Gaiety N2 - pick-ups and cleaning the body

When I first took the body off I was surprised by the crude pick-up arrangement;

I did some searching on the 'net to see if this was how they were originally fitted, but I couldn't find any decent photos of the bare chassis for either the N2 or the pannier tank, the only other loco made by Gaiety, although I did see some for a 3 rail set-up. However I did find reference to the pick-ups being made of thick wire connected to the brush holders, so I guess mine is still original in that respect.

It runs well enough around an oval of Kato Unitrack (great stuff, perfect for testing stock with) although the motor does get rather hot and it needs a fair amount of power, even using a Hammant and Morgan Duette, which is nearly as old as I am. I may return to the pick-ups at a later date, maybe using thinner phosphor bronze wire as I'm sure the thick wire used acts as a brake. It isn't the best runner, but then it is 70ish years old and I did buy it as a non-running wreck.

I cleaned the bodywork with a brush and warm soapy water, twice, and I removed a fair amount of dirt only to reveal some rather battered paint;

Some would no doubt reach for a jar of stripper and re-paint the thing, but I like a bit of patina so it can stay as it is.

And that's it for this loco, at least for now.

At the end of every project I like to think back and reflect on what I've learnt and what I've got from it. From this project I've turned new wheels, stripped down and rebuilt an old motor, done some research, and generally had fun making a broken old loco run again. I think that's enough.

Paul.