Thank you SOOOO very much to all who have helped me out here. I cleaned each and every wheel and wiped down the entire track surface with alcohol. I am happy to announce thee engine is pulling much better although now it is all over my nice new white t-shirt!
I did a lot of research on how best to clean the cars themselves. I started with a new, soft paintbrush and was shocked at how much crud came off the littlest details of the cars. I happened to notice, while cleaning with the alcohol, that some of the c"coating" of dirt came off on the rag leaving an almost pristine paint on the car below. I am sure rubbing down a car with alcohol is probably a huge no-no I was wondering what you experts use to clean old cars you might discover and how best to go about maintaining once they are cleaned?
Sorry if this is a lot for one post but you have all been so very, very helpful to me (a novice) that I am worried I might lose you all in a new thread!
Thanks, this worked well. I made an error with the number…it is a 2026, not a 2028. I am not sure if that changes anything in your discussion. The 2026 is in very good shape as it has not “seen the light of day” in well over 50 years. The paint is just slightly dulled on the numbers, but only on the very top and on the left side. The right side is pristine.
I use a weak solution of Ivory Liquid Dish detergent, in a spray bottle, a soft bristle tooth brush, Rinse using a spray bottle with plain water and blow it off with compressed air at low pressure to clean old cars, etc. If it is just dusty a soft bristle bruch and compressed air at low pressure.
The 2026 came in 2 versions:
A 2-6-2 wheel arraingment in 1948-49. No magnatraction
A 2-6-4 wheel arraingment in 1951-53. Magnatraction
I do not have either version.
Since I had some time to myself this morning, I did a test. Since we are talking about steamers I used a 685: Hudson, 2065 Hudson, 646 Hudson, 736 Berkshire and a 681 Turbine. To keep it fair I used the same tender and cars for each. Not including the tender, they all pulled 15 cars (That is what you were looking for) with no problem. They all used the same track, Lionel Fast Track. Since you asked if the 90 watt transformer was powerful enough, I hooked up a Type 1033, 90 watt transformer. No hesitation from any engine. The common denominators: All were built (including transformer) between 1950-1956. All engines were cleaned and lubed. All cars were cleaned and lubed. Same cars were used. Track was cleaned. Testing was done on a 36" radius. I tested it again on Lionel O gauge 31" radius and I got the same results. I do not have a 27" radius (027 track). Are you using 027 track?
I think that I am going back and see how many they will pull.
WOW thanks a lot. I have Fastrack that I am using…I just ordered it after talking with someone so I am not sure of the specific # but it makes ~ a 60" circle. I have it in more of an oblong setup right now. The 2026 is a 2-6-2 setup. As for power it seems the engine strains a bit on the lower end. I am guessing I have to “get the engine up to speed” and then back off the throttle to get to the cruising speed I want for under the tree? I would like the cars to go by at a slower pace so people can appreciate them and their detail.
I like to involve my kids in everything I do so they learn and I guess my daughter got a little too much oil on one of the trucks. I cleaned everything and it works much better and they are having a blast!
It appears I might have been bitten by the “bug” and have been poking around looking at the Tuscan Stripe Congressional GG-1. Looks like a fine engine and it come with dual motors. Do you know if they are still being produced…or reproduced? I would like to have a passenger train to go along with this set.
Most of these layouts are being erun by tmcc/legacy or DCS as we now can run trains by remote control and even couple and un couple the engine about anywhere on the layout with the remote controll which brings in a whole new level.
On a 4’x8’ Layout, Lionel FastTrack used, Flat, no grades ZW Transformer, Cars used were Holiday Cars or 6464 type box cars, plus Holiday Caboose. Tender was not counted as a car.
The maximum number of cars that can fit before touching the Loco: 18.
Results: All of the previous engines tested pulled the cars with no problem.
Conclusion: The most powerful Lionel Locomotive is the one that is cleaned, lubed and serviced properly, along with good clean track and cars that are maintained.
Robert, GG1’s are another of my favorites but I only have 2 on my roster. One is a Lionel 2332 and the other is a K-Line with TMCC that I purchased thru the K-Line Club a number of years ago. Like RT said to go check out the Williams GG1. Check the latest ads in CTT.
I had fun with this. This is the first time that I put my engines in a fair test with each other.
I have a Rail King Big Boy (modified for O27) that long ago lost its traction tires. Since It is heavy enough without them to pull anything I’ve got, I never replaced them. Without the tires, it has an interesting behavior resulting from unequal weight on the engines, that I really like: As the train starts, I can bump the voltage up a little, to make the more lightly weighted engine slip for a second or two, in stereotypical steam-locomotive fashion. Then I back off slightly to let the wheels grab.
**Bob…**don’t you have a dual-motored (you added the second motor and geared trucks?) early postwar AA Alco pair with magnetraction? I seem to recall you said the powered unit was a really good puller, almost as good as a dual motored postwar F3. Maybe that was another poster.
It does sound interesting RT. I will love to see the results. I have the tri Engine Santa Fe 2353 A-B-A F3s packed away. I thought of pulling them out from the strorage room above the garage, but theyhave not been run in years and I would sevice them first. The only PW diesel that I have out is a a 6250 Seaboard NW-2 Switcher.
just recently serviced and all my 2356 Southern set is in its original boxes on a shelf in the train room, I’m wait on my 736 to come in with its 2046W tender so I will have 2 complete PW sets the 2265WS ( 736) even have set box for that one, with all its boxes the 2231W I have all the pieces and there original boxes but no set box even thou theres one on ebay now I don’t think its worth almost $400.00 in the condition it is in. maybe $100 ( at the most and would have to think hard on that) but if you look good you can see its solid but rough at the same time. http://www.ebay.com/itm/LIONEL-2231W-SOUTHERN-ABA-SET-BOX-ONLY-/370594949340?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item56492e28dc
Now for power I wouldn’t mind entering my NYCPA-1’s as there pretty powerfull also I know there not PW but the author didn’t say PW in the title but for Diesel pw I like the 2359 B&M but its not the most powerful by any means but guess I had it as a child and wish I still did
Nope. Neither version of the 2026 has MagneTraction. I’ve owned mine since it was new in 1951, and I can tell you from personal knowledge that it has smoke and whistle, but no MagneTraction.
The 1951-1953 2026 was a 2036 w/o MageTraction… magnetic material was in short supply, but Lionel included smoke in its stead. The restoration of MageTraction and retention of smoke resulted in the 2037.
I do have a two-motor Alco set, which can walk away with just about anything.
The Korean-War 2-6-4 2026 indeed lacked magnetraction. It has been suggested that its slightly larger middle drivers were intended to enhance the magnetraction originally planned for it, by insuring that those wheels always contacted the rails. As it turned out, they only made it a locomotive that can rock fore-and-aft on level track. (If you’ve got one, try it!) I replaced the worn-out motor in mine with a 2037 motor.
This thread is very interesting. I like the sounds of Bob’s Rail King Big Boy!
I have been running a 2025 for a bit now and that is probably my best puller. I recently acquired a 2035 which has yet to go thru the boiler shop. This is the same engine except w/ magnatraction. It will be interesting to see the difference in performance.
Oh, and for the guy who started this thread, I also have a 2-6-2 2026. While not the big puller it is the nicest smoker. This one makes these neat rings.