracking nylon gears.

03:00The misalignment of the drivers caused the locomotive to not run smoothly.

06:30We repaired the commutator and realigned the drivers to fix the locomotive.

10:00To enhance electrical connectivity, we added metal wheels and a contact system.