Help With Engine Identification

[EIS2]

Don,

Thanks for the reply.  It was definitely not the 1688E, 1689E, or 1664E.  It was either the 1664E or the 1684.  From your dates I am going to opt for the 1684.  Thank you for all the research you did.

Earl

[DMUinCT]

Data from the Catalogs  --- Most sets were sold with or without Whistle --- Latch Couplers were "1600" series cars, Box Couplers were "2600" series cars (Tank Car with latch =1680, with box coupler  =2680)  

 

Do the cars have Nickel Journals?, Box Car Roof Blue?, Tank Car Silver Sunoco?

1936 with loco 1688E or with 1689E.

1937 with loco 1689E or with 1668E.

1938 with loco 1668E or with 1664E or 1666E.

1939, same locos, Tank Car changes to Orange Shell.

1940, same engines, Box Car Roof is Maroon, Truck Journals are now Black.

1941, same sets as 1940 except that a 1662 Switcher set is added and that set has a Gondola in place of the Tank Car.

1942, Loco is 1684 all sets with your 3 cars, Tank Car is again Sunoco Silver. 

[EIS2]

Bob,

Thanks for the reply.

That sure appears to be the transformer for the train set as I remember it. 

Earl

[lionelsoni]

How about the 1041 for the transformer:  http://pictures.olsenstoy.com/searchcd31.htm?itm=644

[EIS2]

Bob,

Thank you for the reply.  I cannot remember if the couplers were the box or latch couplers.  They were definitely NOT postwar couplers.  The tender was a plain box-type with a whistle.  The transformer was a tall box-like transformer with a whistle button that looked like a flat phenolic maroon tab.

Earl

[lionelsoni]

Actually, very little was made in the early forties.  Lionel was manufacturing Geiger counters and binnacles instead of trains, because of the war.  So the train you're looking for was either late prewar or early postwar.  If you can remember the couplers, that would be an important clue.  Postwar couplers looked like those made today, somewhat oversized replicas of prototype Janney couplers.  Prewar couplers were very different and bizarre latch-like contraptions, with no resemblance to prototype couplers.

[EIS2]

I am trying to recreate the train set my brother had.  I remember the cars visually but I can't remember the engine.  My brother was born in 1938 so the set was probably made in the early forties.  The train set had three cars' a Baby Ruth boxcar, a Sunoco tanker, and a caboose.  The cars I have acquired that match my memory of the train set are: Baby Ruth boxcar #1679, Sunoco tanker #1680, and caboose #2682. 

I purchased a tinplate engine #258, but I am unsure if that is the correct engine for the set.  It may have had a die-cast engine instead.  I am sure that it was a low-cost set because my parents were poor in monetary terms, but rich in love and spirit.

Does anyone know the correct engine number for the set?

Earl