In 2017 I acquired a Meccano steam engine in a very sorry state and decided to restore it. I spent many happy hours listening to audiobooks and giving myself carpal tunnel syndrome by scrubbing at the paint and rust with various abrasive things. I polished the boiler within an inch of its life. I tracked down some heat-resistant paint and some nuts and bolts that could stand in for the original rivets. I repainted all surfaces. Now all the remains is to reattach the steam pipe to the piston assembly - and that's where I'm stuck, as of May 2018. My soldering iron only reaches 450C, which isn't enough to melt off the solder remnants on the pipe...