I have recently acquired a 226E Lionel steam locomotive in excellent condition. It has the pre-war “box latch” coupler on it. I would like to rig up an adapter car with a pre-war wheel set and coupler on one end and a post-war wheel set and coupler on the other. This will allow me to run my post war and modern era cars behind it. My idea was to use a scout box car with weight added for this. The problem with this is getting the pre-war wheel set. Any ideas on where to get this? Thanks in advance.
George
Just use a postwar tender, or get a cheap postwar gondola or what you find and put the trucks from it on your prewar tender. I know people balk at this but I have done it when I didn’t consider the tender real valuable. You may have to make a drawbar to adapt a postwar tender.
The tender that came with it is a really nice six axle tender. Those stamped metal sideframes on the trucks I think are classic. So, I would like to use the original render and keep it prestine.
George
I just got a common boxcar and change one of the trucks to a prewar coupler.
Where is a good place to find the pre-war trucks and couplers?
George
Didn’t Lionel make an adaptor for this purpose. I remember in my fathers junk box a simple thing that hung on the pre-war coupler and projected a “T” that dropped into a post-war coupler. We didn’t use it because so many used trucks of both kinds were available that we made an adaptor car. The thing to do is to rummage through the junk boxes at the train shows. Its a good way to learn about these trains and maybe they can give you ideas.
Yes, Lionel did make an adapter that fits over a prewar coupler pin. I don’t recall the vendor but I do know that accurate replicas are available.
I agree! I remember buying some but I don’t know where I put them. I have since aquired several freight cars that someone had already converted on end to latch couplers or the other way. I have a couple of nice prewar cars that the conversion cut the sheet metal end out. A shame but I figure one must go with the flow.
I made this adaptor coupler thingy. Here is a picture of it.
It don’t look pretty but it works great!!
By all means hunt down a reproduction of the Lionel #TT-100 or #TS-162 latch to knuckle adapter. Do not alter the locomotive or tender.
The 226E with the 2226 die-cast 12 wheel tender is one of the most collectible of the pre-war locomotives. In “excelant” condition it markets for $500 or more. Half the price is in the Tender. The 2226W tender was also used on the 763 simi-scale Hudson. After the war, with post war 6 wheel trucks, it was used on the 1950 773 Hudson and the 1946 to 1949 726 Berkshire.
On the 226E the hand rails are held on with metal stantions, piping detail is added, it uses the same “smoke box front” as the scale Hudson. Built between 1938 and 1941 it was normally sold in sets with the Simi-Scale 2900 series freight cars or the 12 wheel Manhattan passenger cars. If you have the cars ? $$$