Basement Cleaning: WOW! And Question?

Classic Toy Trains Forum
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Well after being in this new house for 4 years and complaining at the wife for all of that time to make some sense out of the mess on the basement floor I broke down and started to organize the stuff down there today. Went to Menards got some shelving and got to work. Well anyway about half way through the pile I see a box for humidifier filters. So I go and pick it up to pitch into the burn pile and the thing is heavy. I open it up, unfold the newspaper and to my eyes I behold a Lionel 681 S-2 Turbine Loco with Pennsylvania Railroad 2046W-50 tender that I did not even know I had.

I ran over to the layout put it on and away it went. It had to have been packed away for over 40 years and I must of got it when we split up my dad’s trains back it 1992. It pulls like a monster but I will need to lube it up ASAP.

Question is what year is it. 1950,1951 or 1953? It has heat stamped white numbers. Also It smokes nicely but does it use tablets or oil?

I don’t feel so bad about cleaning up the basement now!

Thanks,

Kevin

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Send it to me and I’ll check it out for you. It may take me a few years to figure it out but I’ll get you that info. [swg] [(-D]

That’s like the find of the century! Now you gotta clean up the garage then the attic!

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Kevin,

It’s great that you are reunited with a great engine and the top notch tender, for it.

Enjoy,

Ralph

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From the calcium deposits in the stack, I’d say it’s a pellet type smoker.

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Yes it was made for smoke pellets BUT you can use smoke fluid in it without doing any harm as the pellets melted anyway. Do no overfill with fluid, 3/4 drops is enough.

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From the Dave Doyle book

1950/51–cab number was rubber stamped in silver…2671w tender

1953–cab number was heat stamped in white, 2046w-50 tender

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Very nice engine!

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You really did make some sense out of that mess and a unanticipated reward for straightening things up to boot… We should all be that forgetful… Based on this revelation…now I wonder whats in my garage…Heaven knows what I’ll find…probably all of those long lost miniscule train parts that flew off the workbench.Some I probably already bought replacements for. Especially those brush springs…boing!

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So thats where I left it was wondering where it was. Would you please send it back to me I’ll gladly pay the shipping [:-^]

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Thanks sir james I will not overfill it. Good to know it can use fluid.

Kev.

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Thanks for the ID too sir james now I can put the correct information into my spreadsheet.

Thanks again everyone.,

Going to work on it tonight. I did set up a work bench in the basement next to the layout today with an old computer desk of my daughters. Cleaning the basement has worked good for me. And I also got to shame the wife for not helping. :slight_smile:

Kevin

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  1. That was the locomotive that started it all off for me. Couldn’t out pull a 1957 dual motor F3, but walked away with every thing else during the PW era. Holds a place of respect on a spur on our layout, right underneath a PW coal loader. Enjoy!
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Nice find, I am always amazed at what I find buried underneath my layout. I will be looking for one item and find another that I had forgotten about.