First post on this side of the fence - just acquired some pre-war Lionel

[rrinker]

Friend uncovered a box of Lionel equipment while cleaning out her house to move. Her son has no interest, nor does anyone else in her family. She sent me a few pictures of it, and what limited knowledge of vintage Lionel equipment I have identified the loco and cars as pre-war (yeah, real specific, I know). I am not a collector, so I really wasn't all that interested other than perhaps helping her get a fair value for them. She took them to someone whom she's used to dispose of other things and SUPPOSEDLY knows something about old toy trains - well, he said no, they were post-war, and were of value only for parts, and offered her $50 for the box. She decided to just give them to me instead. The Loco is a 1666, one valve rod is broken off at the eccentric crank. The tender is a 2689W, the wire from the roller to the whistle mechanism has been replaced with modern wire, and part of the guide around the coupler pickup is broken off. Also in the box are a 2680 Shell tank car, a 2620 floodlight car (lens cracked, wire replaced with modern wire), a 3659 with what looks to be the original wiring but the dump mechanism is freely spinning, and a 2657 caboose. Also in the box is a very bad shape coal elevator (dented, roof missing - but the solenoid gate still moves freely and the bucket crank turns and all the buckets are on the chain. There are a couple of badly damaged accessories, an actuator button for the coal dock, and the control switch for the operating track, though that appears to be missing (I'm expecting the type with the extra 2 rails between the center and outside rails, to operate the couplers and the dump car). There is an assortment of 0-27 track as well as a pair of 1121 remote switches and the controller. And finally, a 1040W transformer with whistle button. I wouldn't trust it long term, that's an OLD cord, but it's not frayed, so I hooked up a couple of pieces of track and put the loco on it. It need to be cleaned and lubed, it moved a little. The whistle does work though. It's all obviously been used, there are no boxes, and there are dents, dings, paint chipped, and some rust spots on various pieces. But I think $50 was probably a ridiculously lowball figure. Any suggestions? --Randy

[Firelock76]

I see you model the Reading Railroad, so I'm assuming (I may be assuming too much, mind you) you live in eastern Pennsylvania.  You may want to contact these folks for Lionel repair parts and advice.

www.henningstrains.com

I was there about a month ago and it's a very impressive shop, with great people as well.

And yes, I'd say given the potential of what you've got $50 was pretty darn good.

I'm not sure if you want to keep them or re-sell them, but I'd see Hennings just the same.

[rtraincollector]

Best suggestion would be to wipe it all off good with a damp cloth and take pics of everything and list it on ebay under lionel prewar and state as is and maybe start what you paid and see where it goes to be honest thou no one can even begin to tell you value with out pics of every thing. 

[Penny Trains]

You've got a very nice train set there!  A bit of cleaning, lubricating and repairing would certainly yield a set worth a lot more than 50 bucks!  Lionel's were, and still are, built to last.  But be careful, you may find O gauge a lot more infectious than you think!  

Becky

[rrinker]

Very familiar with Henning's. It's a bit of a ride these days, but I used to live near there and was there frequently. I bought some of my scale stuff there, and I also bought a cheap Lionel set there one year many years ago as I was determined to have a train around the tree and the transformer on my Dad's old 1948 Scout set finally bit the dust. Cheapy 2-4-0 plastic set, with the roller wheel filled with gravel "chuff" in the tender. But at least I had a train around the tree. I did a little eBay research, not that this is anything remotely official but seeing prices of completed items gives me a pretty good idea of what I could get for some of this stuff. Items like the caboose in this condition seem to be worth no more than $2, but I saw a few instances of this loco and tender, not looking any better than this one, go for well over $50. Since some of it has already been repaired, I have no qualms about opening up the loco and cleaning it all up and fixing anything that might need help - though I think a good cleaning and lube and it will run fine. It moved a little but was very stiff (plus I only hooked a couple of pieces of straight track together, so it didn't have anywhere to go anyway - and the rails are quite dirty), and the E-unit didn't want to cycle (also probably just needs some cleaning, it was buzzing when the switch was in the proper position, but it wasn't cycling the contacts). Whistle was a bit dull until I held it on for a while, also pretty indicative of old sticky oil and grease. I'm not sure I want to get rid of it, but it doesn't fit in with my planned basement HO layout, although one thing I could do is clean and repair it all and run a ceiling height shelf around my office and run it there. I want it to run, no offense to the collectors out there, but I don't ever buy things just to display them (except paintings and railroadania), and I really don't want it going to someone who will just pull all the good pieces out of each car and trash the rest. So I will probably end up fixing it all up and setting it up somehow, somewhere. Hmm, we do need a coffee table in the living room.. seems like N scale is usually the choice there, but a simple O-27 oval isn't really all that big. I'm guessing something like the MRC AC pack (like the Trainpower 027 or Throttlepack 100) will be plenty to run this, and work the whistle? I'm not super concerned with it all being period correct - ESPECIALLY with the part that plugs into AC house current! --Randy

[rrswede]

Randy, you have a good eye to differentiate between pre and post war. Your set was probably from before 1938. I have a Lionel set No. 1095 from 1938. It consisted of the 1666 locomotive, 2689 tender with whistle, 3659 dump car, 2680 tank car, 2680 floodlight car, 2657 caboose, 96 manually operated coal elevator with 160 bakelite unloading bin, a pair of 1121 electric remote controlled switches with 1121c controller, 10 sections of straight track, 5 sections of curved track, a 1019 remote control section of track with controller, a UTC lockon, and a 1041 60 watt transformer. All the cars had electric couplers. The original selling price was $29.50. The set sat in storage from 1954 until 2009, when after attending a large train show with one of my grandsons and seeing the prices sellers were getting, I decided to resurrect my set for all of the grandchildren to enjoy. Google the various Lionel part numbers and compare your equipment to similar equipment that has been auctioned or sold on ebay to get a feel for value. At $50, you would be worse than ripped off. At the train show 5 years ago, a 1666 with tender, without boxes and with normal wear, sold for more than $100 and a 96 coal elevator in similar condition sold for $75. Depending on condition, the various cars were selling from a low of $25 to $65. If you have any interest in resurrecting any of the items you have acquired and have a little mechanical and electrical aptitude, don't hesitate to dig in. As previously mentioned, you may get hooked. Congratulations on your great fortune, Swede

[cwburfle]

 At the train show 5 years ago, a 1666 with tender, without boxes and with normal wear, sold for more than $100 

In my area, a 1666 with the correct tender is not going to fetch $100.

Sounds like the original poster received a very nice train set.
Were I in his place, I'd clean them up and keep them.

Years ago, Louis Hertz recommended using a little light oil on a soft cloth to clean tin trains.
He also recommended doing a little test cleaning on a hidden spot to see whether any damage is being done. (a very good idea!)
Usually I use a little WD-40 or CRC 2-26 on a soft cloth for cleaning tinplate.

[Firelock76]

I guess it's OK to use a little oil on a cloth to clean dirty surfaces, but I wouldn't leave an oil film on a painted surface.  Eventually the oil's going to penetrate any flaws in the paint and lift it off.  To protect a painted surface you're better off with a paste wax.  If you live in a climate controlled house (AC with de-humidifier) you may not need a surface protectant at all.

On bare metal, use all the oil you like.

[cwburfle]

Eventually the oil's going to penetrate any flaws in the paint and lift it off.

CRC 2-26 and WD-40 leave a rather thin film. Some of my stuff was cleaned and protected with it over 40 years ago, and so far no problem.  I guess that this stuff could accelerate the separation of loose paint.

If you go with wax, make certain it does not have any cutting agents. Some car waxes used to have cutting agents, but maybe that is ancient history.
I have used Johnsons Paste wax here and there.

On the recommendation of a fellow collector, I have experimented with Zymol car wax on some junk trains. So far, I like the results.
The problem with any cleanings is getting the stuff (both the dirt and the cleaning agent) out of corners, cracks and crevasses

[LL675]

that sounds like a nice Christmas Layout. I got my first 1666, and it had spent some time in a wet box in a basement. A little cleaning and oil, and it runs like new, Defiantly worth more than the $50 offered. I'love to have a box given to me like that!

[rrinker]

Doubt it's from BEFORE 1938, all the online guides I have found suggest that these items were all made between 1938 and 1942. I've seen some pre-war Lionel before, so upon seeing the couplers and the sheet metal truck sideframes, I knew these were as well. Much different look than my Dad's old 1948 Scout set. Some good advice on cleaning things up. Pretty sure that's what I am going to do with this stuff, clean it up and actually RUN it. I won't repaint anything, but I will not hesitate to replace any broken wires, and any broken parts, if I can find proper replacements. The scale model train shows I go to always have a large contingent of tinplate and hi-rail dealers with vintage parts. --Randy

[rtraincollector]

Ok originally I thought you where looking for a value to resell. Keeping it to me makes more sense. A ceiling loop around your office is a great idea. I have a loop around the ceiling in the train room 14' x 16' with a train that is about 19' long up there. as others have said take it apart and clean and lube/oil everything. I know some just use oil and motor oil at that as have been said. I just tore my 736 apart cleaned & lube & oiled it( think the first time in decades) I got it about 2 years ago but basically put it on a shelf for displayed I think I tested it but that was it. there were pieces of hard grease in there which I call miniature bricks. Now back together and doing well need to take whistle tender apart today and do the same.

As Becky said thou  be careful as O does get addictive. If you ever want to a layout for O there's ton of info here and seeing your HO I believe you may want to look at gar-graves track with darken center rail for more realistic look I have also made a jig to where the ballast on the track rises toward the center rail to help hide it also but presently need to redo my test area ( I'm still working on my layout) and put it down with some of the white water to keep it in place. 

But of all things enjoy it

[Firelock76]

Anyway rrinker, welcome to the wonderful world of "O" Gauge, whether you came in the front door or the back door doesn't matter, because to paraphrase the old song...

"Once we have found you, we'll never let you go..."

[rrinker]

Well, I was originally thinking of selling, mainly because I don't collect and I don't really have room to build an O/O-27 layout in conjunction with my scale layout. Other than maybe the ceiling level sort of thing. It is kind of addictive though. Not my first time in O/O-27 though - I remember when my Dad first dug out his old Scout set and we set it up in the living room. After some cleaning and fresh lube, it ran great - I think I ran that more than the HO layout we used to set up in the family room that year, even if it was a simple oval, no switches, no operating accessories, just the loco, 3 cars, and a caboose, and the manual uncoupler that came with the Scout. We had less luck with his even older Flyer Zephyr - it ran ok but in retrospect I know why it didn't work properly - it was meant for the 31" curves of O not the 27" O-27 curves. I still have both, but haven't run them in years. Cleaning this up and getting it to run again will give me something to do while my basement layout is in the planning stages along with room prep. It's all trains, so it's all good. --Randy

[LL675]

give Jeff Kane a shout for parts.

http://ttender.com/

[Billwiz]

Randy,

Welcome to my dilemma - limited space to build an HO layout, an O/O27 Layout (and I have an N scale layout as well).  If you ever need to borrow a transformer for the O to test it out, let me know, we don't live far from each other.   

Bill