Is this prewar?

Yes, prewar. 1700E with 1701 and 1702. From circa 1936. The orange and grey Milwaukee "Hiawatha" paint scheme is comparatively harder to find.

That is in semi-scarce Hiawatha orange and gray.

The plate on the bottom of  the engine says :Lionel, jr" so it is prewar.

Definitly prewar like @Überstationmeister said. There is a discussion over here about it along with a modern production catalog page: https://ogrforum.com/topic/pullman

Thank you so much. I swear I was looking for a week now. I never thought it would be so complicated  my youngest son loves them  so he will get them. My oldest  is in the air force now and when he was young had no interest  we do add a piece every year  again thank you. Happy  new year  Bob

It wasn't running at first so I took the motor out and cleaned it all. Fun to tinker with  but I'm thinking now  thank God I didnt destroy something so old. Btw you have a nice community  here

Seems to be in pretty good condition!  If you go to http://www.ttender.com/ and drop Jeff a line,  he can fix you up with a fresh set of 1661-33 pickups for the power unit.  

Have fun and enjoy your classic!  

Mitch 

Thank you. I learned that trick from my pops

Wolfbane posted:

Thank you. I learned that trick from my pops

It's an excellent quick fix, but longterm you're better off replacing the pickups;  they're inexpensive and easy to swap out.   

Mitch

Wow, that looks like a beauty.  I hope she runs as well as she looks.  Wolfbane.

even a man who is pure in heart, and says his prayers by night, can become a wolf, when the wolfbane blooms, and the autumn moon is bright

I told my son when he went in to German class in high school to claim the name Wolfgang as his class name.  Best advice I ever gave him probably.  I always thought anyone going around town calling himself Wolfgang has got to be cool.  Wolfbane, oh man, that’s gotta be right up there.

 Cheers!       WK

The motor tag of “Lionel Jr.” dates from 1933-1936.  The tags changed in 1937 to Lionel 027, and continued into Postwar era.  Definitely get new slide shoes, 1661-33, and you are good to go.

That will b the next thing I do. I just cleaned the 1028 transformer  working well. And the jr runs great. Now i have the kw ripped apart  the right side wasn't working  found some wires that needed to b replaced. Everything is checking good on multi meter  if u look at the 2 trains I have  I would think the 681. Locomotive Is older. I believe that was the number. Already have it boxed up till next xmas. The tender has Pennsylvania  on it. I find that neat I'm from pa. Again. I thank everyone  here. You are all such a great help.  I did realize  if your really into collect trains. It can get expensive. I dont think my wife would like me to pick up this hobby. Quads are enough for her. Lol. I have so many other things  I have this tunnel made out of paper. I'm suprised it survived  so many neat things you can add and do with it. I'm 44. And I could play with it all day. U just dont see a toy train made like that today   

I solder fill my shoe grooves too. 

Nice set. 

Online prewar info can  be scarce compared to postwar's.  

Wolfbane posted:

.......".we do add a piece every year"

That sounds intriguing. I'm hoping you might share some shots of those too . 

Your 681 is Postwar, Made circa 1949.  The 1700 is older.

My boss collects prewar lionel's he told me  I showed him the pics of the 1700  and he said it was post.  Like the 681. All I said was they're made of totally  different materials. I think it might be pre. That was 2 weeks ago  my search started. And I could barely find anything about it. Till I got here. So u know men and woman. I did search for awhile b4 I found your community  I can't wait till I see him. I'm going to have all this info ready for him. Maybe. I'll teach him something  which is hard to believe. Bc I dont know much about this subject. I hope I dont post or reply to much  all I can say is I'm happy I have a pre and a post. And my youngest son loves them. I just hope he gives them to his son or daughter. And keeps it in the family  I wouldn't sell it for the world. I think about it. How many family members touched that train I never met. Hell I wasn't even thought of.  One more  question. If I may were. 1028. Transformers put in the 20s. There was a hand written date on mine. It was either. 9/10/12. Or  9/10/21.  I should. Just get it back out to check   I did find info on them. But nothing really solid. Not like looking up info on a quad I'll tell u   L

Rule # 1 The Boss id always right

Rule # 2 If the Boss is ever wrong, refer to Rule # 1

The Lionel 1028 is a very small 25 Watt transformer.

I seem to think it spanned 1937-1942, but having trouble finding an immediate source to back that up...

Here's mine and the date written on side. Great great. Grandfather must have been drinking  

Hi Dave. I have a bad problem  if I know I'm rite  boss, cops, God   I'll fight tooth and nail to prove my point. Well maybe not God  but everyone else. Only if I'm rite   L

Wolfbane - If your boss is that kind of a boss - forget it - pick your battles and, trust me, that's one battle not worth even giving a second thought.  If he insists it's postwar - so be it. Courtesy of a number of people on this forum you know otherwise and you also have some idea about your #681.  For the record, attached is a picture of Lionel set #2203 from 1953.  As you can see it is headed by a #681.

I know. My boss is a good man  he doesn't take sides. It's just rite or wrong I just want yo bust his cookies a bit  lol. That's my 681 and tender  i have a milk car another car that just opens and a blue guy comes out another that carried wooden barrels but my **** zu. I spelt that wrong. Lol an ankle biter ate  the barrels. I really like the milk cat think its neat how hee puts jugs out that was hard to get rite either he threw them off the dock or barely made it Mayb I'll just take a pic of it and post it. I can only imagine how much money and time some of yous have in your set ups  I was looking at pics  hell some are mini cities trying to get my wife to let me set it up it attic so me and the boy can play with it.  I hope I can get her to come around. She knows me though I set it up  I'll spend more and more. To make it really neat  some of the accessories  are so wild   I want to get a search light car. I think there neat  all in good time what I really like this is a new learning experience  for me. I def need to get fillers for my kw and she should be good. Forgot I want to replace diode and horn rectifier? Then she should be good

Welcome.  I too still marvel at the things that you can find out here but nowhere else, especially considering you can otherwise get answers to most other things by simply asking Google. 

With respect to the transformer and the apparent date - Lionel first offered O gauge electric trains in 1915 and masking tape didn't exist until first offered by 3M in 1925 so I almost wonder if the 9-10-12 note on the side of your transformer is referring to something besides a date...although, to be honest, I can't think of a reasonable alternative.

I didnt think it was either  L. That's y I said my great great grandfather must of been drunk  it came with the lionel jr. I'm assuming  there's 2 trains 2 transformers  but I thank you for your input. I like to know how it is. Good or bad 

 Well, it sounds like you are not flying totally blind and the train oil mixed with your blood a long time ago.  It's fun to find out how much you know that you forgot or didn't realize was there already (or is missing ) when "re-entering" the hobby. 

  Some folk don't really acknowledge some cast as pre-war, date being a technicality to them; it's more about the noting the change to better detail of model grade castings on engines. 

9 / 10/ 12.... maybe an approx voltage note? Maybe there was a third engine?

Maybe weekend in December, no year ..? A birthday? 

Good or bad? Exactly what?   At  25w that is just a small train's transformer for a small loop. The turbine might not do too well (I'd expect 50w with that, but who knows?) The tin would likely get along grand with it. If not a set supply(?), very fitting for it.  It looks like someone re-corded it, so I'd pop the top to inspect the work.  I've seen better, I've seen worse from the era. They have appeal to me in about any shape once cleaned and shined some. I'd set in on the streaminer's shelf for display after cleaning. As you do piece together a family history of these, document it.  My Grandfather did this with all his. Previous owners, prices, repairs, etc.. Gramps also encouraged folks to reclaim thier trains at purchased price within a few years of sale, and made courtesy calls before selling most as well.

 I'd stick to using the KW ensuring the rollers are big, n' roll vs slide, breaker pops fast and wires are safe (being aware of the resistance wires are not normal wire, etc. etc.) The most important thing there is not over setting roller axles. It causes an axle bend and the roller can't roll well..spend $2 more and buy extra pins and rollers to cover the oops factor . Thuroughly test the rollers actually roll well to ensure they last longer

It probably was just a date  of a bday. May I ask. Under the direction button there's a spring and a little bar. What is that bar? I'm missing mine. Thank you

The date of the transformer was 1935-1936.  The 1029 & 1030 were from the same period.  They were used in the “Lionel Jr.” series of trains that dated 1934-1936.  The 1028 transformer was the common one issued with the 1700E sets.  The 1700E had “Lionel Jr.” motor tags in 1935-36, then changed to “Lionel 027”, for 1937.

The 681 was issued (with Magnatraction), in 1950-51, skipped 1952, (Korean War, magnet shortage), and re-introduced In 1953.

"My boss is a train collector and he said it was postwar." He can't be much of a collector. Maybe he's right, it is post war WW1.

He is correct. He be da boss!!

I'm not sure of a "bar",  I recall a brass barrel pin of sorts, but I've not had one like it apart since I was a boy.  The spring suggests that terminal is also the dirrection button.  I also recall those terminal's bases being square and the solid mounts of the non-reverse transformer both being round. (rule or coincidence¿?)  On much later transformers that terminal nut would be larger and plastic; easier on your fingertips. 

Olsen's Trains seems to have not come online again. I don't have my old files, so have no references any longer.  

So much free info has simply vanished in two years it's scary.  I'll be referencing from floppy disks again soon it seems.

I found them on Ebay  thank you. Here's my oldest son in the airforce  that I wanted to have when I kick the bucket.  But he has no interest. Kinda bumps me out