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Ah, the 2025/675! Is this a beautiful piece of engineering or what?

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Ah, the 2025/675! Is this a beautiful piece of engineering or what?
Posted by msacco on Thursday, July 6, 2006 9:00 PM
After working on my postwar F3 and still having it sound like a coffee grinder,(athough I do love postwar Lionel F3s so don't get me wrong) it's really nice to run a 2025/675.
I am always amazed at how silent and smooth these puppies run. What I don't understand is how come other postwar spur locos don't run this smoothly and quietly. Really postwar Lionel at its finest[:)]
I think this is my favorite postwar steamer. How many have and enjoy one of these?

Mike Sacco
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Posted by mitchelr on Thursday, July 6, 2006 9:11 PM
I have a 2025. It is a sweet running engine. I wish mine smoked a little better. I have Lionel 2033 AA Alco's and they are so noisy.

Bob Mitchell Gettysburg, PA TCA # 98-47956 LCCA# RM22839

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Posted by ben10ben on Thursday, July 6, 2006 9:15 PM
I have a 675.

I tweaked the E-unit in mine so to reduce the buzzing, so mine is nearly dead silent. It's wonderful to run such a smooth and quiet engine.

Plus, it's heavy enough and the gearing is such that it coasts very well when you cut the power. Depending on how fast it's going and how many cars, mine will sometimes coast a foot or two before it comes to a stop. That's a whole lot better than most can motors with flywheels.

With the Balwin Disks and aluminum stack, it's a classy looking engine, too.

Although I do have a 681, I enjoy running my 675 just as much.
Ben TCA 09-63474
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Posted by msacco on Thursday, July 6, 2006 9:19 PM

With the Balwin Disks and aluminum stack, it's a classy looking engine, too.

Although I do have a 681, I enjoy running my 675 just as much.


Nice to hear guys! Ben I have the Disks and silver stack version as well. REally, really nice. I have heard that the later 2035 magnetraction models of the same engine are not quite as smooth running.
Wonder what changed. Don't have one of these later ones so can't confirm this.
I also love my 681 as well but it doesn't run as slowly around my 031 curves as well as my 2025 does.



Mike S.
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Posted by ben10ben on Thursday, July 6, 2006 9:42 PM
Supposedly the tolerences got a little bit worse after the Korean war. Nearly all pre-Korean war spur-geared steam engines have the same silky-smooth drive train as the 675/2025.

By the way, Mitchell, I removed a turn from the heating element in my 675's smoke unit, and it smokes incredibly well now.
Ben TCA 09-63474
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Posted by artyoung on Thursday, July 6, 2006 9:51 PM
This was my first engine (from 1952), and I still have it and run it. I could have cried when I read that Lionel chopped up the original dies a couple of years ago. With a little luck, maybe Williams will make one.
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Posted by msacco on Thursday, July 6, 2006 10:23 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by artyoung

This was my first engine (from 1952), and I still have it and run it. I could have cried when I read that Lionel chopped up the original dies a couple of years ago. With a little luck, maybe Williams will make one.


I cannot believe the tooling for this engine is gone. Indeed it is very sad. That explains why I have never seen a reissue. What the @#@#$# would make them do that?

Mike S.
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Posted by tintrax on Friday, July 7, 2006 2:03 AM
Here in Christchurch, New Zealand, I run my 2025 at our annual trainshow. We just don`t have any of the modern electronic marvels here, preferring toy trains as they used to be. With its whistling & smoking we say this is latest development in toy trains - of 59 years ago! Great locos!
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Posted by Jumijo on Friday, July 7, 2006 5:32 AM
I have an early 2025 with Baldwin disc drivers and the aluminum stack. It's such a good looking locomotive. With Ben's help, I was able to get the correct smoke unit heating element for it. Thanks, Ben.

The tooling was destroyed. I believe the last time it was used was for a plastic-bodied DC powered version about 20 years ago. As someone has already mentioned, I wish Williams would create a replica of this engine. It's easily my favorite of the post war era.

Jim

Modeling the Baltimore waterfront in HO scale

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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 7, 2006 6:02 AM
The believe the tooling was destroyed because it was no longer repairable/worn out. The die had been modified to make the Bellpaire fire box (it had actually been modified several times over the course of its use). The castings were getting pretty bad.

I love the early 675/2025 as well, BUT, they aren't the worlds best pullers. They are prone to wheel slip under load.
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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 7, 2006 6:15 AM
I also have a 2025 and it runs very smooth.my 2020 (1946 light bulb smoker) ran jerkey, tore it down to remove the 60 year grease and old smoke pellets. it is now the smoothest post war loco I own and I try to run it every day.[:D].....tony
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Posted by dwiemer on Friday, July 7, 2006 6:23 AM
Got all of these and they all run great, just need a little TLC and they are off to the races. These are the reason I stick with Post War verses the new stuff with all the sounds and boards. You just can't beat them.
Dennis

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Charter BTTs.jpg

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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 7, 2006 6:27 AM
I love my 675! It's a smooth, quiet runner...and smokes like crazy. Unfortunately, it's in the repair shop due to an internal "short". Looking forward to getting it back. Joe
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Posted by palallin on Friday, July 7, 2006 8:51 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by dwiemer

Got all of these and they all run great, just need a little TLC and they are off to the races. These are the reason I stick with Post War verses the new stuff with all the sounds and boards. You just can't beat them.
Dennis


Actually, the mechanism--in fact, the whole engine--is largely PRE war. . . . .
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Posted by Locomotive681 on Friday, July 7, 2006 9:25 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by msacco


With the Balwin Disks and aluminum stack, it's a classy looking engine, too.

Although I do have a 681, I enjoy running my 675 just as much.


Nice to hear guys! Ben I have the Disks and silver stack version as well. REally, really nice. I have heard that the later 2035 magnetraction models of the same engine are not quite as smooth running.
Wonder what changed. Don't have one of these later ones so can't confirm this.
I also love my 681 as well but it doesn't run as slowly around my 031 curves as well as my 2025 does.



Mike S.


Mike I have 2035 and its not as smooth as 681 that I own my screen says it all[;)]
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Posted by Jumijo on Friday, July 7, 2006 9:34 AM
According to some sources, the 2035 and Korean War era 2025 doesn't run as smoothly because of relaxed tolerances. But I've seen a few of those that run incredibly smooth and quiet.

Jim

Modeling the Baltimore waterfront in HO scale

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Posted by pmilazzo on Friday, July 7, 2006 10:14 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by ben10ben

I have a 675.

I tweaked the E-unit in mine so to reduce the buzzing, so mine is nearly dead silent. It's wonderful to run such a smooth and quiet engine.

Plus, it's heavy enough and the gearing is such that it coasts very well when you cut the power. Depending on how fast it's going and how many cars, mine will sometimes coast a foot or two before it comes to a stop. That's a whole lot better than most can motors with flywheels.

With the Balwin Disks and aluminum stack, it's a classy looking engine, too.

Although I do have a 681, I enjoy running my 675 just as much.


What E-Unit tweak did you do? I was thinking of putting a electronic E-Unit it mine to quiet it down, but if I can tweak it, that may be another idea to try first. Mine is that noisy, but at times it buzzes and its too bad because its really a very quiet engine other then the usual buzz.
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Posted by rogruth on Friday, July 7, 2006 10:17 AM
My 675 runs much better than my 671. Smokes good.
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Posted by ben10ben on Friday, July 7, 2006 10:33 AM
If you carefully bend the pawl out slightly, the e-unit will typically get dramatically quieter. It might take some experimenting, but it has always worked for me.
Ben TCA 09-63474
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Posted by ben10ben on Friday, July 7, 2006 10:53 AM
In regards to 675 v. 681, I love my 681, too. I rescued my 681 from the junk bin and rebuilt it. Mine runs extremely well.

Even so, there's an inherent difference in the 681 drivetrain and the 675 drivetrain. The 681 uses a horizontal worm-drive train, not unlike the early F-3 train(without the idler gears). This gives is a bit of a "coffee grinder" sound. The 675, by contrast, use a transverse spur gear arrangement. The spur gears are much quieter and smoother than worm gears, so the whole things runs much more smoothly.
Ben TCA 09-63474
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Posted by Frank53 on Friday, July 7, 2006 12:32 PM
The 675 is an engine I want, but do not have one yet. I have a 681 and I have never much cared for the way it runs. That 20 wheel configuration (32 with the tender) and those tiny wheels look funky to me and it navigates a post war switch like a cement mixer.

But, my 726, an absolute beauty of a run, smooth, quiet strong puller and the click clack of that intricate side rod configuration is neat as a pin.
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Posted by jpelosi2002 on Friday, July 7, 2006 3:37 PM
I think you'll find the early 1946 versions (with the smoke lamp) of the 671 and 2020 locos run much quieter than the 681 and post '46 versions of the same locos. The '46 versions use basically the same gear/motor configuration as the 726 Berk. This is smoother, but of course, no MagnaTraction so the drawbar pull is less. I've had no problems with my 2020 over O22 switches or anything else for that matter. The 671M-1 motor is also know to be very fineckey about brushes and brush springs. If the loco does not seem to be running very smooth, it's usually the brushes. They might look perfectly fine but a replacement with new ones usually does the trick.
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Posted by rlplionel on Friday, July 7, 2006 5:15 PM
I used to think the 2025/675 was a smooth runner until I got a prewar 226 steam engine. This engine and tender just oozes quality and runs "smooth as silk". Since it's a prewar train, there's no smoke unit. However, there is a red firebox light that simulates burning coal. Looks really cool at night with all the room lights off.

Robert
http://home.surewest.net/rlplionel/Robert.htm
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Posted by 1688torpedo on Friday, July 7, 2006 8:06 PM
Hello All ! The reason that the 675/2025s are not as quiet as the earlier versions has to do with the fact that Lionel Eliminated the Bronze Bushing on the Gear Plate & as a result there is some more noise from the absence of the Bronze Bushing that used to be there. This is also why a 2037 is Noisier than a 2026 from 1948. Due to the absence of a Bronze Bushing! Bob- A 675 can smoke up a storm as they had a excellent smoke generator. The pin hole in the air chamber may be clogged up from old smoke pellet residue also & resulting in no or little smoke. Take Care all.
Keith Woodworth........Seat Belts save lives,Please drive safely.
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Posted by msacco on Friday, July 7, 2006 9:00 PM
1688torpedo,
Just compared my 2056 to my early 2025. Saw the bushing. Never noticed that before. I also have an early 2026 so I assume that has it too. Hard to believe that's the only diffference. Geez how much could that part cost? I guess when you mutliple it by thousands...

Mike S.
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Posted by 1688torpedo on Saturday, July 8, 2006 7:01 PM
Hello Mike! It's too bad that Lionel eliminated the Bronze Bushings in the early 50s. Old Josh should have said "NO" to this. A Bushing helps hold oil around a Armature Shaft & Axles & as a result the Motor will run much more smoothly & Quitely with them as opposed to just using a plain hole which will result in more noise being made even if oil is added to the hole itself. Take Care.
Keith Woodworth........Seat Belts save lives,Please drive safely.
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Posted by jwse30 on Sunday, July 9, 2006 6:43 AM
I've got a 2025 and it does run nice, but I think my 2020 (smoke lamp version) is a much better running engine. Both engines got a lot of run time on my previous layout, and I'm looking forward to getting them more run time on the next layout.

J White

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