Lionel 520

[Anonymous]

Ive been thinking about kitbashing 2 520 box cab engines into NYC electrics
Can some one tell me what engine lionel copied to make the 520?....[?]
also can someone give me a hint how to wire them in tandem to run as one unit?

[tjsprague]

According to Greenberg's;

"520 LIONEL LINES (electric) 1956-57. GE 80-ton boxcab electric; unpainted red body with white heat-stamped lettering; signle plastic pantograph' chemically treated sheet-metal frame; three-postiion E-unit; no light; operating coupler at one end and fixed die-cast at other end.

The loco motive is a close model of a boxcab electric sold by GE to the Chile Exploration Company for use in its copper mines. The Lionel model is surprisingly accurate, right down to the air tanks atop the cab and the portholes. Its number was exactly the same as the 520 shown on the prototype."

Don't know much regarding your wiring question, but I've seen it covered for other models on the site.

This model comes up for auction quite often on ebay, and they're farely cheap. Often they're missing the pantograph, but replacements are available.

Good luck.

Tim

[Chris F]

The prototype was a GE 80-tonner:
http://pictures.olsenstoy.com/searchcd31.htm?itm=72

Here's an e-unit wiring diagram:
http://pictures.olsenstoy.com/searchcd31.htm?itm=615

See the three wires going from the e-unit to the motor? You need to splice a wire into each of these wires and connect the other ends to the same locations in the other motor. Remove the e-unit in the "trailing" 520 to use as a spare. If you really wanted to get fancy you could keep the e-unit in the trailing 520 and use it for directional lighting (using the two wires formerly connected to the brushes).

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the info greatly appreciated !!!!!![tup]