Whtats your favorite postwar engines, rolling stock, and accessories??

[Anonymous]

I would like to know what some of the favorite postwar belongings are out there and being ran....how often do you run them (a lot I'm sure) and when and how did you acquire your favorite pieces.
I believe my favorite spot is a tie between the 2343 passenger set and the 2026 so far, hopefully a Berkshire or Hudson will join the ranks someday. I love the whistle tender and smell of the smoke when its heading down the track. The 2343, I feel is simply awe inspiring, its fast moving, silver, and massive. Its quite a impressive sight once the ABA is coupled up with the passenger cars and they are roaring along the track. (Its running great by the way thanks to the advice of this forum, a cleaning and new brushes and viola.!!)
My favorite postwar rolling stock piece is the operating log car and accessory would be its partner, the log mill. The logs to cut board feature of the accessory really makes my son and I smile.
I was given my trains approximately a year amd a half ago and have built serveral small layouts since. I'll post pictures after I figure out the camera, however the current layout is a work in progress since I'm steadily switching over from O-31 track to Fastrack. The layout is set in 1957, I love the cars of the era too.
Thanks for any responses or following discussions.

[laz 57]

The 2026 and 2037 still run great and still have some smoke pellets left.
The #397 coal loader works fine.
laz57

[1688torpedo]

I have a # 637 which is a variation of a 2037 that was made in the early 60's and it is still in its original box with instruction sheet and wooden tamper for the smoke generator. I doubt if it has 5 hours of running time on it. My other favorites are a 736 Berk, 646 Hudson, 675 K-4, and the different searchlight cars of that era. Plus a 153 Block Signal, 151 Semaphore,and 152 Red & Silver crossing gate. These are some of my postwar favorites.

[andregg1]

For me is 2338, 2343 like diesels
736, 646, 2037 steam.
none accesories.
rolling stock are almost the same, trucks with diferent body.
the locomotive is more interesting due mechanical components and mantenance schedule.
Andre.

[Anonymous]

For me it's the lionel 221 steamer pulling the 2421,22,23. I try to run these at least once a week.

[Anonymous]

Love the 726 Berk work train and the 2343's. I ran my 2330 and 2332 GG1's alot befor the layout came down. I love 3659/3559 dump cars and have about 13 of them. Also like the early cars with diecast frames etc, heck I like it all I think! For accesories, 97,164,165, and the 313, all awesome and fun and all original issues. I also have the recent 213 lift bridge which I can't wait to put in a layout. For transformers I have 2 Z's, 3V's, a KW and a bunch of smaller ones.

[Jumijo]

My kids and I were watching a Three Stooges short last night from 1953 - it was a Shemp, and I thought "when this movie was being made, the two post-war locos I own were already running on someone's layout.

I have a 1948 2025 and a 1952 2034.

Jim

[Anonymous]

I have the 1862 General with all it's original cars and wood tender. I've got a 153 block signal that belong to my grandfather and a 252 crossing gate that belong to my dad. I got all this in 1959 for Christmas. I've got all the buildings that he put on the board then. School, Post Office, Church, Farm House, house under construction, 128 animated news stand, and my favorite, my Bosco operating car with all 8 bosco bottles and platform. I took my General engine to the Kennesaw Museum and got a photograph of my General sitting on the REAL General.

[Frank53]

Of the post war engines I won, the 726 is my clear cut favorite. The fact it's been in my fanily for more than 50 years makes it irreplaceable.

My other favorite is a 224 steamer, a very very smooth runner, and that one is pushing 60.

I've got a 681 as well, and it's probably my least favorite - something about those funky small wheels and the way the side rods are done just doesn't seem right. With a 20 wheel configuration, it's a real pain on switches as well.

I've got a 2026 with a coupld of bent wheel flanges that has it doing the hula. Have to find a way to get that fixed.

[lionelsoni]

Frank, if your 2026 is the 2-6-4 version, I suggest replacing the innards with those from a 2037, which you can find if you're patient. The 2037 has everything that the 2026 had, plus magnetraction. But mainly it has drivers that are all the same diameter. The blind middle drivers on the 2026 are larger than the others, in an apparent attempt to improve the working of the magnetraction that it never had because of magnet shortages during the Korean war.

In any case, you can improve the tracking of the leading truck by extending the tongue back to a new pivot located at the motor front crossmember. The original design oversteers quite a bit on curves and easily derails on switch and crossing frogs.

[Anonymous]

Hey Ya'll

I would have to say the 2055 Hudson, 221 streamlind 2-6-4, the 2353 Santa Fe A-A, the 2065 Hudson, the 627 Lehigh Valley Center Cab, the 400, 2550, 2559 Baltimore and Ohio Budd RDC's, and the 1862 4-4-0 General.

I'm not to big on Postwar, I prefer trains for the 1990's to Recent. But those Postwar Trains I like.

steel rails

[Sturgeon-Phish]

My 322 pulling the 660, 661 662 & 663 is my favorite train. Accessory is the 779 drum loader, or the 775 Talking Station.

[Anonymous]

I like my 2035's best. They are stout and bulky looking and run and pull great. They grew on me over time and when they derail they just run off the track not flop on their side like light weight dinky engines do. They are a big upgrade from my several 2026's and always find myself running all three 2035's.

I like my Lionel saw mill the best. I had to assemble it from a junk box frame and was a challenge to get the vibrator motor and other parts. I like to see the logs disappear and finished lumber appear.

Charlie

[zigg72md]

I have a 1946 2020 S-2 steam turbine along with a flat car, crane, sunoco tank car, and a work caboose.

[3railguy]

My favorite diesel is the VGN Trainmaster. It's brawny, a good puller, and the color scheme is tasteful. It's a layout mainsyay and looks great pulling 6464 boxcars which are anither favorite. My favorite steamer is the 1656 bell ringing switcher. It;s just plain classy looking. My favorite piece of rolling stock is the circus car and operating accessory is the ice depot.

[Anonymous]

My favorite postwar diesel was the American Flyer C and O bell ringing diesel from the defender set. Great paint job and wonderful ringing bell. Favorite accessory anything Gilbert made. If I had to pick one the American Flyer two tone whistling billboard. Favorite steam engine Gilberts 0-6-0 Pennsaylvania with the slope back tender.

[jwse30]

My favorite engine is my 2046 Hudson. However I just purchased a 624, and it's getting the most run time lately.

My favorite rolling stock is probably a work train I've hodge podged together. It consists of a 6462 gondola (red), a 3520 searchlight car, a sheet metal flatcar (can't recall the number), a 6460 crane car, and a 6419 caboose.

As for accessories, I definately have to say my favorite is the 145 Gateman, and am surprized he hasn't been mentioned yet. Others on the list are the 445 switch tower, and the 151 semaphore. I've got a 3656 stockyard, but I haven't gotten around to getting the cattle for it and the 2 cars I have yet, so I can't call it a favorite yet.

J White

[Munster518]

For me, the NYC F3 units, plus the b unit that makes it complete.

[MTsteamfan]

773 Hudson loco from 1965, followed closely by a "General" passenger set from the late '50s which I inherited from my grandfather. Both have LOTS of miles on them and still run perfectly.

Rolling stock - I'd have to say my favorite postwar item is the 3360 Burro Crane. I don't have a whole lot of postwar, maybe about 20 cars. The majority of my trains are modern-era Lionel.

My favorite accessory of all is actually a pre-war #165 magnet crane. It still works like new!

[nitroboy]

2056, 671 and 2353. The 397 with the 456 coal ramp are my favoite accessories.

[tintrax]

I would have to say Lionel 675/2025 for the simple reason it is the only postwar loco I have in the Lionel range (I have other brands too). However I seem to remember a poll of this type a while back, maybe in some egroup or other, in which the 675/2025 was the winner. So maybe I am fortunate in having the 2025. I do have one other Lionel made after the war, an 8142 from the early days of MPC. This runs fine too and the `Sound of Steam` is working well , but the smoke is feeble.