Firing up those postwar engines

If you buy Williams diesels, your new trains will run as nicely or better than your old trains.

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

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

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

Good advice given above, take them apart and give them new grease and oil.

Jim

quote:

If you buy Williams diesels, your new trains will run as nicely or better than your old trains.

But they won't have the history / memories of those trains he's owned all these years.
Plus he doesn't have to spend any more than a couple of dollars for some fresh lubricant.

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  

Dear Prudence (aka Ed the grease monkey),

Yes, I get the lube business and certainly would do so if I were going to give these real running time.  But this is just about a dab of fun.  

Imprudently,

Chris

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

I've been on a bit of a Postwar kick with the cold weather we had in Georgia recently. The light in my Alco 204 went out this evening. Anyone know the bulb type?

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.

quote:

I've been on a bit of a Postwar kick with the cold weather we had in Georgia recently. The light in my Alco 204 went out this evening. Anyone know the bulb type?

According to the Lionel bulb chart, it originally came with a #53 bulb. IMHO, you would be safe using a #1445 as a substitute.

As a word,of caution, just remember that all toys with age should be treated with

a little more care than when they were new. But, then again....you can't take them

with you so what the hey !!

Thanks C.W. I'll be sure to stash that pdf for future reference.

Bernard, I actually had opened it up during last weeks winter storm here in Atlanta. I always feel less stressed opening my few postwar items as opposed to my modern fleet.

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.