I have this little beauty I picked up for a song awhile back,it has a dummy engine,,,any suggestion on what might fit ,either prewar or mth ,thanks 
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I had one of the Williams repros at one time. It had a Lionel motor with a manual reverse.
Steve
Just guessing possibly a pre war lionel motor from a 248, 253,254 etc depending on how yours mounts inside that chassis.
257 or 261
The Williams 1694 has a slot in roof (like the original one) for a manual reverse lever. A junk 262 will provide both the motor with side rods and the correct manual reverse unit.
that's a beauty. Standard Gauge I suppose? be sure to show it off when you're done.
O gauge.
It's a reproduction of an O Gauge Ives 1694 (made by Lionel) in 1932 and illustrated in the Ives catalog that year - the final Ives catalog. Three passenger cars - 1696 Baggage, 1695 Pullman, 1697 Observation - came with it. They were repainted and renumbered and sold in "Department Store Specials" with small steamers and electrics through the late 1930's. Their Standard Gauge counterparts, in stark contrast, were hyped to skies in Lionel catalogs. Their 6-wheel trucks were forerunners of prewar Irvington passenger car trucks
After these locomotives sold out, Williams made the cars, too. MTH Tinplate Traditions made this set with different paint schemes.
This set was long, sleek and elegant. They were the best "O" Gauge tinplate passenger cars that Lionel made. Why Lionel kept them in the background is a mystery.
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Chuck Sartor posted:O gauge.
crap......now I'll end up looking for one....
I've lusted after that set for a while as well. Someday I'll find one 
wow ,you guys rock,yes that is on of my fav's in o and standard,i saw a 262 on some site,will keep a watchful eye on that,will keep ya posted
A 262 will do. In 1933, the cars were renumbered 1684 - 1687 and relettered LIONEL LINES. In 1934, 4-wheel trucks were used, and the cars were repainted in vermilion, then blue and silver. They were sold with small steamers and electrics. Here is a 262E with MTH cars - a 1933 Department Store Special
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While I was watching The Polar Express, two details reminded me of this set. First, I noticed lettering below the windows. Second, when the boy opens a vestibule door to return the girl's ticket, there is no diaphragm. The space between the cars is open. When the conductor escorts them back to their seats from the tender through the train, they have no problem walking from one car to another - just like tinplate passengers.
