Lionel 3357 Cop & Hobo car help needed

Classic Toy Trains Forum
1

At a local train show I have just aquired a Lionel 3357 Hydraulic Maintenance Cop & Hobo car. Would anyone know how I could come up with instructions on how to set it up? I have all the pieces, the car with its elevated mechanism, the tower that goes over the track and the cop an hobo.

2

David,

I sent you a P. M.,

Ralph

3

bump

4

Dave,

Disregard my P.M.

You are correct regarding the Lionel #3357 Cop & Hobo Hydraulic Maintenance Car.
I confussed this car with the Lionel #66 Hydraulic Platform Maintenance Car,

If, you want free copies of the Instruction Info., P.M. me with your contact Info.

Ralph

5

If it is the older Lionel platform maint car, a.k.a. cop & hobo, the platform works with regular 027 and 031 to 072 track, should work with Atlas solid rail track, to the best of my knowledge it won’t work with Fastrac or Realtax because the track base is too wide.

You assemble the tower then put it over the track and insert the metal rod under the track to hold the tower together. On the tower there are slots in the plastic pieces that must face to the inside as the plastic figuires use these slots to go thru the tower. To adjust the heigth of the cop & hobo car that is something that you will have to play with, there are two screws on the top of the platform, use a screwdriver to adjust the screws, that have springs underneath them to adjust the heigth of the cop & hobo platform. The cop & hobo should gently swap positions without falling off the platform. If they don’t stay on the platform going around the layout one of two things is wrong; one) the magnet is too weak in the platform, two) the small metal piece is missing under the cop or hobo figuire or you have the wrong figuires. On the figues there should be four small protrosions of a plastic piece(one on each corner) that the figueres use to go throw the platform.

Sometimes it takes several minutes to adjust the platform so that your figuires change positions easily.

Lee F.

6

Lee, thanks for your reply! I’ll follow your instructions and see what happens.

7

Dave,

I forgot to mention that my unit is a Lionel, M.P.C., newer version.

I’m not sure if it’s the same, but you’re more than welcome to have a copy.

Ralph

8

The MPC era should be the same as the post war Lionel platform car, maybe a differant name on the car but otherwise should be the same mechanically.

Lee F.

9

Thanks, Lee F.,

I have the newer version, but I was not sure if there were any differences.
I would hate to give wrong info.

Merry Christmas,

Ralph