Just wanted to throw in my own .02:

If it were my set, I would seriously just leave it all as is. It appears to be unmolested with a decent (though slightly alligatored) finish. It has almost all of its original tubes for crying out loud! I would think it more prudent to preserve this set as "all original" as possible. Maybe find a HO tube that is an RCA from the right era, replace the horizontal coupling caps with what was originally in there, etc. Just to make it as stock as possible.

I just don't feel there is much to be gained from restoring such a rare set. I think the tuner would need to be modified to receive analog signals anyway. With less than 20 of these sets surviving-and all that are documented on the internet seem to have been heavily hacked up at some point; I would think it would be far more important to keep one of these in its 1939 splendor.

Think about it.

I've already thought about it. On my original post I said I have no plans on electronically restoring this set. I also feel there is not much to be gained from making this set function again. I live close enough to the ETF museum to take a drive over to see one working if I really need to see one function. I am going to make the few repairs needed to the set, replace non-original parts with originals, and call it a day. I have restored sets for display, this will be a non-working original set for display.
I would very much like to find original capacitors to replace the replacements if anyone has them.

We may have some original capacitors (bad, of course). Send me a list of what you need and I'll check.

The two caps in question are both .005 mfd 3,000 volt caps. Bad caps are no problem, as long as they are period correct.

Took another long look under the television chassis this morning and spotted two more replacement capacitors, C71 and C73. It appears there was some problems in the vertical at one point or another as well. I'm sure capacitors of this vintage are not your every day item but I'm searching for them non the less. The four capacitors I need are:
2-.005 mfd 3,000 volt (mentioned above)
1- .25 mfd 200 volt
1- .1 mfd 400 volt
Again, these capacitors need not be functional, just period correct. If any one has these capacitors, or just advice on where I might be able to look and find them, I'd be grateful.

The cardboard sleeved low voltage caps that RCA used were in all of their radios and tv's of the era and are easy to find. Those high voltage caps were only used in the TT-5 and TRK-5 so unless Steve comes up with something the chances of finding originals is extremely slim.

Thanks Darryl.
I also need a replacement horizontal output tube- 6F8. RCA branded, date coded XE_. I asked my local guy that I get all of my tubes from but he doesn't have any RCA XE_ coded 6F8s. Again this tube does not need to be functional, just needs to look the part.

Here are a couple of pictures. The black and white one is from 1939, the color one modern. I suspect that RCA may have used more than one style originally.

Steve,
I think those are the same cap, just a difference in lighting. The high voltage caps always seem to have that dark tan, extremely hard material used for sealing the ends.

Darryl

I received the repro pushbuttons in the mail yesterday from renovatedradios.com. I'll have to fabricate the mounting rod that holds them onto the radio bezel, more on that later. I also need to create the pushbutton labels for each button. Chuck Azzalina's site has a good shot of the labels that he made for his TRK-5.

http://www.myvintagetv.com/trk5_pushbuttons.jpg

Has anyone else made labels for a TRK-5, or any of the radio models Steve mentioned that use a similar bezel? Does any one have original labels for any of these models that they could photograph for color and font reference?

Progress has been slow with the set, but slow and steady wins the race.
I managed to find a replacement for the only non period correct dated RCA tube in the set. I was hoping to find a 1940 dated (XE_) tube to match the rest, but a 1939 dated RCA OEM tube is definitely close enough.

http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1363303646

I recently purchased reproduction radio push buttons as they were completely missing. The connecting rod that holds the buttons onto the radio bezel was also missing so I fabricated a replacement rod as well. After installing them onto the set I was unhappy with the results. I just couldn't stand having such a visible part of the set not being original when the rest is almost perfect. Long story short I returned the replicas and started searching for originals. I managed to find them on an RCA radio of the same time period. Here is the radio bezel with the push buttons on it, this picture shows the connecting rod and the snap ring that holds it in place.

http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3e5ad1c2.jpg

It was tough getting all of the push buttons off of the connecting rod as it had rusted a bit. After some lubrication and elbow grease the buttons were removed from the donor radio bezel.

http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/...psb076dfc8.jpg

Unfortunately as you can see in the picture one of the plastic covers was snapped in half. I also managed to find NOS push button labels including a "television" label to complete the bezel. I tried to use New York stations that would have been on the air in the 1939-1944 time period. I wonder what station William and his family listened to when they bought the set. I was one label and plastic cover short so I added a KDKA label in honor of the set's new home.

http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/...psf33f1824.jpg

http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2c44fa5c.jpg

The set is looking great! Keep an eye for RCA radios with a good bezel. It's possible. I have come across them here and there.
Thanks for sharing all the pics. I've been a radio/TV collector for many years and the TRK-5 is the "Holy Grail" to me. The TRK-9 has a more impressive cabinet, but it's rather large. The TRK-5 truly has the proportions of a radio console of the era which makes it so great to me. I give you credit for keeping it original. I would be dying to see the set come to life again!
Here's a video on YT of one playing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNIkWOa16wo

I'm perfectly happy with the bezel. It has shrunk a bit and cracked on the upper left hand side around a screw, but other than that it's quite acceptable I think.
I think this hobby is so much better when we all share. I know how much I love seeing pictures when other's share them.

I agree that your bezel is fine as-is. I meant to say that you just might come across a set with a perfect bezel (as tough as it may be) for a decent price and you could just swap. I am really looking forward to seeing all assembled! Good luck with it.