As most of you know I love postwar Lionel, but there are a few things Im unhappy with. Two that have been bothering me are:
1. Why didnt they make an O scale turbine? I know the 2020 was 027 and 671 was "O gauge" but they are the same size.
2. I like the American Flyer Diner (cant remember the #) but am not sure if the smaller American Flyer accessory would look ok on a postwar lionel layout. I wish they made a diner in the postwar era besides the plasticville version.
Anyone else have any similar complaints?
I personally like the Plasticville diner. I'm not familiar with the AF version.
One item that I wish Lionel would have made either in postwar or MPC was a steam switcher body or an electric steeplecab body for the #41 frame.
J White
Why, You Limit Your Market.
1. You are talking a "$200 Lionel Size" 671 vs a $900 full scale locomotive.
2. The 671 will run on a "O" (32 inch) or "O27" (27 inch) circle while a Full Scale Model would require a "O72" (72 inch) circle, only used by the true scale model railroader.
The 671 and 2020 was at first the same locomotive, later the 671 got a better Tender.
Don U. TCA 73-5735
Hello John!
Actually, Lionel did have a 0-6-0 Switcher after the war that was based on the prewar 203 & it was numbered 403 & it had the Flying Shoe Pickups with coil Couplers from early postwar production. Only a few were made & they pulled The 2555 Style Tank Car with Diecast frame, The short Brown sheet metal pennsy boxcar, The short ,black gondola Lionel made after the war & a Red Center Coupla Caboose. They only made a few of these sets & most of them were made with leftover prewar parts for the Christmas Rush in late 1945. Its too bad that they did not continue the 225E after the War also. They were a very good looking engine though
1688torpedo...Its too bad that they did not continue the 225E after the War also. They were a very good looking engine though...
...Its too bad that they did not continue the 225E after the War also. They were a very good looking engine though...
You could almost make your own 225E w/ smoke with a 675/2025. Get the 225E boiler front and paint the whole shebang gunmetal gray... if you want the gray version anyway(my favorite).
Rob
Don, When I said O gauge I was meaning a little bigger so they would better match the 2671 tenders.
Interesting stuff on the postwar 0-6-0. Did the pre and postwar ones have backup lights?
Personally I think the 671 looks better with the 671W with it's railing and grab irons than the 2671W with it's back up lenses. Just my opinion though.
The 1665 and 1656 Steam Switcher's bell ringing slope-back tenders had a back up light but I'm not sure about the 203 and 403.
Mike
I tried looking up the 403 switcher in my david doyle postwar price guide but its not even listed. They usually list something but put "too rarely traded to establish accurate pricing" if its really rare. I wonder what the exact number produced is?
Anyway, I did happen to find a video of one with a command control coupler installed in the tender. The only thing that doesnt make sense is the lack of nickel drivers even though he said its from 1946.
PostwarMan07 I tried looking up the 403 switcher in my david doyle postwar price guide but its not even listed. They usually list something but put "too rarely traded to establish accurate pricing" if its really rare. I wonder what the exact number produced is? Anyway, I did happen to find a video of one with a command control coupler installed in the tender. The only thing that doesnt make sense is the lack of nickel drivers even though he said its from 1946. http://rmhalliday.blogspot.com/2008/07/403-video-finally.html
http://rmhalliday.blogspot.com/2008/07/403-video-finally.html
Very Interesting, my pre-war 203 is not at all like the video.
Note the 203 (center in photo)uses the same die-cast Tender and Boiler as the 1662 four wheel, O-27, Switcher (bottom in photo) . The 203 Tender is a "Bell Ringer" and stamped on the bottom 2203B. The 203 has its own Frame with an "O" gauge motor, larger and different than in the 1662. The top engine in the photo is the pre-war 8976 (227 version). It has a worm drive motor with a compact "E Unit" also used in "OO" Locomotives.
Note, on the 203, The Wheels, Drive Rods, die-cast Crosshead, and Valve Gear is from the 8976, not the 1662 switcher. The "E Unit" slot is further forward on the 203 than the 1662, the 8976 has no slot it uses plugs. The video of a 403 looks like a 1666 "O-27" running gear under a 1662 boiler. The 1946 Lionel Catalog shows a 403 as a separate sale item, it has, in the catalog the 203 running gear.
If you want to spend the money, the six wheel, worm drive 8976 was Re-Run in the 1980s as 8977. The can still be found in the $400 range.
Lionel did make a scale turbine and it was massive. My Uncle bought one the first year they came out. And yes it would only run on 0-72 or larger.
Why didn't they make a real Pacific in the post-war period?
The 675 was styled like a PRR K5 but is a 2-6-2 Prairie not a 4-6-2 Pacific.
Anybody know why?
rogruth Why didn't they make a real Pacific in the post-war period?The 675 was styled like a PRR K5 but is a 2-6-2 Prairie not a 4-6-2 Pacific.Anybody know why?
Probably to save money. The 675/2025 is based on the 225/225E:
And Lionel "updated" it to have a generic "PRR outline". They were making toys, of course, at the time.
ADCX Rob rogruth Why didn't they make a real Pacific in the post-war period? The 675 was styled like a PRR K5 but is a 2-6-2 Prairie not a 4-6-2 Pacific. Anybody know why? Probably to save money. The 675/2025 is based on the 225/225E: And Lionel "updated" it to have a generic "PRR outline". They were making toys, of course, at the time. Rob
rogruth Why didn't they make a real Pacific in the post-war period? The 675 was styled like a PRR K5 but is a 2-6-2 Prairie not a 4-6-2 Pacific. Anybody know why?
Not to save money, on the 226E, 225E, 224E, and 675, the two wheel Pilot (leading) Truck can swing under the the cylinder casting on "O" and "O-27" track.
The 226E, 224E, and 1666 were baby NYC Hudsons. The pre-war 225E was modeled after the New Haven "I-4" class Pacific, the prime power on main line passenger trains between New Haven and Boston, at least until the "I-5" Streamlined Hudsons arrived in 1938.
After World War II, Lionel changed the boiler casting and smoke box front to create the appearance of a Pennsylvania "K" Class Pacific. In 1950 Lionel introduced the 2046. This used the 226E, 726/736 Boiler casting with a correct 4 wheel Pilot Truck to make it a true Hudson. They did it by putting "small", undersize wheels, on the Pilot Truck. This was also done on the 773, 646, 665,2065, and others. Full Scale Pilot Truck wheels were made available for the 773 and later Scale Hudsons for operators with "O-72" track.
DMUinCTADCX Rob rogruth Why didn't they make a real Pacific in the post-war period? The 675 was styled like a PRR K5 but is a 2-6-2 Prairie not a 4-6-2 Pacific. Anybody know why? Probably to save money. The 675/2025 is based on the 225/225E... and Lionel "updated" it to have a generic "PRR outline". They were making toys, of course, at the time. Rob Not to save money, on the 226E, 225E, 224E, and 675, the two wheel Pilot (leading) Truck can swing under the the cylinder casting on "O" and "O-27" track...
ADCX Rob rogruth Why didn't they make a real Pacific in the post-war period? The 675 was styled like a PRR K5 but is a 2-6-2 Prairie not a 4-6-2 Pacific. Anybody know why? Probably to save money. The 675/2025 is based on the 225/225E... and Lionel "updated" it to have a generic "PRR outline". They were making toys, of course, at the time. Rob
Probably to save money. The 675/2025 is based on the 225/225E... and Lionel "updated" it to have a generic "PRR outline". They were making toys, of course, at the time.
Not to save money, on the 226E, 225E, 224E, and 675, the two wheel Pilot (leading) Truck can swing under the the cylinder casting on "O" and "O-27" track...
That IS a money issue.
To make it a 4-6-2 would have required a major redesign & retool at a time Lionel was introducing the GG-1, developing the F-3, and already "fixing" the original smoke issues of the first-year/1-year-only 726/671/2020's. Re-working the 225 boiler die with The Belpaire design and other changes for the smoke feature(stack relocate) were much quicker & cheaper(& still took at least 2 years to accomplish).
The pilot truck steering geometry problem of the 225/225E was even carried over to the 675/2025. The axle goes way off perpendicular to the running rails on O-31 & O-27 resulting in continuing derailment issues over the past 61 years.
The "never made" 1946 catalog 403 switcher should have many parts in common with the postwar 1665 including the 2403B tender and the front knuckle coupler assembly. This is the reason the 2403B and 6403B are numbered 2403 and 6403 instead of 2665 for the 1665 or 2656 for the 1656 locos.
I am debating the idea of putting together a 403 switcher using a 1665 boiler and a 201/203 motor or even an electronic control 4403 using a dump car receiver using the short hold on the button to actuate the e-unit and the hold button for the coupler...all with the bell. One receiver should fit inside the tender....if not put a prewar magic electrol relay in the tender for either teledynecouplers or whistle actuated reverse.
Ed
If you love the look of a 225e get a 225e and mount postwar trucks and couplers under thetender or take a postwar 2666W tender and add a prewar drawbar to the tender floor . I was hoping the recent diecastrailsounds tender that mimics the 2426/2226W tender was pierced for the prewar drawbar but it is not. See if a 675/2025 trailing truck with drawbar will fit your 225eand go that route.
Mt.Clemens Lionel also made a good copy of the 0-6-0. It was their first engine to have realistic engine sounds.
"IT's GOOD TO BE THE KING",by Mel Brooks
Charter Member- Tardis Train Crew (TTC) - Detroit3railers- Detroit Historical society Glancy Modular trains- Charter member BTTS
there was a 4'6'2 675 found in the Lionel archives, but it never went into production.
Dave
It's a TOY, A child's PLAYTHING!!! (Woody from Toy Story)
The turbine was so large it would never have run on O31 track.
MTH and I think Lionel have produced scale S2 turbines in the modern era. The full scale versions require O72 track but MTH has a RailKing version that will run on O31.
...that reminded me of another thing I wish they made. An 0-6-0 switcher like they did in the pre war era. I'm tempted to find a junker from that era and fix it up including knuckle couplers.
Sounds like what you are looking for is the Lionel 6-18000, which is a copy of the original prewar B6B 0-6-0. I don't know its exact years of production, but it was late 80s/early 90s. I have one, and I can testify that it's a great-looking and great-running locomotive.
http://train-station.com/cgi-bin/ebshop.pl/page=023922180001.html/SID=659898169
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