Been busy on the REAL railroad, and finally got a chance to get caught up. We are a go to start the layout around the circumferance of our game room. In the meantime, I got the track and engine up and running around the Xmas tree lol…
2 items I’ve found to be problems on the 675 2-6-2 engine. 1: The headlight does not work. THe actual light socket is missing. The light is in a clip on the inside of the front “boiler” cover, and the wires are actually soldered to the light base. The light does not work 2: I bought repro smoke pellets, and put them down the stack. Nope…nada…no smoke. What’s the best way to troubleshoot the smoke unit?
Also, any maintenance tips on oiling/cleaning the brushes, gears, etc? I got a book but it’s not what I was looking for…I’m looking for a good maintenance book for Lionel stuff.
Olsen’s Toy Train Parts will fix you up with the light parts you need, as well as any smoke units parts. However, you should only put ONE pill at a time down the stack. More than one will clog the smoker and it will not smoke at all.
Did this engine EVER work with smoke pills? I believe the very early units used the light to activate them, so, no light, no smoke. My 675 works fine with smoke fulid. I don’t know if it had been converted, but I seem to remember reading that the later “pill units” (non light-activated) also work with fluid. Joe
Check if the smoke unit has a heater element, electric heating coil. If not it may be the bulb style mentioned. If it has a coil check for continuity or resistance to determin if it is intact. There are kits available to convert a pill smoke unit to liquid, I did this a number of years ago on my 2020. I don’t know the part numbers or where available, I bought mine at a train shop up in MD that is no longer there.
Just to clear up one point: The bulb smoke system was never used on the 675 (or the 027-numbered 2025). Lionel used it on just three engines for one year (1946) – the 2020 & 671 turbines, and the 726 Berkshire. In 1947, Lionel moved to the heating element. The 675 and 2025 were only introduced in 1947, and had the heater-type smoke system from the beginning.
I just happen to have my 773 open on the bench right now; so I measured it for you–18 ohms. I don’t know whether this might be a little higher than for other locomotives, since the 773 generally wants higher voltage; but it should be close in any case.
Here is the step by step proceedure for disassembling a 675/2025:
Pull boiler front out of boiler casting, then pull socket out of clip on front.
Remove screw securing front truck, then remove the screw that is now exposed (holds smoke unit.
Remove screw from each center driver and also the screws that hold eccentric cranks to boiler. This allows the eccentric cranks and crosshead rods to be removed.
Remove two screws holding steam chest to boiler, then slide steam chest forward to remove.
Remove transverse screw pin from fireman’s (left) side of boiler.
Finally, remove the screw from the top of the boiler to complete disassembly.
To reassemble, simply follow the steps in reverse order. Hope this Helps.
Take some digital pics of each view/angle of the loco for reassembly reference.
Also yallaen, it may LOOK like the wire for the headlamp is soldered to the bulb, but a close inspection should reveal that the bulb is screwed in to a threaded brass sleeve that clips into the boiler front.
Once you get things open, you might want to take a look at the smoke unit and clean things out while you’re in there.
To open the smoke unit, just stick a screwdriver in the big hole in the center, and pry out the cap. Sometimes it will take a fair amount of force, since the old pellets tend to act like glue and some were even glued shut at the factory.
You can use a variety of solvents to clean things out, and then I’d suggest using a drill bit to ream out the small air hole. This should get things working very nicely.
Took the steamer apart…kinda dirty inside. I took some pics, but don’t know how to post them here. My wife has Shutterfly, and I posted them to Shutterfly…how do I get the URL’s to put here so people can see the pics and what I’m talking about?
So, would it be better to upgrade to the “newer” version of the smoke pellet, or even better, to upgrade to the liquid smoke unit?
I have the 1447 bulb, but no brass socket. without the socket…could I do what the previous owner did? SOlder the wire to the bulb bottom? I tested the current light with an ohm meter, and am getting resistance, so I know it’s a good bulb…perhaps the bulb is too “big” and is why it’s not working?
Also…the inards of this thing are really gunky and dirty. The brushes ride on a…strator (can’t remember electrical names). I was thinking of using rubbing alcohol to clean all the gunk up. I also have GooGone…which worked great on the O22 switches I had…
I only have 3 in One household oil for wheels, etc. That ok? I dont have any grease/lube…can something that can be used be bought at hardware store or automotive store? I’d like to get this thing back together in time for Xmas lol…and I dont know if I’ll have time to get to the local hobby store
“So, would it be better to upgrade to the “newer” version of the smoke pellet, or even better, to upgrade to the liquid smoke unit?”
Either way, the pellet type element is only about 6.50 and can be used with liquid or pellets.
“I have the 1447 bulb, but no brass socket. without the socket…could I do what the previous owner did? SOlder the wire to the bulb bottom? I tested the current light with an ohm meter, and am getting resistance, so I know it’s a good bulb…perhaps the bulb is too “big” and is why it’s not working?”
The bulb gets it’s ground connection from the spring holder on the boiler front, so it has to be all together to work - snapped in to the boiler front & boiler front grounded through the frame to the outside rails.
“Also…the inards of this thing are really gunky and dirty. The brushes ride on a…strator”
Commutator.
“(can’t remember electrical names). I was thinking of using rubbing alcohol to clean all the gunk up. I also have GooGone…which worked great on the O22 switches I had…”
That’s all fine.
“I only have 3 in One household oil for wheels, etc. That ok? I dont have any grease/lube…can something that can be used be bought at hardware store or automotive store?”
That’s fine too. Very sparingly oil all axles - that includes the armature & all gear axles. The engine will run well. I use Mobil 1 full synthetic in a needle oiler(less than .16/oz.) and Lucas Red 'n Tacky grease(~$5.00 for a lifetime supply at NAPA). Grease is for gears.
“I’d like to get this thing back together in time for Xmas lol…and I dont know if I’ll have time to get to the local hobby store”
You’ll get it together. Might not smoke at Christmas this year, but it’s serviceable for running for sure.
excellent! I’ll grab the grease at O’Reilly Auto…and use the goo gone and rubbing alcohol…if I can get the light to work…that would be bonus…alas, no smoke.
I do have another question about the smoke. There is a bar that goes under the cup? How does the whole smoke thing actually work? I know the heater heats the liquid or pellet. But does that bar hit the cup or something? My cup is horribly corroded
Good morning. I was wondering where you picked up the needle oiler. I wasted my money on a lube kit from a hobby store. no oiler included, and it was much more expensive than buying what you did. Next time I’ll check the forum before a purchase [8D]
That is not corrosion, it’s actually hardened smoke pellet residue from overfilling the smoke unit or tipping the loco while still hot. The common misconception with pellet-type smokers was “more is better”, but actually one pellet was good for sometimes years of operation for most seasonal operators. There is that first “plume” for the first minute after a new pellet is pretty impressive, but once the output tapers off, it will smoke for hours. Adding another, which almost always happened, causes overfilling & spillage.
You need to clean up & clean out your smoke unit. The lower cup riding on the smoke lever
is the piston, the upper part connected to the smoke bowl is the cylinder. The lever is actuated by the crosshead, another tricky part to reassembling a 675.
Study these pics for your 675 to get an idea of how it all goes together:
I started with Labelle Oilers, 1/2 oz. bottle (101,104,107,108) and I refill with 0W-20 or 5W-30 Mobil 1.
I also have a few precision oilers form Radio Shack. I’m not sure if they carry them any more, with the terrible direction those stores have gone in recent years.
2: I bought repro smoke pellets, and put them down the stack. Nope…nada…no smoke. What’s the best way to troubleshoot the smoke unit?
