Mechanic,
I do not have a transistor checker. I do have a multimeter. Perhaps there's some way I can check for voltages on the legs to see if they're what they should be, with the multimeter?
As for a replacement, the only parts radios I have are a Realistic TRC-422A, though it doesn't RX or TX so who knows if it has any useable parts. That and I have an old Royce 1-612 that I could perhaps rob a few parts from, if it shares any identical parts.
I checked Mousers website and they show no matches found for "2sa562". I did search around online and found this on eBay, is this the correct transistor you speak of?:
20 PNP Plastic-Encapsulate Transistor 2SA562 A562 TO-92 | eBay
As for your last comment, yeah, everything I read about the Cobra 135 says it was top of the line....back in the mid 70's! And that it sold for over $400....I did an inflation calculator, and that would be just over $1600 in today's dollars! 
But of course I was "given" this radio for free, by a CB repairman who was "just going to chuck it in the trash" (along with the Royce and Realistic I mentioned). I didn't get a power cord, or a mic for it. But if anything, I do want to bring it back to life and perhaps keep it in my little collection, even if it is just a 23 channel radio. It's just a nice looking piece.
