The Torpedo

[Anonymous]

Has anybody seen the Torpedo in toy train form? I've been wondering this for a very long time.

[1688torpedo]

 Hi Trainguyxxx!    Yep, I've seen the Torpedo in Toy Train form indeed. I've got 7 of them in my collection alone & no two are alike. Lionel made many versions in the prewar years & American Flyer had a prewar version as well. Even today they are still being made as Lionel made two versions in the late 90's with Smoke & Railsound's & MTH has made some versions as well. Do a search on the CTT Forum here & you will find information concerning the Torpedo along with some photo's as well. Just type in "1688 Torpedo" & you should be all set. P.S.  The Torpedo even exists in H.O. & S  Gauge as well so you have some options here. Take Care.

[pbjwilson]

Ya Mon.

[Joe Hohmann]

It's interesting that so many models of this "one-off" engine were made...like the PRR Turbine. As you know, the "Torpedo" was the Lowey streamlined K-4 that pulled one section of the Broadway Limited. The other sections were pulled by regular K-4s. There were 4 other streamlined K-4s at the same time pulling "Blue Ribbon Fleets" to other cities. IMO, these are more attractive than the Torpedo, but the only "O" model I know of was a brass one made by Williams around 1986. I have it, but unfortunatly, it has NO sounds, and awful smoke output. It runs very well, and looks great. Joe

[RR Redneck]

I once had a torpedo, but I traded it off for a couple of postwar steamers.

[prewardude]

Ya Mon.

Paul: Gorgeous train! I've always liked Lionel's prewar torpedo sets.

Regards,
Clint

[spankybird]

Here is one that one of our club members owns

[1688torpedo]

Hello Trainxxx!    The Torpedo in The First Two Pictures are of a 238E Passenger Set owned by a Fellow In the OTTS named Charlie Kluge. The Next Two Photo's after that are of a Black 1688 owned by Bob Mitchell which I worked on & was photographed on our club layout in Ohio.(Bob lives in Pennsylvania) The last three photo's are of a Gunmetal Grey 1688 that I own & had restored almost two years ago & it runs like a Top. Now you know what they look like as a Toy Train Take Care.

[rogruth]

Besides the manufacturers mentioned at the beginning of this thread, I think K-Line also made one.

I don't think anyone has made one in the original PRR color; Bronze.

[prewardude]

Rogruth, that's a good point. If I'm not mistaken, when Lionel first introduced their Torpedo (in the 1936 catalog), they described it as being bronze. But in actuality, all their models were either gunmetal or black.

Regards,
Clint

[spankybird]

MTH has made them in both PS1 and PS2 controls. Charlie has a PS1, but I don't remember which file folder I put the pic in.

[MartyE]

[JamesShannon]

I have one of the Lionel heritage reissues from the late 90s and it is the favorite of holiday visitors to my house.  We set up a 18 x 6 holiday layout complete with Dept 56 houses and bridges ect.... lots of work and great fun.  We also host a few holiday partys and it is amazing which trains the guests respond to.The number one train is the torpedo pulling Lionel pullman cars. These cars are cleary the root stock of the Polar Express cars.  I know this train is not scale or prototypical but folks just love to watch it roll through and around our holiday layout.  For reference we also have a Polar Express set, a Lionel Pennsy GP 9 with digatal sounds, a 1938 American Flyer with red tinplate pullman cars, a modern Lionel Shay which only goes around the outer loop, a Lionel service steel set and tons of frieght cars.  Overall the Lionel Pennsy Torpedo with digital sounds captures more imaginations when in motion than all my others.

Jim

[1688torpedo]

Hello All!    Marty-  I've got the same Torpedo that you have pictured above.Those are nice photo's of it. James Shannon- Sounds like you have the 238E Brunswick Green Torpedo Lionel made in 1997 as they made a set of Baby Madison's in that color to match the Engine. Hang on to it as Lionel destroyed the 238E Tooling for them. Right now they are sleepers as far as value go. However, that could change someday? as they have the Pullmore Motor's & if the Electronics go bad you could mount a Mechanical E-Unit inside them & you're back in business. Take Care all.

[Jumijo]

Great looking trains! Especially the gray one of Keith's.

Jim

[JamesShannon]

Kieth, you are absolutely correct the baby madisons are a perfect match for the Brunswick Green loco.  My hobby shop recomended the cars and I wasn't sure about buying them, boy was I wrong!  The set looks like they were made for each other.  Yes 238E is the number, I understand that this loco is a reissue using the origional tooling from the 40s-50s only with modern technology like TMCC.  It also has magnatraction the pullmor motor and a weak smoke unit.  We love it.

Thanks,

Jim

[1688torpedo]

Hello James!    The Tooling for the Torpedo Boiler dates from 1936 & was made in Naples, Italy at a Tool & Die Company named La Precisia which was owned By Mario Caruso who was a Treasurer & Foreman at the Lionel Factory in Irvington,NJ. La Precisia is also where the Tooling for the 700E Hudson came from. Like I said before. Hang on to this Engine as the Boiler Tooling no longer exists & it may be a one of a kind someday. The Tooling for the Tender is new & was also used for the Southern Pacific Espee G-4 Streamliner in 1998 as it matched the width of the engine perfectly. Glad you enjoy your Torpedo. They are a nice Engine indeed. Take Care.

[MartyE]

I have a piece of the die used for this engine.  Lionel had them on their site a few years back and then they went heavily discounted.  I got it for about 10 bucks or so.

[prewardude]

I wonder why they destroyed the tooling for this engine? Seems like a boneheaded move to destroy a nearly 70-year-old piece of your company's historic product line. Anybody know who the head honcho was at Lionel at the time?

Regards,
Clint

[1688torpedo]

Hello All!   Clint- I feel the same way. They could have used that Tooling to come out with a 238E made the same way as they were in 1936 with a set of 600 series passenger/freight cars. Gary Moreau was the top man at that time. Just before Richard Maddox came on board. James Shannon- I forgot to mention this before. There were only 1,000  238Es produced in 1997. Which means that there are more of the original prewar versions around than what you have on hand. Take Care all.

[Pennvalley]

Ya Mon.

 

I have the 1688 engine also, pulling 3 green 607,608 cars.

[prewardude]

... Gary Moreau was the top man at that time...

Yep, that's what I figured. Thank goodness they got rid of that guy!

Thanks for the info, Keith.

Regards,
Clint