I have been reading CTT fro 3+ years now and I am confused.
First a little background. My mom got a brand new at the time 1946 Lionel train set number 1417WS. Headed by a 2020 6-8-6 S-2 steam turbine locomotive. This train was under the Christmas tree every year for my entire childhood. So naturally I have a fondness for this locomotive.
What I am humbly requesting from all of you is a proper perspective on the post war 6-8-6’s proper place in Lionel and general O gauge history and their place mechanically speaking versus the other locomotives of its time.
it was a great seller foer Lionel. It’s a great running engine. I have a 671, and my uncle has a 2020. Both have been dependable for years. These can be found very easily, and a good prices.
The version you had differed from subsequent models. It had a different motor and smoke unit.
The 671/681 was one of Lionel’s iconic steamers of the post war era and was very popular. Still are to this day. Good examples are plentiful and relatively inexpensive. About the only negative thing one could say about these locomotives is that the 6-8-6 wheel configuration does make it a challenge to run through some switches at times.
Though the Lionel versions of the 6-8-6 turbine did well I believe that there was only one proto-type ever made. I still have my 2020 version from 1947 and upgraded it with TMCC and a liquid smoke unit. Runs like a champ even though the flanges are worn razor thin.
Holy cats, that’s a lot of hours/miles - I have several engines with 40+ years of my ownership & running that have no noticeable flange wear.
I literally ran the wheels off of my 1948-1949 671(they are now tightened up on the axles with Eastman 910 dripped in by capillary action) and it does not show any flange wear. I ran that thing for hours on end as a kid.
I’ve had a 671, and now have a 2020. The 671 I had was pretty worn out. Wheel flanges were razor thin, drive wheels wouldn’t turn by hand, but worked under track power. Sounded terrible doing it, though. The 2020 is much better, probably wasn’t used near as much.
The 2020 you are refering to is a different beast than what I’m posting about. 1946 was the first year for this engine. It had a smoke bulb instead of a smoke unit, the motor was different, the e-unit didn’t require a slot in the shell, and I think the motor powered two drivers, while the later models only powered one driver. Don’t know which one was better. Do know that these were popular engines in the Lionel heyday. When I think postwar Lionel, I think 2343 Santa Fe F-3’s, 2020 turbines, and 736 Berkshires. All are plentiful, and worth holding onto to if you have one, in my opinion. I think a 1946 2020 is a great piece of history! The first newly tooled postwar engine, with the first smoke unit, all tooled up the year after WWII ended.
I have two 1946 2020’s and a 1946 671 in addition to the later model.
One 2020 is a real “grinder” no matter how well assembled, serviced, & lubed. The other one is smooth, quiet, and FAST. The 1946 671 just grenaded the armature last week under power. One of the commutator segments of the “Atomic” motor just broke off. I’m getting the parts together for the repair.
I have a (2) 1946 2020’s and (2) 1946 671’s and 1947 2020’s and 671’s and some 681’s and 682’s…they are one of the best runners on my layout…they smoke great and just are fun to have…the 1946 versions had the atomic motor either red or black brushplates… and had a horzontal e-unit and had bulb type smoke units, often converted to later smoke units…no lever protruding out of boiler…very nice locomotives…i have restored many of these turbines that i have gotten over the years…took $50 turbines and made them into very nice and sellable items for a higher price than what i bought them for…Turbines might be the easiest loco to restore…all you need is a soldering iron, some screw drivers, simple tools, and the know how. Thanks.
I’m still a little confused. If this locomotive was/is so popular why do I not see it more in CTT and other publications/message boards… of am I just not seeing them.
Look at the add on the bottom of this page. There’s one right on the first magazine cover! The Lionel turbines have always been popular. It’s a great looking steamer.
You don’t need to have an advertisement on these engines ever 5 mintues to realize how popular they were and still are. I feel that they are the steam engine most produced by Lionel in the PW era. I have a 1946 2020/2020W and a 1950 681/2671W both in new condition. I had a 671/2671W that I used and it was a smooth runner.
Thats why I said “I feel”. Considering it ran from 1946 to 1955 in both 027 and 0 gauge lines, I would consider it to be a solid candidate. The Berkshire was only a top of the line 0 gauge model. There is a possibility that some cheap Scout engines are up there.
I understand and agree with what LS1Heli is saying about every 5 minutes. However I hope you all can understand my confusion (given my fondness for these locomotives) when I see one on the cover and not one mention of it in the entire magazine. In fact the main reason I started this thread was becasue I haven’t seen a mention of these locomotives in CTT in the 3+ years I have been reading it (with the exception of a turkey award given to the 671R). Also the mentions on this forum (in my perception) have been very few and far between. So I ask for a reality check (assuming I’m wrong) and some help in determining where all the PW 6-8-6 stuff is at in CTT and if my perception of this board is truly wrong.
I know that they were and continue to be very popular locomotives. More than a few of us have them. Some have several. They do come up as conversation fairly regularly here on the forum. My photographic memory is in the shop, so I can’t remember specifics of when articles about them ran in the magazine.
I’m of the belief that if you have a question or point to make about the turbines here, you will get some responses.
There was a great article about Lionel turbines in the February 1998 issue of CTT. You may still be able to get that issue in the back issues area of the CTT site.
Sorry for the obscure reference to CA(Super Glue - non-gel type).
Growing up near Rochester, NY, everything was Kodak. Eastman 910(the original “Super Glue”) was developed by a chemist at Kodak’s chemical division and was $6 or $7 for a little 7 gram bottle back in the 1970’s. Now it’s $1.00 for 5 tubes at WalMart.
Clean out the axle/wheel area with pressurized contact cleaner - I use the CRC spray can - and let it dry completely.
Making sure the wheelsets are all in quarter and the wheel is in the desired position on the axle, drip a tiny amount of glue onto the axle end and it will run right in to the gap where the wheel is loose. Wait 10 minutes, lube & go.
The nice thing about CA is that it has weak shear strength, so the wheel can always be pulled easily later if needed.
To sum it up, everyone has one. They run good, they pull good adn they smoke good. Speaking of smoke, easy to adjsut the “flapper” that pushes the piston up into the smoke unit. Get it to full travel up and down and she blows smoke rings.
