1946 Dreyfuss Restoration help

Nice 221.  I have a black one from 1947.

The cab numbers were originally rubber stamped and you can get the stamps from a few places.  I used Woodland Scenics Roman Numbers on my 221.  They come in a pack with different sizes.  The 2nd largest size was the closest to original size.  The original rubber stamped numbers are a little thicker than the Roman Numbers but they are close.

I got a few tender water slide decals and by far the best one was from ebay seller yoderrr.  The ones I got from Olsens had the telltale digital marks like they had been printed from a really poor quality image.  The yoderrr water slides look exactly like original.  I used the white ones though because my tender is black.  They do look glossy once dry and need a coat of Testor's dullcoat.

Scott

I have that model. The grey 221 from 1946 with the 221-T New York Central tender. I know they came together in a set with a few freight cars and a caboose. The number on the engine is silver, but the lettering and stripes on the tender are gold.

I recently bought this loco from BArry's Train Shop, it is, I believe, an original, the number on the loco is a rubber stamp, and the tender striping is white; my loco is identical in color to the one Hugh pictured. The difference in color between the loco and tender could be the fact that the tender is sheet metal, the loco is die cast. A very nice smooth runner, but pulls only four or five postwar cars. 

Pictures of my Dreyfuss.

I wish I could include a video of it running, but it doesn't actually run.

It makes noise and moves a little then stops. Repair is on my to do list.

check us out for parts and paint. and outher restoration parts

Guys, thank a bunch for the info, especially Grandpa Rick and his pictures. Before getting back on right now, I pulled some books off the rack and they were not very helpful at all. When I was in super-collector mode in the 70's, these 'low end' sets were part of the collection which came out of houses but did not merit shelf space and wound up under the train table. Memory of details are no loger there, thanks for validating a number of things.

• The silver color of the rubber stamp number and the goldish tender stripe are original and came mixed.
• Also interesting is that the tender whistle vent is backwards compared to the common construction of the prewar models.

1. I checked the '46 catalog and of course they were all colored green in it. We know however that they were really the grey version. The set with the blue passenger cars came with a choice for a whistle tender. Mine is a 221W and has coil coupler rear truck, but not the 46 type but rather the 47 type. Blue cars have the 46 type.
2. The 47 catolog offers the black version with the white tender stripes.
3. Greenberg books and the McCoy book makes no note of tenders either.

I think you all have convinced me to look past the gold stripe, the backward whistle vent, the hard to spot paint difference and just leave it as is.

Thanks

I don't think the yellow/gold color of the stripes is accurate but rather a yellowing of the original waterslide decal.  I was under the impression that the gray 221 tender had the silver stripes while the black tender had white stripes.  There may have been a crossover in stripe color during 1946 (just a guess).  The white stripes are actually more of a cream color.  Here is my 221 with new waterslide decals and Woodland Scenics Roman numbers.  The new waterslide decals leave a glossy finish so this has been coated with Dullcoat.

Scott

Scott,

You maybe and probably are right as that makes sense with my recollection of those units that passed through my hands during those early days. Thanks

Hugh.

One more thing.  If you have the passenger cars with the gray #221, the lettering on the passenger cars is silver.  If you have the black #221 with passenger cars, the lettering on the cars is white.

Bob

I have the grey and the more I think about it, the faded yellow, gold look won't do. I am going for a new set of silver ones. What is the best way to remove the old decals?