Fake PW 682 on ebay?

You got me curious, so I looked.
It's possible that the engine is authentic, but someone repaired the oiler linkage with screws because they didn't have the hex shaped pins.

I'd pass on that alone.

I don't see how the oiler linkage could be mounted without the boss on the body casting, and I think its visible on one side in the picture of the underside of the engine. But I've read that people who fake 682's have come up with a way to add the boss.

If someone wanted to fake a 682, what would stop them from using a modern era 8404 shell, and repainting it?

It's pretty tough to fake a 682 with a repainted 8404, because the number 682 is heat-stamped on the originals, not silk-screened or decalled like a fake or reissue.

I sent the seller 3 messages about the screws plus asked if it was "heat-stamped".  No reply so far.  What looks like the boss I think is the stud thats in the wheel not the casting.  Could have used a bushing for the boss and drilled a hole in the casting. Holed it all together with the srcews?  Just dont look rite to me.    

Wonder what TELEDOC's comment would be?

doesn't look right to me either.

My answer is that it actually looks legitimate as a true 682.  I went to ebay, copied the pictures to my computer and enhanced the photos by zooming in on suspect areas, and adjusting the color/brightness to get a better look at the telltale signs of a TRUE BLUE 682, and not a fake.  I hope I can get the pictures to show up in the message.

The first photo is a side by side comparison of a 681 frame (top loco) & 682 frame (bottom photo), which shows the additional casting for the linkage on a true 682 frame.

The second photo shows an enhanced shot of the eBay 682 loco, zeroing in on the linkage casting, inherent on the 682 frames.

The third photo is an enhanced shot of the stamping on the cab.

I think it is a real 682, but that the pins were replaced with screws.  No one knows the full history of this specific loco; i.e. Is the seller the original owner, or someone farther down the line from the original owner.  As far as the casting number on the underside of the shell....it will be number 671-3, as all the postwar turbines used the same shell.

The side by side shot was from a poster on modeltrainforum, who took his locos apart and took the photo showing the differences, and not my photo credit.

An additional note about the slanted motors in the later S2 turbines in regard to swapping brush plates.  I have a 2020 that I am restoring, but it had a 681 motor in it.  I wanted the correct look with the brush plate with the brush tubes, and the correct brushes, to put it back to its original state.  I purchased the correct brush plate, installed new brushes with springs, and it runs perfectly.  So, the brush plates on 2020 and 681 motors can be swapped, without any ill effects.

Thanks TELEDOIC.  How hard would it be to correct it?  If it could be done?  Mite go cheap.

On a side note: When I was still running my shop I had 681's come in that had hex pins twisted by an owner who thought they were screws, stripping out the holes.

I'd have to clean out the boss, and tap it for a hex head screw to reinstall the linkage. So if that is a screw, it may be due to a legitimate repair. Not someone trying to run a scam.

So the sripped hole in the boss could be filled with say liquid steel, drilled out and the correct hex type press pin put in?   Makes me wonder what else is wrong tho.  Seller wont respond to any messages.  Red flag there.  Im just saying.

If a seller doesn't reply within a reasonable time, I move on.

just buy it ...-jim

Yes, it could be done that way. When I showed them what happened, the owners requested the hex head screws be used to prevent a recurrance of the problem if future disassembly was required.