Question about Lionel PW 675, 2025 & 2035

[Lehigh Valley Lines]

My question is why did Lionel make the K-4 Pacific with 2-6-2 & 2-6-4 wheel arrangement and not the correct 4-6-2?

 

[sir james I]

I don't think any one knows for sure as they made it long enough to have changed it if they wanted. My guess a four wheel truck wouldn't fit or might have been too small.

[msacco]

THere was mod featured in CTT a number of years back to alter this engine and make it prototypically correct. Mike S.

[Mr. S.]

 Most likely manufacturing considerations, maybe the length of the boiler.  They made TONS of those engines, must have been a staple product.  Heck I have one of each myself! 

[butleryard]

 My question is why did Lionel make the K-4 Pacific with 2-6-2 & 2-6-4 wheel arrangement and not the correct 4-6-2

 Back then, Lionel trains were more of a kids toy.  Nobody cared if it was prototypical or not. As long as you placed it on the track and the engine pulled some cars, thats all that mattered.

Nowadays, the engines have to have the correct wheel arrangement, the proper headlight, piping placed in the correct spot on the boiler and has to be an absolute correct scale model of the real one or people have a bird!

Thats what us model railroaders have demanded of the manufacturers and thats what they are producing!

 

 

[DMUinCT]

Hudsons are 4-6-4 and Pacifics are 4-6-2 in the real world, but to keep a toy train on the track at toy train speed and reduce cost during "The Great Depression" the use of common parts between model locomotives was a must.

Starting in 1938, Lionel produced the 226E, 225E, and 224E.  The 1666 used, basicly, the same boiler casting as the 224E but with a "O-27" motor.

The 226E (2-6-4) and smaller 224E (2-6-2)  were based on the New York Central Hudsons, The 225E (2-6-2) based on the New Haven I-4 Pacific.  All 3 locomotive designs used a 2 wheel leading truck so it could swing under the cylinder (steam chest) casting and run on O-32 track.

After WW II, the 226E casting reappeared on the 726 Berkshire and 2046 Baby Hudson (which now had an undersize 4 wheel pilot truck).  The 225E reappeared with the casting modified, a new cab, smokebox front, cheeper bell, and less hand rail detail.  It was now the 675 with a Pennsylvania K-4 look.  The 675 still had the New Haven Boiler with its double left side mounted air compressors.

[Lehigh Valley Lines]

msacco

THere was mod featured in CTT a number of years back to alter this engine and make it prototypically correct. Mike S.

I was wondering if you could replace a smaller set of 4 leading trucks with the 2 that are on the 2-6-2 to make it a correct 4-6-2 Pacific engine. 

I was wondering if anyone had done this. I wish I knew which set of 4 leading trucks would fit to make this modification.

Would the ones that DMUinCT referred to work? "2046 Baby Hudson (which now had an undersize 4 wheel pilot truck)"

I am by no means someone who is a modeler or who wants things to be exact but for some reason having a K-4 Pacific that is not a 4-6-2 kinda bothers me. I do understand that these are Toy Trains and nothing would be exactly perfect.

[DMUinCT]

Lehigh Valley Railroader

msacco

THere was mod featured in CTT a number of years back to alter this engine and make it prototypically correct. Mike S.

I was wondering if you could replace a smaller set of 4 leading trucks with the 2 that are on the 2-6-2 to make it a correct 4-6-2 Pacific engine. 

I was wondering if anyone had done this. I wish I knew which set of 4 leading trucks would fit to make this modification.

Would the ones that DMUinCT referred to work? "2046 Baby Hudson (which now had an undersize 4 wheel pilot truck)"

I am by no means someone who is a modeler or who wants things to be exact but for some reason having a K-4 Pacific that is not a 4-6-2 kinda bothers me. I do understand that these are Toy Trains and nothing would be exactly perfect.

I just compaired the 2046 and 675, I think not.  The 675 fastens with a screw into the back of the cylinder block.  On the 2046, the motor is moved back to give more space between the cylinder block and the first set of drivers, then the 4 wheel lead truck fastens to a tapped hole drilled in the round cross bar at the front of the motor frame.

[msacco]

I would shoot an email or make a post to Bob K of CTT. He can look up the issue for this article. It can be done! Mike S.

[butleryard]

 The article is in the May 2005 issue on page 64.

[Lehigh Valley Lines]

butleryard

 The article is in the May 2005 issue on page 64.

 

Thanks for the reference. How can I view this article? Is there a way online?

Also thanks Don for checking the 2046 pilot trucks and if they would work!

 

[lionelsoni]

http://www.trains.com/ctt/default.aspx?c=i&id=4

[msacco]

By the way, I forgot until I saw Bob N.'s link, that Mike Hilbert wrote the original article. Mike knows his stuff and I've had him repair and repaint many engines over the years. He's first class in repair and restoration. Mike S.