Easy, Inexpensive Trick for Replacing Missing Flyer Brakewheels - S Scale:
Posted this just recently on a Flyer blog site and it received rave reviews.
Been doing this since High School. (I am now 73)
I had assumed this was common knowledge but perhaps not.
Never thought for a moment I had discovered anything that was unique.
2/0 dress snaps for missing AF S scale brakewheels.
Drill the right size hole and installation is a “snap.” Otherwise drill a small hole and use a drop of Super Glue to attach. (Personally I think these brakewheels look better than the factory original riveted buttons.)
These snaps are available up to 3/4" dia. in either silver or black. So can be used for other scales as well.
Also using both sides of the snap can make for very nice looking pulleys of various sizes for use with all scales. Cost: Approximately $3.00 for a card of eight.
Here another repair to an otherwise totally mint #639 Flyer Boxcar:
Back when I was contemplating putting a screen under the radiator vents of a hood unit, I found replacement faucet aerator screens at a hardware store. All kinds of ersatz detail items out there.
Looking right now for some similar screens big enough to go into the top of the smoke stack on the Lionel “General” Locomotive. No one seems to make a replacement part for this and these screens are always missing from the engines whenever they come into the shop.
Wanted something a bit different for the replacements on this Flyer Covered Hopper. (Not really sure these are supposed to be brake wheels.) So I used the OTHER side of the dress snap, the part I usually throw away.
