I have recently been getting intersted in postwar engines. As of now, I do not own any but I do plan on purchasing a some in the near future. I have read a lot of posts about the Greenberg’s Price Guide, so I plan on getting that so that I do not spend too much on a particular engine. That would be a good place to start right?
Where would be a good place to purchase some postwar engines? I have seen some on eBay but kinda reluctant becuase I dont want to buy something that I cannot fix just in case it is not in the condition the seller says. Is Trainz.com a good place to buy from for postwar? Are there other places like Trainz that sell postwar engines and do a service check on them?
I plan on just cleaning and doing some basic/minor repairs, restoration and maintenance. What is the best place to start for that? I have seen the “Greenberg’s Manual to Lionel Trains 1945-69” been mentioned alot. Are there any other books that would be useful for “BASIC” repairs and servicing to these older locos? I am a total newbie at this so the more basic the better.
I do not want to be overwhelmed, but I do want to start a hobby of getting some postwar locomotives running on my layout. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Postwar is great. While I have gotten into more modern pieces with Legacy, I have not gotten rid of any of my postwar. Perhaps I am an exception, as I notice a lot of folks selling off their older items for the new ones. There are several auctions besides eBay.
www.TheTrain-Station.com has one, as does www.ChooChooAuctions.com The train station checks all their items and tells you any specific problems, as does Trainz. Choo Choo mentions things if there is a noticeable issue, but may not check everything. Note: I have never had any problems with either. Another thing to keep in mind with auctions, you will be paying shipping for them, so figure at least $10 added to any price.
I certainly would get the Greenberg’s Repair manual. It has lots of information and beyond any major items, you should be able to tackle all the small ones. Also, in your area, you are bound to have some train stores that also do repairs. Where I am, the closest hobby store is 3 hours away.
Regarding the Greenberg price guide, the prices in there are for very good samples. You shouldn’t plan on paying that much unless it is as you see in the guide. A little advice, check the completed auctions on eBay to get an idea of current pricing. You should be able to get some very good deals between auctions and train shows. Another thought is that you may want to join the Train Collector’s Association and attend meets either local or the one at York, PA where some very good deals can be had.
There is plenty out there and at first, it is tempting to get some of everything. One plan that I went with was that since my first set was passed to me from my dad, it was a 1949 2020 set. I ended up collecting one of just about everything from the
Greenberg is a must for ideas on repairs and part numbers. I have had luck on ebay with engines. However, I have a lionel repair shop within an hours drive for more difficult repairs. I think you may find diesels a bit easier to repair, so that might be a good starting place.
Y-O-R-K (4+ buildings of PW; and be sure to use the test tracks to try before you buy)
Warman’s “Lionel Train Field Giude by David Doyle.” (The real start begins w/an offer of say 60% of book, or one grade+ cheaper - only after operational is demonstrated).
(4. And take your time … I started w/PW 15 yrs ago and only have scratched the surface).
Be sure ‘enjoying the ride’ is your only priority.
I like the PW Lionel S-2 turbines (671 681 2020) They are good runners and hard to kill. Easy to work on too. Diesel I always had a soft spot for the GP-9’s.
I too like the S-2 Turbines as well as the K-4 Pacifics. Those are the first PW engines I plan on looking for. I too have a soft spot but for Warbonnet Diesels, some day I would like to get a couple of those.
I will check out the other sites mentioned.
I also have been thinking about Williams Golden Memories for some of the engines that I find in PW that are out of my price range. It seems that alot of people have these and seem pretty happy with them. I was also thinking of the Lionel CC series but I am not sure if getting the Lionel name is worth the extara $100 or so more than a WBB Golden Memory engine. Any thoughts on that?
I have been talking with a guy in Utah that buys collections and then resells them. He and I agree that the prices of all the toy trains are down by a lot from what they were a few years ago. Greenberg’s prices may be high. My best advice is to go to swap meets where you can negotiate with the seller. I have gotten a few bargains at swap meet auctions: KW transformer for $30, a 51 switch engine for $50, 022 switches for $7.50 each with the controller, lantern, and power plug. The guy in Utah said a lot of collections are for sale as people are trying to raise money for daily living expenses. Bruce Baker
Absolutely Williams (over others) for PW Memory class items. Why? Because Williams offers a no quibble "lifetime/return to factory" warranty and the others don’t. Both features: priceless (as the commercial goes). (Lionel is actually made by the same factory in China that owns/produces the Williams name, so by all means: buy the train & not the name).
Do you want postwar trains or postwar-looking trains? I personally like the “real” stuff because some kid played with it in the '40s and early '50s. But I’m 68, so it’s a nostalgia thing for me.
I’d stay away from eBay unless you can return it. I agree that TRAINZ is a very safe on-line dealer to buy from. I think you live near Allentown, but their next BIG show is not until November. Join the TCA and drive the approx. 2 1/2 hours to York…the largest train meet in the world every April and October.
I’m 65, had Lionel trains in the '50s, sold them in the early '60s, and then started collecting postwar in the mid-'80s - a familiar story on this forum. I collected most all of my “stuff” when prices were near their peak. But as I collected them for my personal enjoyment, and not as an investment, that is OK.
There are a lot of service manuals out there, and mine all came from Ebay. I also suggest subscribing to Classic Toy Trains, and getting as many back issues as you can. The various “value” books by Greenberg or Touhy are fine, but don’t place a lot of store on the numbers as they can seriously vary depending on timing, location, perception of condition, etc., etc.
As far as collecting is concerned, I suggest you get the highest quality pieces you can. Of course you can get “place holder” pieces, but the high quality stuff will have a much more lasting and stable value. Oh, don’t forget the boxes… While they can be a pain to store and preserve, they add significant value to any piece you have.
Ha, wish you lived near by, we could maybe make a “deal”!
I do want some Lionel postwar trains but I am not going to limit myself to postwar. I am 35 and did not own any and my father had an American Flyer, so the nostalgia part is not why I like them. I like to run conventionally and will never (should say problably never) have any of the more advanced technology like Legacy or TMCC. I like the simplicity of the pw trains and the longevity of them too. I think that is would be really cool to run a train that is 50 years old. I also am getting into pw so that I can start doing some restoration projects in the future with some of these pw locos. I enjoy working on classic cars and did some work on restoring a few cars and really would like to do the same with some pw locos.
I am also interested in Williams due to their simplicity and realibility. I dont know if I will ever get to buy any PW F3s so that is why I would think about buying some williams or may purchase a steam loco or two.
It may not matter to you, but cosmetically ‘restoring’, by painting, most genuine PW which is in say condition 6 or better, will significantly LOWER its value. Of course, if it’s already pretty shabby, it woun’t matter, unless it’s a rare piece, and you may enjoy the process and the result.
I endorse the suggestions which let you see and touch the trains before you buy. You will find that some quite attractive and good running PW Lionel steamers in nice condition don’t command high prices, possibly because they are relatively common.
Another good book to get is Doyle’s Standard Catalog of Lionel Train Sets 1945-1969. Lots of info on what Lionel made and when it was made. I second the above comments on Trainz. I’ve had good luck with them.
Doyle copied enough of his book from Ambrose’s Greenberg book that Ambrose successfully sued him over it. I gave away my copy after discovering numerous elementary errors in it.
The best advice I could give to someone starting out in PW Lionel is to take your time and don’t rush into anything. I have Doyle’s PW Lionel book and his Flyer book, and as Bob noted there are too many errors for me to be confident in any of the info.
I agree with you 100% I was thinking of restoring only some PW engines that I would purchase that have already been re-painted and or below like you say condition 6. I think it is like repainting a classic muscle car, I would try to keep them original as possible but if they are a basket case and I can bring them back to life then I think that would be the most satisifaction to me.
Thanks for the advice, I do plan on taking my time. I have a couple of books but nothing about PW so I will look into all of them. I am on a relatively humble budget, so I know that I will be making big purchases (something like over $100 is big to me) like once or twice a year. Going to budget myself to $20/month and whatever I get for my birthday and Christmas. And what ever old hobbies and other stuff that I can sell on eBay to put into the train fund.