1655 tender

[billbarman]

Today I bought a nice little 1655 locomotive, its in great shape but theres one problem... no tender! Does anyone know where I can find the tender to this locomotive? I think it came with a tinplate whistling tender with magnetic couplers.

[ADCX Rob]

Any 1654T or 1654W will be a match for your loco if you want to stay with the sheet metal tender.  It came with the staple-end trucks 1654W, w/o coil coupler(1948 style magnetic/armature plate), originally.

Rob 

[LL675]

most tenders can be found on e bay. and are usually plentiful at train shows.

[martinden]

Just to expand a little on Rob's response --

Lionel introduced the 1654 in 1946 and continued it for 1947; it came with either a 1654T or 1654W boxy sheet metal tender, lettered "LIONEL LINES". For 1948, they redesigned the motor and changed the engine number to 1655, continuing it for 1949. Only the whistle tender -- still numbered 1654W -- was offered with the 1655 (at least catalogued -- there might have been one or more uncatalogued sets without the whistle, but that's just speculation on my part -- somebody else may know more.) For 1948, of course, Lionel switched O27 trains from the coil coupler to the "magnetic" coupler, so only a 1654W with the "magnetic" coupler would be technically correct.

BUT, Lionel produced some 1948 trains before the new coupler was available in sufficient quantities, so there are many recorded examples of 1948 trains, which should have had the new coupler, that actually came with the older coil design. Therefore, it's possible that a coil-coupler 1654W might well be found with the 1655 in a genuine original set from early 1948 production.

Since all of these tenders (1654T and 1654W with either coupler) look the same, unless you're interested in collector authenticity, any of them would do.

-- Martin