Randy, You beat me to it, with the Back Issue from 2001. You missed the 2046W—2046WX (2046-50 stamping), and the 2671W & 2671WX. Otherwise, the rest are right. I guess we can put this to “final rest”.
How is the "2671WX" marked? Is it really 2671WX or is it 2671W-50?
Hi Everyone,
I turned to Paul Ambrose and Harry Lovelock, who wrote the seventh volume of Greenberg's Guide to Lionel Trains, 1945-1969.
On pages 27 and 28, they are writing about the early coal tenders. "Among items with the same stock number, railing details occasionally vary (necessary holes were actually drilled into later models, such as 6020W, by factory employees in order to apply railing by hand).
"The railing detail on 2466 and 6466 tenders was designated by the suffix. 'T' or 'W' models generally came without any railing, while 'WX' examples came with deck railing only. Premium tenders 671W, 2020W, and 6020W came with railing on the deck and at the four corners."
All of this leads me to conclude that the presence of deck railing on a whistle tender changed its suffix from "W" to "WX."
Roger Carp
Senior editor
Classic Toy Trains
Let me add to what I found about the early coal tenders with some remarks about the only other tenders to have a "W" and a "WX"--the streamlined tenders discussed on pages 35-37: 2046W and 2671W. The "X" suffix was added to distinguish a tender lettered for Pennsylvania from one lettered for Lionel Lines. The WX streamlined tenders came lettered for the Pennsylvania.
This should cover all the WX and W versions.
The 2671W is stamped “Pennsylvania“ in Silver, used with 671 loco (1947-1951); 2671WX was stamped “Lionel Lines”, ised with 736 loco. Both tenders had 6 wheel trucks. In 1950, they changed trucks to 4 wheel trucks, with Staple End trucks through 1952, then Bar End trucks from 1952-1960. The 4 wheeled tenders got the number change to 2046. The 2671 tender shells had back up light holes, and starting in 1952, the holes were filled in. The initial 2046W, was stamped “Lionel Lines, and had open portholes, presumably until the supply ran out.then from 1952-1955 they were stamped “Pennsylvania“, with closed portholes, which became the 2046-50 on the tender frame, and ONLY the Box marked 2046WX. The whistles used were WS-175, and the inside mold number was 2671W-5. This was excerpted from both Greenberg’s Guide (Paul V. Ambrose) and Doyles Standard Catalog, & Repair and Operating Manual (Greenberg),plus Kline repair Manual.
Hopefully this clears up any confusion with the 2046 & 2671 tenders.
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