Do you have a set of postwar F3's and aluminum streamliners?

I have both, not too hard to find on e bay.

As the screen name shows,   " A " is for Alaska,

so  Lionel F-3's  Yes, and several of the " B",   makes a really neat train lead.  Then the SUPERLINERS,  following.    Yes, Very long , Very colorful, and VERY , probably best built product in the Hobby or business!!!

Tes I have a set on 2353's ABBA with all the Extruded Passenger cars to include both versions of the baggage car and love them. I am currently restoring a set of 2343's and 2333's. I also have the Post War set of Congressional Passengers Cars with the extra add ons brought out in the late 70's early 80's by Lionel with they reintroduced the set. I love them all and will occasionally run them.

I have both; numerous Postwar F3s (A-B-A) from the 1950s, modern MTH and Williams F3s, and one set of Postwar extruded aluminum passenger cars. They are marvelous, IMO.

One problem: although the aluminum passenger cars can navigate my Postwar 022 switches, unless everything is perfect and I take it slow, they will occasionally derail going thru the 022 switches when they take the curve. The one positive about this is if I want to do a test to see if the 022s are set up perfectly and the wheels of those passenger cars are lubricated perfectly, or if I'm otherwise in the mood, I will run those passenger cars.

Ideally, one would run them thru wider than 031 curves, IMO.

The Michigan made aluminum cars have fast rolling trucks so the only real load is the weight of the cars.

I have both, southern A-B-A from the 1950's and the Lionel aluminum passenger cards, 6 of them, baggage to observation.

I have the 2243 Santa Fe A-B set. They look nice, run great, but a little buzzy.

I also have the 2383 A-A set. They look even better. I know it runs, but I need to clean and service them both before I use them.
I have mismatched aluminum cars. I have 2561, 2562 and 2562. I have cleaned them up, they look good, but some of the red striping is missing. I am hoping to find a source for replacements. I also have the 2530. It looks real good, but one of the axles does not roll well at all. Haven’t figured out why, yet.

I have both the 2343 / 2343C A-B-A Santa Fe and the 2344 / 2344C A-B-A NYC "chicken wire" (screen vents) F-3 sets.  I have  2 sets of the five 2530-2534 REA baggage car and "Silver" Pullmans, Dome, and Observation.  I got the first Santa Fe set and 2500 series cars for Christmas in 1953 from Mom and Dad (I was 9) and I got the NYC set much later with the "B" unit being found in an Antique Store in PA in the 90's and the AA from the McKinney Train Show in Texas in 2018.  The second set of 2500 series cars came from my brother in law who had them as a child and found them again when cleaning out his attic and made them a gift to me around 2017 (to my great delight!!). He had pulled them with the 2032 Erie Alco AA not an F-3 set.  However he also gave me the Alco AA set which still runs great!.  I also have a 2240 single motor Wabash AB set purchased at an LCCA convention in Dallas sometime around 2008.

Hey - how about Marx?

I have a Santa Fe AA, B&O AA, and Southern Pacific AA in lithographed tinplate

I have (E-7's really) a Santa Fe A-B-A, Rock Island A-B-A, New Haven A-B, and Western Pacific A-B-A in plastic.

Best Regards

Don

I have the Santa Fe 2383  with the Presidential passenger cars.   Engine and cars are in good shape the boxes are pretty worn.  Gift from my grandfather when I was very young. 

I have a 2343 ABA set that has been restored. Then a Wiiliams Canadian Pacific ABA set with mostly Williams cars plus three post war cars than have been relettered for CP. That Santa Fe could pull my modern Lionel 18” cars and look good doing but it mostly sits on the shelf for display.

Pete

I have the 2383 A-A and Pres cars that my dad bought new for our Christmas layout when I was very, very young.I take good care of them, and they run and roll like champs.

Here's a representative pic of the set.  Mine are currently put aay while I undergo the 8,900th redo of the layout

I run 2 Powered A units.

I have an ABBA set of 2343s. The A units are repainted Postwar chassis with Conventional Classics shells, powered A unit has an ERR AC Commander. B units are mid/late 90s production, with one having Railsounds 2.5. They usually pull one of several passenger sets I have.

i have the 2353 a/a it was a 3 car set, parents got the extra pullman,,,i got these summer of 55 they were in the living room when i got home from the hospital after getting my tonsils out,,,,i really think they were more for my dad tho,,,,,out a week then got put away to that xmas,,,i still have them ,got the aa restored like new !

The first set that I remember receiving was for Christmas 1957 (I was 5 years old).  It was the 2373 CP set with 3 vista domes and an observation.  Now who thinks my dad really bought these for himself?  We had a permanent layout in the basement.  I still have the trains and have since added the two Pullmans.

Unfortunately, since it was an all year setup, all the boxes were tossed as we certainly didn't have the room for old boxes.

The set is well used and shows the effects of age and use, but wouldn't trade them for the world. 

I have been at this hobby for years-started off as a PW collector and eventually branched out into the modern- all makes. I honestly can't fathom being a true "Lionel train guy" without having a few PW F3s ( especially a nice SF ABA set); a set of the aluminum passenger cars; at least one FM TM, GP7/9, GG-1; a gang car, perhaps a trolley; a few steamers like the Berkshire and K4 Pacific; a few 6464s, some cabeese, crane car/work caboose, flat with vans, milk car etc. I may be wrong, but those trains seem to be the foundation/ heart&soul of what us train nuts are about.  turtle7

@turtle7 posted:

I have been at this hobby for years-started off as a PW collector and eventually branched out into the modern- all makes. I honestly can't fathom being a true "Lionel train guy" without having a few PW F3s ( especially a nice SF ABA set); a set of the aluminum passenger cars; at least one FM TM, GP7/9, GG-1; a gang car, perhaps a trolley; a few steamers like the Berkshire and K4 Pacific; a few 6464s, some cabeese, crane car/work caboose, flat with vans, milk car etc. I may be wrong, but those trains seem to be the foundation/ heart&soul of what us train nuts are about.  turtle7

My PW collection is almost exactly what you describe. The only thing I don't have that you mention is the flat with vans. In addition, I have many PW operating cars and accessories,  several 44 ton center cab diesels and more novelty engines/cars like the tie ejector, 3 gang cars, the yellow trolly, the little black US Army switcher, the Marines missle launching engine and a bunch of military cars.

I have (and still run) my father's Santa Fe 2353 AA set and 4 aluminum passenger cars that he received for Christmas in the early 1950's.

While I fully appreciate the postwar Lionel F3 and aluminum cars they produced, I do not own any being primarily a scale operator and collector.  However, some MPC era Aluminum cars in Amtrak made their way into my collection and I might run them at my club on occasion between my scale length cars to see who notices.

One can never have enough fun in this hobby.

The aluminum cars of the MPC era are the one item that rivals postwar quality in my opinion.

I do have a soft spot for the AMT aluminum postwar era cars with their Napoleon Hat trucks.  One day when I have a wall to display trains I have no intention of running.

Good thread.  Great to hear so many have the exact same wonderful memories and collections.  Dad's NYC F3 and aluminum's were not to be touched by my brother and I.  Today the F3, not quite as new and bright, hauls freight.  The six Lionel (observation, baggage, Silver Range and 3 Vista Dome are boxed, as are the two MTH NYC aluminum mates, one combo Passenger/Baggage and a Sleeping/Dining car - circa late 90's).  Today, those eight relatively long cars on a relatively small table with several 031 curves meant carefully putting them aside for another day.  Back in the day, as they say, these aluminum's must have really been something special.  Today, they still are, for other reasons.  And, I do miss that 48' long train table, tootsie toys and Fort Apache, my Schwinn Black Phantom and my Rawling's Mickey Mantle Glove (still have it), when we rooted for the Dodgers, and it seemed all the teams played each other to see who would play the Yankees in the World Series.  Three sewer stickball, stoop ball, and Lionel trains.  I was one lucky kid.  Hope you were too.

I had a beat up set of F-3's with NYC shells. I bought some Canadian Pacific replacement shells at Madison Hardware about 40 years ago. I then had an old girl friend buy me the Williams 5 car aluminum passenger set for my birthday. One of my favorite sets. I found an extra passenger car at the Rocky Mountain Train Show about 2 years ago for 20 bucks. I also added red LED's in the observation car. Keeps looking better with age.

Good thread Dennis.  I also have postwar Lionel F3 units with 5 extruded aluminum streamline passenger cars.  In the lead is a #2368 Baltimore and Ohio A & B pair from 1956 followed by a #2530 large door baggage car from 1954.  The passenger cars #2531, #2532, #2533 and #2534 all with hex head screws are from 1952.  The consist is about 9 feet long and the dual Pullmor's inside the F3A unit make a nice growling sound when it goes by pulling these heavy aluminum cars.  👍

We had American Flyer for Christmas of 1950 and while I was always glad that Santa liked 2 rail track, I look back now and would rather have started with Lionel. The size and heft of Lionel and level of detail was far superior. I always admired their F3's and eventually received some Flyer Santa Fe Alco PAs, but having never seen the prototype in new Orleans I still wished for the F3's. Have had many examples over the years (including many Flyer PA's) but began shifting my focus to 'Scale' equipment 6 or 7 years ago, selling/trading almost all my postwar items. I missed the PW F models and bought this nice ABA set from 'N'Awlins' on the Forum awhile back  He bought them from a neighbor who survived Katrina and they run very well. The original cabs were decent but I picked up a set of the factory replacement cabs for the Lionel PW Classics and found a modern era 2343 B unit with sound to run with them. Plans are to repaint the two A chassis to match the luster of the newer B unit. Am gradually picking a few select PW pieces again as they are so charming!  Hey, I'm preaching to the choir here. :-)

How 'bout you guys go back and adding photos to your posts above?

Here’s my 2343’s with set of postwar celebration passenger cars from 1996(I think) and my newly acquired 2353’s with a postwar dome car consist. My 4x8 layout really rumbles when they run.

These are my all time favorite trains. This is my first Lionel train a 2234W set from 1954. I purchased it from the original owners sister for Christmas in 2019. My fiftieth Christmas present. She told me that it was her brothers most prized possession  and that she wanted it to go to someone who would take good care of it. In the bottom of the set box was a Christmas tag from Grandma and Grandpa. As I promised her, the engine and are cars have all been serviced and run like new. The only exception is the horn. It will be one of my cherished possessions until I'm gone and hopefully someone else will respect the Legacy of this simple toy and carry on the stewardship.

Too bad Lionel did not make TEXAS SPECIAL AL cars for the 2245 in the Postwar era.  Then again, 2245 is a single motor.  Even 2400 series cars in TS would have been nice....

I have had good luck oiling postwar trucks with one having Teflon.  Clean truck.  Then oil.  If wheel is spinning on the axle freely, then you have enough oil on it.

Living in NJ, my Depression Era raised parents bought the Southern AA 2356 instead of the far more popular SF and NYC because they were a couple of bucks cheaper, and bought mismatched (2350, 2351, and 2353) aluminum cars, again because they were slightly cheaper. 

@T.Albers posted:

Good thread Dennis.  I also have postwar Lionel F3 units with 5 extruded aluminum streamline passenger cars.  In the lead is a #2368 Baltimore and Ohio A & B pair from 1956 followed by a #2530 large door baggage car from 1954.  The passenger cars #2531, #2532, #2533 and #2534 all with hex head screws are from 1952.  The consist is about 9 feet long and the dual Pullmor's inside the F3A unit make a nice growling sound when it goes by pulling these heavy aluminum cars.  👍

The 2363 B&O has always been a favorite of mine. For years I actually preferred the lighter colors to the real B&O colors. Seems I saw a story somewhere (Lionel's Classic F3 Book perhaps?) that told a story about a Lionel salesman who was given an improper color photograph that Lionel used as a color reference or similar?

I have the 2530-2534 original set plus added a Williams combine to finish the set. I pull it with a variety of locos including 2383 aa Santa Fe f3s or my favorite combo: a myth premier nyc New York State express Hudson which looks amazing. No issue pulling them in either case with normal lube on the axles

@Pingman posted:

Living in NJ, my Depression Era raised parents bought the Southern AA 2356 instead of the far more popular SF and NYC because they were a couple of bucks cheaper, and bought mismatched (2350, 2351, and 2353) aluminum cars, again because they were slightly cheaper.

One of life's ironies, ended up living in Atlanta area for the better part of 40 years after college, so the 2356 Southern AAs were right at home.

There's nothing like the sight, sound, and smell of these postwar F3's pulling a train at speed. I love all the technology and realistic sounds of the newer equipment, but it still doesn't compare to these grand old models.

Dennis, this is a really great thread, being born in 1944, and growing up when passenger trains were the most exciting form of travel, I was blessed to have a father that introduced me to toy trains. When I was 6, probably in 1950, I was given the set with the 2332 GG1, dark green color with freight cars. My neighbor had the Sante Fe F3 set Silver and Red, with the beautiful aluminum passenger cars, and it was so beautiful, and I was so envious. My next engine was the 2338 Milwaukee road diesel that I loved so much. My neighbor got the 2344 NYC AA set dark grey with lightning stripes, and I was so jealous, why I didn’t get those beautiful sets, I’ll never know, my father died when I was 11, a sad time in my life. Either way, over the years 1966-1986, I’ve been blessed to have owned the post war diesels, steamers, trolleys, accessories, and although they were fun, I love where the hobby has taken us, the age of command control, and although I love Lionels post war F3’s, they have been traded for the latest Legacy F3 ABBA’s, the sounds, the slow running, just enticed me so much. It was those early Lionel diesels, and layouts in large department stores that gave me the enthusiasm to one day build a nice model railroad of my very own. I bet I’m not the only one here that had that same vision. Some folks have issues with change, however, I think change is great, Lionel is still leading the way, wow, I’m now 77, trains are still my favorite pastime. Great thread, fond memories, a lifetime of Fun. Happy Railroading Everyone

In 1982 I bought a Canadian Pacific set.  Came to love the smoothness and power of the vertical motor 2373 engine.  Over time I got the extra 2 cars as well as 2530 baggage and  Williams diner and RPO if I wanted it to be really long.

Inspired perhaps, my wife and I went from Banff to Vancouver in 1984 on the actual Canadian, as well as back to Banff.  The scenery was, of course, nothing short of spectacular.  I believe we saw one of the original F3s on public display in Calgary.

In recent years I put together a 2383 with 4 red stripe cars.  But the CP set remains the most special.

Thanks for the thread!  You have inspired me to go run it today!

John

I have the 2353 AAs that came with my original 1954 catalog freight set. I also have the 1990s "water" B-unit.  I don't have PW cars, but I have 3 of the MPC cars, including the dome, and, since I never got the obs car, I run them with with the K-Line observation car, which makes for a very heavy consist.

Sigh. This brings back both good and not so good memories. In 1955-ish my dad got me the Milwaukee Road F3 And B with three cars: baggage, coach, and observation. About 10 years later, I traded them at the Hobby House in Cleveland for  some HO stuff, none of which I have any more. So, I remember them fondly but can't think back on them without regret.

@franktrain posted:

Here’s my 2343’s with set of postwar celebration passenger cars from 1996(I think) and my newly acquired 2353’s with a postwar dome car consist. My 4x8 layout really rumbles when they run.

Just noticed the Super O track that is so nice and 'screams' Post War Lionel!

@Jim Brenner posted:

Sigh. This brings back both good and not so good memories. In 1955-ish my dad got me the Milwaukee Road F3 And B with three cars: baggage, coach, and observation. About 10 years later, I traded them at the Hobby House in Cleveland for  some HO stuff, none of which I have any more. So, I remember them fondly but can't think back on them without regret.

eBay is your friend - You should be able to locate an almost exact replica of your childhood trains if you're patient. The Milwaukee Rd F3's used to be high-dollar items but value has fallen greatly for all but very good postwar originals. Operator quality units are out there and Williams made some great replicas that pop up occasionally. Lionel also has produced some PW Classics and PW Celebration sets that have TMCC command control and Railsounds.

My story is similar in that in high school I traded ALL of my American Flyer equipment for a 'Supro' guitar and small amp at a music store in New Orleans. What a bad deal for me - especially since I never became a good guitar player despite my lessons and practice. The desire was there but not the talent!

The Williams set came as an AA pair

I  enjoy collecting MTH and Williams Golden Memory F3s pulling K-Line, MTH, and modern

Lionel streamliners.  Although Lionel did not make a 2500 series set of Texas Special cars some

long ago hobbyist painted some and I pull them behind an MTH F3.  Here are a couple of photos

Lew

If one has the  Texas Special F3s,  the cars are about as  "gotta have 'em" as there is.  ( I did a set in Southern Pacific Daylight colors long ago).  They look great!

Does anyone have the AMT  Texas Special cars and might share a photo?