I just bought a Lionel 2020 from 1946. It is completely original including the original lamp type smoke generator in working conditon. What can I use in place of the old pellets (I have none) to get smoke out of this thing? I know SP pellets won’t work but I don’t have any idea what might. I do intend to keep the engine all original so I am not considering converting it to an SP or oil unit.
I use the SP smoke pellets(or fractions of them) in the 1946 locos. Just don’t race them around O-27, or tip them over until the pellet material cools off & hardens. They’re much less caustic than the original pellets.
Rob
Have you had the shell off? If not, probably corroded. Old smoke pellets did that and the lamp type leaked all over the inside of the shell. If you are not a “train mechanic”, be careful or get someone who is to work on it. Get it cleaned up or more damage will happen. Just letting you know.
Thanks, Chief for the heads-up but I was aware of the problem before I bought it. I have had the shell off and the smoke unit open and it looks pretty clean inside. I took the boiler front off and looked it over as well as I could before I bought it. After I cleaned the brushes and holders I was able to get it running but poorly. It’s badly in need of a thorough clean/lube. The good news is that although it is dirty, it doesn’t look like it has ever been worked on and except for a missing cab ladder everything is there and undamaged. I’m kind of excited about finding this. I let one get away about 5 years ago and haven’t run across another since. It came with the original 2020W tender too.
That is a great find. Hope the cleaning and lube job gets it running better. Glad the front boiler and area around smoke unit was not bad. Good luck.
I finished a complete teardown, clean and lube of the engine and tender this week. Not much corrosion and everything came clean. It runs beautifully and even smokes with a drop of fluid in the lamp. I can’t use much at a time or it will spill. I think I might cut a little pad of something to hold the fluid and see how that works. I find this engine to be quite interesting because virtually every mechanical feature on it is different than anything else Lionel made during the Postwar period (except for the 726 made the same year).
Jim
Isn’t it satisfying to get an old toy train running well again? It never gets old with me, and always brings a smile to my face. The 671/2020 S2 turbines were one of Lionel’s very best steamers. Owning one of the originals from 1946 is a real treat. Good luck with it.
Jim
The old smoke pills melted and then ran down and caused corrosion. You are lucky that there was not too much and lots of damage.
Thanks for the kind comments. I actually enjoy doing this sort of work more than having a layout, which I haven’t had in about 2 years. I recently did 2 2023s. On one of them I removed the drive axle containing the wormwheel. I’ll NEVER do that again unless I absolutely have to. Actually my train repair days started back in the late fifties when I was in jr. high school. The E unit on my original 2023 failed because a drum axle and one of the retchet teeth broke off. I repaired it with a piece of nail for the axle and some copper wire for the tooth. The thing worked fine that way for years until I found a better unit for it. I still have that drum around here someplace, too.
Now that was a fix. EUnits and my big thumbs and fingers are not happy with each other. [:(]