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I love the detail of modern engines and appreciate the sounds, but . . .

 

I don't have a layout (though that day will come), but today I threw down an oval of Fastrack and pulled out a ZW.  First up was a pair of beater Santa Fe 2343 AA engines that I haven't run in I don't know how many years.  Off they went, with twin horizontal motors growling away and running smoothly, with nice coasting stops (no need for flywheels on these), and the smell of ozone.

 

Next up was a New Haven 2242 single verticle motored F3 AB combo.  Not the growl or heft of the 2343s, but smooth running right from the get go. 

 

Then a 2353 Santa Fe F3 A unit I ran a million miles as a kid in shag carpet, backyward dirt layouts, and everything else crazy that kids did with trains fifty years ago.  Not a moment's hesitation, and it got noticeably smoother in less than one lap (on a 76 x 46 oval).  Then my Northern Pacific 2349 geep that I used and abused to death in the 60's; off she went.  Finally, my nearly destroyed Santa Fe Alco 218 AA, which were crap then and still are but they somehow keep on going.

 

My takeaway:  We're living in a golden era of trains, and I love lots of the modern stuff.  But as a kid growing up in the 60s, postwar Lionel diesels are special for me.  And I for one will trade the modern details and electronics for the comfort of knowing I will always be able to pull out an engine, throw it on the track, and have it growl to life.

 

Chris Dunn

Original Post

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I think it is wonderful that your Postwar diesels ran perfectly right out of storage, but it sure would not hurt to inspect them for huge chunks of dirt and dust in the wrong places, broken wires and then lube them first before firing up those babies.

 

I recently wrote in Collector's Gallery about doing the same thing with a 1946 1666 steamer and I got away with it, but my second thoughts revolved around, "Whoops, not the brightest thing I have ever done."

 

By the way, I put my beloved 2343s in honorable retirement because of maintenance issues (darn tired of fixing and adjusting the AAs every time I run them). They are now sitting on a shelf in my office.   I now run a modern "2343" set and they are fun to play with because I don't have to work on them every time I operate them.

 

Nothing against what you did, matter of fact I thought it was neat, but maybe checking them out first would not have been a bad thing to do.

 

Yours prudently

 

Ed Boyle

Chris I have the New Haven AB F3s, too.  I am curious. Did you get them as part of the 1958 or 1959 Super O sets or, even rarer as separate sale locos.

 

Mine have been serviced regularly and run as good as the day I got them.....12/25/58.

 

I must admit, I do run my new command stuff more often nowadays.....but, I can appreciate the nostalgia and memories.

 

Peter

It's really true with the post-war Lionel engines I picked up a GG-1 2330 from 

ebay last year and when I got it, I put it on the track and off she went, later 

I did clean, relube and rewire and it ran even better. It's great to hear these

story's about the old trains that been in storage and they just run. I can't

wait till I get my Hudson together and give it a run.

 

Tin  

Last edited by tinguy
Originally Posted by Putnam Division:

Chris I have the New Haven AB F3s, too. ....

Peter

A really neat set, but my favorite is watching that little Marx tinplate screaming around the modular layout. I missed seeing that this year!

 

There's just no disputing that the old stuff was built to last.

 

Gilly

Last edited by Gilly@N&W

I run my PW for something different often. The only issue I have between PW and Modern engines are the repair bills. I had a PW repaired for around $100 and I'm looking at $250 plus for one of my modern engines. Of course the PW doesn't have those expensive boards.

 

I like them all and they all need some lube and cleaning at times.

Originally Posted by Jim 1939:

The big issue here is that after 50 years of silence, They RAN.

I doubt that will be the case for today's engines.

 

I think you'll be surprised.

 

I grew up on a farm, and when every new generation of tractor came out with more advanced features, electronics, then computers, etc., the old farmers would stand around and make disparaging comments about how those new-fangled things would never hold up like the old ones. They'd be junk in 10 years.

 

Many of those tractors are now 25, 40, even 50 years old now, and still going strong in everyday front-line use on farms.

 

The cool thing is electronics don't go bad sitting around. Wire insulation these days remains intact and pliable much longer.

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