Many of us have Lionel Postwar engines. Most all of them, if kept in good condition over the years, still run strong today, after 50 years. Some prewar trains are still running after 70 years. But how long will these postwar engines really keep running? Probably almost forever on replacement parts, but on their original wiring and motors, you have to wonder, will these last another 50 years?? Non-operating pw accessories and operating cars will probably outlast any of the other operating products, but the ones that will live the longest will probably be the track and cars. So, my recommendation, take care of your pw engine, run it often, keep it lubercated, and let it last another 50 years.
Grayson
"Lionel trains are the standard of the world" - Jousha Lionel Cowen
Of course there are a lot more 50-year-old trains out there than 100-year-old ones if only because a lot more of them were made, but if you look it's certainly possible to find Lionel, Voltamp, Knapp, Carlisle & Finch, and other electric trains from the first few years of the 20th century. Most examples you find run too. They were very expensive playthings in their day, so the people who could afford them tended to take care of them.
If you use postwar-era engines the way they're designed to be used and store them in a climate-controlled environment to keep rust away, and give them proper maintenance, there's no reason postwar engines can't run indefinitely.
Dave Farquhar wrote: Of course there are a lot more 50-year-old trains out there than 100-year-old ones if only because a lot more of them were made, but if you look it's certainly possible to find Lionel, Voltamp, Knapp, Carlisle & Finch, and other electric trains from the first few years of the 20th century. Most examples you find run too. They were very expensive playthings in their day, so the people who could afford them tended to take care of them.If you use postwar-era engines the way they're designed to be used and store them in a climate-controlled environment to keep rust away, and give them proper maintenance, there's no reason postwar engines can't run indefinitely.
I own a lot of postwar and a few prewar engines. I always disassemble the engine and give it a good cleaning and lubrication before running it. After the cleaning/lube they generally run as good or better then when they were new. The only part I have ever had to replace was a roller assembly on a prewar engine. I replaced the roller for asthetic reasons. The previous owner had broken off one of the rollers and soldered it back on. It didn't look very good so I replaced it. I have never even replaced any brushes.
I am sure you could wear out the engines if they were run constantly on a display layout. Even so, there are plenty of spare parts avalable. The weakest points would probably be the bushings for the armature and wheels, the brush plate and brushes, and the e-unit. I am not including any electronics for whistles or chuff sounds. The rest of the parts are nearly indestructable with normal use.
Earl
I have some pre war stuff and some post war stuff too, the pre war keeps on running just like in the Energizer Battery commercials the Bunny keeps on going. So far all I have had to do on my pre war locomotive is to replace a set brushes and a set of leading wheels(the front set of wheels on a steam loco), it is a 249E from 1939, my 224E still runs great for being from 1941 the brushes are wearing down but not replaced as yet, besides lubrication of the locomotives. Have two pre war dump cars that still work great, need the uncoupling track to operate and have electric couplers on the cars like the 2653.
The post war steam locomotives that I have bought needed a little work to get running again, clewaning the E-units and lubricating every axle or wheel.
To me the post war stuff is more dependable than modern day Lionel.
Lee F.
My postwar trains will still run strong long after I'm dead and gone.
I have my dad's old trains from when he was a kid [born in 1912], his first engine was a rare 4-4-4 #152 that runs like a scalded cat till it died. 1 new commutator later and it's flying again, the only other things done to it is the clean, lube, and new brushes thing. Same for his #256 loco.
NOW, if only I could find some curves as big as Indy, or banked like Daytona so I can run it without derailing would be jake. It's that or I chop the top and make it a low rider and install Magnatraction, but that isn't going to happen. So now the only running it gets is lying on it's side with the transformer connected to it.
Real railroads reuild locos all the time but don't seem to change the builders date.
This may not always be true with Diesels but seemed to the practice with steam.
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