Gotta love Postwar steam!

I had to add L brackets on the bottom top shelf it was starting to sag a bit.

I'm down to just a few from some years ago. Interest had 'evolved' over the years to Scale 3 rail. Not surprising since I received an American Flyer PRR K5 set for Christmas in 1949. Was always glad Santa brought the 2 rail train!  Ha!

Keepers now are a 726 Berkshire (1947 I think)

1872 'Super O' General

pre war 1666 with metal tender

The Lionel 726 and Lionel 736 are my favorite steam engines.  My first train set has a 2037 Steam engine; with a 2-6-4 wheel set it was a work horse for many 027 train sets.  The Lionel 726 and Lionel 736 were more substantial with a 2-8-4 wheel set and headed many top-of-the-line, premium O-gauge train sets. I always wanted one and had to wait until my 50's before getting one.  Below is a mix of postwar and the more recent conventional classics, they came out for some family photos.

I have many of them, maybe all 1950s except for the scout engines.

I especially like the 746 J for looks and performance.  Smokes great.

The 2035 and 2025 are also favorites.  Pound for pound nothing pulls better.  Just had them pulling 14 PW cars on O27 curves. (just ran out of space on the layout to add more).

IMHO, the best things about postwar steamers are:

Toughness, reliability

Magnetraction

Smoke rings!!

The sound of their Whistles

My favorites:

The 2025---1948-49

The 224 - early postwar 1945-46

The "Big" Berk...736... 1953-54

I’m a fan of the PW Berks as well.  Here is my collection. From left to right: The 726, the 1950 736, the 726RR, and the 736 - new in 1967.

The 2037 is a gem…….engineered well and if serviced, very dependable…..

Peter

Just a couple PW Lionel muscle

My Mother bought this as a house warming gift when my then-wife and I bought our first home.  Wifey bought me a starter set as a gift for our first Christmas together so it didn't surprise me too much that wifey liked the Wabash train set gift.

- walt

Another plus for postwar Lionel steamers: you can buy most of these, in great shape, for less than $200 each at swap meets.

Have you seen the steamer prices in the new catalog?

@Putnam Division posted:

The 2037 is a gem…….engineered well and if serviced, very dependable…..

Peter

Peter, the 2037 was my first engine, it had magne-traction, which made it a great climber up the Lionel 110 Trestle Set.  Those engines are 60+ years old and with some maintenance they will run for anther 60 years.

A great joy of mine it to repair these old engines. The smoke units, the e-unit, replacing rollers, rewiring, etc,  they all have some challenges, but with the help of the OGR Forum, everything is possible.   

A few years back, I repaired the Lionel 2026, the version produced from 1948 to 1949.  It has more detail than the 2027, like the handrail, and a more complex drive rod set up.  I don't have any before pictures, but the stainless-steel parts were easy to clean up. This is such a beautiful engine and is a great example of the tremendous quality that Lionel put into their "toys".  I have this engine in a lighted display cabinet, and I will point out to visitors the level of craftmanship of Lionel.  I venture to say, very few people own 60-year-old stuff that still works.   It is remarkable.   

PW Lionel 4-6-4 2065 from 1954-56 still running strong

@Sitka- Wow Mate, given the length of those trains, she is not just still running but she is still "pulling"!!

Don

@Don McErlean posted:

@Sitka- Wow Mate, given the length of those trains, she is not just still running but she is still "pulling"!!

Don

Thanks Don, all my engine has index cards for service and repairs. Does make life easier on my maintenance program, still have to much Army in me when it comes to maintenance. God Speed!

Mark

Two post war sister small Hudson’s, 2056 on the inner loop and 2046 on the outer loop.  Both fine running engines.

Two more classic post war steamers from 1946.  Lionel’s rendition of the Pennsylvania 4-6-2 K4s Pacific except in their unique 2-6-2 wheel configuration.  No matter their foot wear these were silent, smooth and powerful  running engines.  The 2025 runs on the inner loop while it’s sister 675 operates on the outer loop.

My favorite Lionel post-war engine the 746 Norfolk & Western class J 4-8-4 Northern.  Here it is at rest on the Shenandoah Short line.  Produced in 1957 and 1958 this was the last brand new example of motive power manufactured by the old Lionel Corporation.