A Closer Look at the Lionel 2600 Work Train

Pine Creek, Very nice old work train. It sure brings back some memories of my 50's Lionel work train with the search light car and Bycrus Erie Crane car and it's work Caboose. Man those were the days. Thanks for posting and bringing back the good ole memories.

Popsrr,

   Thank you sir for the kind words, no doubt about it, the Tin Plate Trains are some of my fondest memories.  The one thing I forgot to mention in the original post is that the old 2600 Tin runs perfect on O gauge conventional, but not so much on Lionel 027, the wheel flanges are in fact old O Gauge design.  My father referred to the 2600 series as our O Gauge Mini's, not 027.  When you look at the pictures of our

263E Work train, you see the 2660 Cane Car and a Yellow 2652 Gondola that match the big 810 Crane Car Yellow exactly, all in the 263E Work Train, all running on the 036 FasTrack and old 711 type Lionel switches.  This old Lionel Tin Plate was engineered to last many life times, and infact it has done just that, even with three generations of boys playing with it, and a trip to Guadalcanal during WW II.

There are life times of memories in these old Lionel Tin Plate O Gauge Trains.

PCRR/Dave

Proud son of a US Navy UDT SEABEE

very nice! I have them all except for the crane. 

Steamer,

    If I remember correctly you were looking for a Lionel 2660 original Crane Car last year.  I thought you purchased it.  I will try to help you acquire one if you like.

Every once in a while an original surfaces here in the Western Pa area.

If I remember right you saw one on e-bay that had been reworked with incorrect parts.

PCRR/Dave

yep Dave , still looking for one. Had a few spotted on the bay, but we had to buy a new furnance and that killed the toy $$ for a while. Wife  wanted to be warm...don't know what her problem is!

Dave

Steamer,

    Dave wives can be like that, mine likes to stay warm and eat also,

sure cuts into the Tin Plate Train budget at times. 

PCRR/Dave

pine creek, Is that turn out the new Ross turn out?

Al

Al Clair,

    No sir that is an old Lionel 072 (711 type RH Turn out, Switch), I have not purchased any of the new Ross Tin Plate turn outs, I do not know if they will actually work with Tin Plate Trains, the Ross people advised me that the Tin Plate name is due to what the switch is made of , not that they will operate properly with my old Lionel Tin Plate or new MTH Tin Plate Repro trains.

I was unwilling to purchase the new Ross turn outs to test them myself, and not be able to use the turnouts, if my Tin Plate Trains did not run thru them correctly.

The new low voltage Ross turn outs would be real nice if they actually function correctly with my Tin Plate trains.

PCRR/Dave

Nice looking prewar train! I thought I was the only one that used postwar and newer locos to run tinplate trains. I even use my 333 Marx to run Scout sized cars, I have become addicted to the double door boxcars, mostly 027, like the Bosco and Shredded Wheat cars. The Marx locos pull well enough for a good sized train on a 4 x 8 layout. 

Train Doc,

    You bet, however some of the old timers here in Pittsburgh, Pa have informed me the 1st GG-1 may have actually been built around 1937.  However the Williams  5 stripe GG-1 is not Tin Plate by any means of the imagination.  It sure does pull the Tin well however.  Ya got to love an Engine that pulls Tin Plate rolling stock that smoothly.

PCRR/Dave

However there is nothing like the 263E, it's simply the real Tin Plate stuff.

don't I know it! and having this in the paint shop for the last year hasn't helped, and it's not done yet.

Dave,

   Man that is a beauty of a car, post some pictures when she is finished,

had a 69 Z28 myself, I know the addiction! 

PCRR/Dave

thanks! It might be in primer for a while the way things have been going. ever make it down to Beaver for the Hot Summer Night car show, I'll be there.

Dave,

   Don't go to Beaver but every once in a while we go to Wellsboro to the classic car cruses, man I love those old hot cars, almost as much as I love my Tin Plate Trains.

PCRR/Dave

Beaver is awsome! they shut down the town, fill the streets and the park with 2000 cars. classics, muscle cars,hot rods. all day event.

Dave,

    That is basically what happens in Wellsboro also, wonder if the same people sponsor both places.

PCRR/Dave