My ladyfriend fell in love with the idea of a white train after seeing a white locomotive at Cal Stewart last Fall. I am trying to fill her dream with a "small torpedo" 1688 2-4-2 shell that I have. (The shell is the later version with firebox doors and a thick pilot - black originally.) I have painted the shell white, but I don't know what type of motor I should be using. Is it one of the old motors with the cast metal frame, or is it the type with sheetmetal slab sides held together with riveted spacers? What type of leading and trailing trucks? I didn't find any detailed photos in my Lionel reference books. The somewhat similar PW 221 for which I have a picture is a 2-6-4 and has the side skirts sculpted upward (for motor clearance?) rather than straight across on my casting.
To make matters worse, yesterday at the TTOS SWD meet, while searching for a 1688, I ran across and purchased a "large torpedo" 238. It had the leading trucks, and I happened to have a trailing truck in my "good junk". I rebuilt the motor and it runs well. I need to install an E-unit. Some of the side rod and valve gear is missing, but it is in pretty good shape otherwise. What a heavy monster!!
The problem is the wheels, which are chipped. I thought I had this covered because I have 2 dozen of those wheels with steel rims and the large boss sticking out. What I didn't remember is that the wheels that are broken also have the gears cast into the inner surface. If anyone has wheels with gears and need the plain version, I will gladly trade multiples of my type for the ones I need.
