I’m new to the forum but a old time train buff thats been lurking and searching here and have a few questions that hopefully ya’ll can help me out.
Is there anyway to make a prewar loco get magnatraction. I have a 156 and 256 that are so top heavy that they just can’t take a turn without taking a dump. Can this be done without major mods?
I have been looking for a prewar #40 bulb. It’s a 18v screw type 1" round globe, no one in the world can help me find some. I don’t care for the 1445? teardrop shape bulbs.
check the classifieds in the back of Classic Toy Trains. there are dealers that handel prewar parts. George tebolt is one I remember off the top of my head.
Hello StubbsO- The answer to your first question is no as the 156 & 256 have Steel Sideframes for the motor & would cause interference with the Motor if Magne-Traction was added. This is why Aluminum sideframes are used in engines like the 2035,2046,2037,etc. Try Dr.Tinker’s Toy Train Parts for your Light Bulb as he has a website & should be able to help you out. Take Care
The number 40 is a T-3 1/4 with a miniature screw base, rated 150 milliamperes at 6.3 volts. The lamp you describe would be a G-8, which is too big to be likely to have a miniature base.
The number 1445 is a G-3 1/2 with a miniature bayonet base rated at 150 milliamperes at 18 volts and at 135 milliamperes at 14.4 volts. The corresponding screw-base lamp is 1447.
(Some of the bulb-shape codes are A for pear-shaped, G for spherical, S for a sphere atop an inverted cone, and T for tubular. The diameter is in eighths of an inch.)
The #432 is a larger sphere (about 1/2") and 18V miniature screw base. I ran across this one while looking for a similar sized 19v frosted sphere bulb. GE is is one of the companies that makes the #432.
I also have a prewar 256 electric locomotive. I only had troubles around tighter turns at first. One way I overcame this was to put a strip of good old silver duct tape along the top one of the outer rails. I only needed to put this on two sections of my 0-31 turn and nobody ever noticed the small strip of duct tape applied on the rail. The clothlike texture of the duct tape on one side was enough to pull my engine through the turn. I eventually went with a wider turn radius track (0-42) now it works fine without any help, but the duct tape did work for me.
Also, I agree with the others who listed Olsen Toy Train Parts and Dr. Tinker as great resources for prewar Lionel trains. Finally, for the bulbs, I have ordered and gotten good replacement bulbs from CT Lumination (website address: http://ctlumination.tripod.com/Page-3A.html). Take care.