I've seen mostly bad press on the old Lionel Scout engines. I would be interested to hear specifics from people who have actually run and repaired these engines over a period of time. Criticisms are generally to the effect that: they don't hold up, they are difficult or impossible to repair, they're throw-away motors, etc.
A couple years ago, I happened to buy a 246 Scout with a few cars for a modest price. It helped launch my increasing interest in O gauge. Just recently, I learned that these items match the X-600 Quaker Oats promotional set of 1961. This 246 engine appeared to have low mileage and seemed a bit tight, but it ran more freely after I had used it a while. I added weight for better traction.
A curious feature of this Scout motor with mechanical reversing is, the motor and reversing function will work on AC or DC power. Actually it is somewhat quieter on DC, and seems to have better low-speed torque on DC.
I've read the old Lionel service literature which explains that the Scout motor of 1959 was "thoroughly re-engineered and refined in 1960" with oilless bearings, oil wick, etc and can be recognized by a serrated bottom, which is what I have. Have these later Scout engines distinguished themselves from the earlier versions? Or do they all have bad reputations?
I run this 246 loco mostly on a small 027 layout for perhaps 2 or 3 minutes at a time, maybe 3 or 4 times a week. It works well, but I haven't run up a lot of mileage on it. I spend more time running other trains on a larger layout.
I'm wondering if this 246 loco would have the stamina for prolonged operation on a small display layout which I am considering for a weekend train show. Would that risk wearing it out? I'm on a budget, I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on new locos.
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