Enjoying a Lionel Postwar Afternoon!!!

Classic Toy Trains Forum
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Spent part of the afternoon today cleaning some old postwar Lionel freight cars that I have aquired over the years. In the last couple years I have been moving more towards the scale-end of the hobby, but with the purchase of a Lionel 6460 crane car on vacation recently, I have begun to re-kindle my enjoyment of the old postwar Lionel trains.

My postwar collection consists mainly of “junk” other people don’t want. Nothing is new-in-the-box, nor is there a 773 tucked away somewhere. I have a searchlight car I bought for $3.00, and the parts to get it working ran about $20.00, but it was fun getting it going again. I have a 675 that I purchased “dead”, but with a complete disassembly and new brushes, runs like a Swiss watch.

Upon observation, I have discovered that I am down to 3 postwar engines: A gift from my Father in the early 80’s, when I was in sixth grade, a set of 2343 Santa Fe F-3’s, a 1947 221 engine for under the Christmas tree, and the 675. I have bought a few non-running postwar engines, fixed them up, and sold them on e-bay over the last few years. Most notably the 671, 2055, 2037,and various other steamers, and whistling tenders. I think I will start looking for “junk” postwar engines and cars again, and keep them this time.

I have been one of the biggest supporters of Williams and Lionel’s postwar reproductions, which I still think are great products, but sometimes I think there is nothing like the real thing. I say this with an Intermountain scale reefer kit on my workbench, a Warhorse Lionel Santa Fe Hudson on the shelf, and a scale, conventional Santa Fe F-3 on order from Island Trains. Not to mention all the custom painted cars and engines on the layout, some scale, some not.

In my opinion, you just can’t beat all the alternatives we have today, but the ole postwar stuff is still pretty cool, and I’m looking forward to searching for more!

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I bought a 2343 Santa Fe double A set for $75.00 plus a buch of cars. The engine honestly looked like a kid used it outside in the dirt mound. got no sound at all from it when hooked power to it. $165.00 in parts and labor 9as figured this was beyond my know how. He did put new brushes and completely dismantled the motor to clean it ( I think he even had to rewound one of the motors.)

I’ve added a B unit from a 2243 set and sold the A unit from that set soI know have ABA and its a nice set. Love it

Have done a bunch others but this was the worst one I got in.

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MPZPW3,yor mentioned leaning toward the scale end of the hobby…

Are You referring to O gauge two rail scale models,or the full sized O gauge three rail…Curious, as I am pondering a new layout that would include one mainline of Ross or Gargraves scale O track,and two mains of o gauge three rail track…

BDT

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Nothing like the enjoyment of running some authentic, Made In The USA Lionel Trains,

running on tubular track, of course! [:D]

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Gosh Frank,I thought it was past your bedtime, But I agree about the old Lionels, I have a fleet of steamers that are getting very impatient to get their new roundhouse and layout…

I have allot of good old tubular track that will be put to good use…

The outer main will be Made in USA scale O track to run some future “Made in Minnesota” equipment…but don’t hold your breath on this one,

The Lionel steamers were here first,and they are still in first place…

BDT

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bdt-- cant wait to see your fleet of old lionel…

i have a 2025,2026, 2036, and a 1060. all are on the work bench for rebuilds, but the 2025 is almost done and it will be riding the rails real soon!

I love my old lionels, sure they are kinda banged up and not mint but hey i dont mind. They will be runners and they will love the new 027 track i got for them.

Being from california " I’m totally tubular dude".

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Zeke, I like working on locomotives as much as running them…It sounds like many of us have this in common…I to, have bought “bargain” or fixer-upper locomotives, when I can get them for the right price. There is one 2037 that is missing a step on the cowcatcher; I plan to remove the cowcatcher and fit that locomotive with a coupler for double-heading.This locomotive will also receive a small switch to turn off the headlite, crew figures, a painted cab interior, valve gear, handrails, firebox glow, a 1666 style bell and whistle, tether wires to the tender trucks to double current pickups, and a switch under the tender to shut off the whistle. The trailing truck will be repaced with with a single axel truck to make it a true “Prairie” type locomotive. These kind of projects I really enjoy. I have also purchased empty metal boiler shells to make use of the good motors from broken plastic scouts. On the flip side, I have Old steamers that I have bought in excellent condition.((with original box)))…My primary goal is to build a Roundhouse scene in the fifties era…This scenario can even make use of junkers, that can be in a “deadline”… I am not 100% Lionel, as I have some Marx and one American flyer locomotive from the same prewar-postwar period… I have to laugh at my modern era locomotives

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[:D]

I really enjoy these threads about old Lionel (big shock there!)

I admit, I have yet to dive in on repairs as I am so overwhelmed time-wise, and when I do have free time, I will be putting it to use in trying to get working on the next level of my layout. In a few years, when all this is bheind me, I am looking forward to lining my workbench with broken heros of Christmas’ gone by and bringing them back into running shape.

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I have begun moving more towards “scale three rail”, such as the more detailed F-3’s from Lionel, and more scale sized cars, not two rail scale.

Opened up and cleaned a 2466 tender today, to find all 8 blades of the impeller broken off. No remains of the blades in the air chamber, so looks like I’m not the first one to open it up. Relay and motor work well, so ordered some parts for it earlier. Sure would like to get that thing working again!

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just yesterday i was cleaning up alot of my postwar freight cars, and the tender of the 681, i finally got it to whistle again.

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billbarman, Glad to hear you got your tender whistling again.

Frank, I’m finding the repair parts are more expensive than a good piece, so you have to enjoy fixing this stuff up, because money wise, it ain’t worth it! I now have a $28.00 searchlight car, that probably isn’t worth $ 20.00 to anyone.

Finding the 675 with 2466 tender is really what got me back into the hobby about 5 years ago. The engine is great, but the tender has never whistled. Now I know why. I was afraid to open it up! I have repaired many engines with great results, but tenders, accessories, and the right frigg’in light bulb have made me shy away from some repairs. I hope to re-wire the tender, and get it up and whistling in the next week.

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I would have to agree with that. The people who buy the junk think they are getting a deal when all it does is cost you more in the end to fix up. You can get a better high-quality all original piece for pratically the same price. The prices for parts is high like $30 for an E-unit, $75 for an armature and so forth. On top of all this is that they are all reproduction parts and someone like myself would never buy that.

So like you said, you better do it for the love of it!

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That’s why I do it. For me, postwar trains are a project to be enjoyed. I have a couple new-in-box items, that quickly found their way onto the layout, or resold, so I could buy a “junker”, and not feel bad about using it.

I don’t mind using reproduction parts to fix an old engine, car, or accessory. The parts needed return them to their old operating status, which is what it is all about, if you’re into that sort of thing. I often tell visitors to my layout that these were the Playstations and X-box’s of their time. If a couple reproduction parts keep them alive and well for a little longer, and I have to pay out the nose for the parts, I guess so be it. As LS1Heli wrote, You gotta love it. This isn’t a money making venture for me, it is a love!

For some reason, I just bought a 2037 set with 7 cars on e-bay for $60.00. I’m looking forward to cleaning the set up and getting it working again. I will probably loose money on the deal, but I think it will be fun repairing and cleaning it up.

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SMELL THE OZONE!

FEEL THE POWER!

POSTWAR RULES!!!

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Most days I also enjoy a postwar afternoon with my 18 mo old daughter. We’ll run some old steamers and then run Thomas, and then back to the smoking steamers.

Most of my fleet of postwar steamers (8ish) have been bought from the junk yard at a not so local hobby shop (It’s near my wife’s Grandmother’s in upstate NY). I’ll agree that fixing them up may not be economical, but I can also buy the engine in stages this way. For example, my 2025 was a complete unit, with a non whistling tender. It cost $50. It ran, and the eunit cycles most of the time. It needed a new boilerfront, a trailing truck, and a smoke unit (I missed that detail when looking at it… oops!) Total cost in parts was about $35 to $40. Likely could have found a complete one for about the same price. On the other hand, I bought a 2020 with whistling tender at the same place for $60 and it runs like a top, eunit works reliably, and the whistle worked after a bit of cleaning and relubing. The only parts it needs is a keystone decal for the boilerfront, and a lamp socket assembly, IIRC about $10 total in parts. I think I did better than buying a complete unit on this one.

Back to enjoying postwar; I generally trade out the cars every couple of days. Right now I’ve got 4 6462s and a blue 6162, for 5 long gondolas. The caboose is currently a 6417, but that changes between a 6517 bay window, and a 6457 SP type rather frequently. It was 6465 tankers not too long ago. I may do short cattle cars, or 6014 type boxcars soon.

J White

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Postwar all the way!!! I love running these things and rarely stray. The only exeption is my Williams and K-Line GG1s and FM that try so hard to be postwar, My '82 Chicago and Alton steamer which I think is onw of the most beautiful steamers Lionel made. The sound of steam was also the “bees knees” when I was a small child. And an MPC milwake road F3 on a postwar chasis. I have a couple more engines not really worth mentioning that are non postwar/prewar in boxes. But I collect and run postwar!!! It is my passion. I am starting to really appreciate th MPC stuff 'cause thats Lionel when I was growing up as well as some LTI.

I hate to admit it though, the nicest item in my collection is a CC773. That is only because I couln’t afford an origonal. Should be getting my 763e though on thursday and I can work on bringing that back to life.

Yes I buy trains and fix 'em up. Sometimes you wind up ahead, sometimes you don’t. Once got a 2025 engine and tender for $60 in beautiful condition and only needed to replace smoke element and one side rod linkage. Someone has to do it or you will have heaps of trains rusting away. Think of it like this. When we go, what happens to the train collection? Let’s say some rich kid gets them all and trashes them. You are all cringing but stay with me. Now a train collector picks them up and restores them as they see them for what they are. He/or she is bringing a train back into society. Don’t you want to know their are people like this around? I like having these trains in my collection as I have pride running them.

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trainsand music,

I also grew up in the MPC-era, and have finally aquired most of what I wanted as a kid from this era of Lionel trains. For some reason, I collected the 8 factory-weathered 5700 series cars from that time. These are the only Lionel products I have ever “collected”, as I have not run them, and they are new in the box. With a larger layout that would change. Postwar Lionel was always the thing to have, growing up in the 70’s and early 80’s, but the prices and availabillity was not there for me. Fast forward to the computer age,and you can get anything you want, some pretty cheap!

Model building, building realistic scenery, repairing old trains, and researching products (in the form of all the books and forums out there), is my main enjoyment. Running the trains on the layout almost becomes second, although I enjoy doing that also.

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Why collect and operate Lionel Postwar?

Here are my reasons for doing so.

  1. Nostalgia. I remember my first electric train set, it was Christmas 1957 and I received an 027 set powered by the Lionel Missouri Pacific 205 Alco Diesel. Although I haven’t had my origional set for many years, by using train shows, online stores and Ebay, I have been able to collect the engine, all the cars and accessories that I had back then. This is still my favorite train set to run. This nostalgia was the reason for my present interest in building a 5 x 9 027 tubular track layout. I’m using 1122 remote and 1022 manual switches.

  2. Simple and more basic. Just as one would collect windup clocks even though there are modern electronic timepieces that are more accurate and and have all sorts of whistles and bells, so am I attracted to the more basic postwar trains. I enjoy tinkering with them and seeing them run. I have seen many of the modern train marvels with computer controls and an array of sound effects, they are wonderful to look at and see run, but I’m just not interested in having them for myself. As for sounds, I enjoy the natural sounds of the 0 gauge trains as they run around the track, with an occasional real whistle or horn sound.

  3. Cost. I have had great luck with all my Postwar Lionel purchases in keeping the cost down. My 205 diesel only needed a $10 E-unit rebuild kit to get it working great. All my other engines have not needed any new parts and only needed to be stripped down, cleaned adjusted and relubed to get them going again. This is a process I really enjoy, it might be similar to someone who rebuilds a classic car. I just love the basic mechanics. I also realize that I’m bringing life back to a cherished toy that brought happiness to at least one other owner in the past.

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Here’s a post war afternoon for ya -

Jim

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I also prefer the postwar trains. I like to tinker with the engines to improve their performance. The modern can motors require no maintenance, but lack the teaching value of the open-frame AC motors. Modern engines require an occasional lube and not much more. Most electronics repairs are beyond the capabilities of the average hobbiest.

I don’t think I have ever spent more then an hour to repair a postwar engine and I have never had to send a postwar engine out for repair. A complete dissassembly, major cleaning, and reassemblyight require a couple of hours.

I bought David Doyle’s book on Postwar Train Sets. I have enough postwar locos and freight cars to make many of the train sets. It is kind of fun to see a train set in an old Lionel catalog and then watch the actual train set run.

Earl