Lionel 2046 or 2056

Honestly, I can't dislike either. Though I would prefer the ones before 1955, which was before their die cast trailing trucks were replaced by less attractive plastic trailing truck frames.

Here is some information for both.

Standard features on the 2046 include; 4-6-4 wheel arrangement with detailed driving wheel hardware, black painted die-cast boiler, Magnetraction, three-position E-unit, headlight, smoke, wire handrails plus an ornamental bell.

For 1950 and 1951, the trailing truck was an all die-cast unit. For 1953, the trailing truck was generally the same die-cast version as on the 1950 / 1951 model. However, sometime during the later part of 1953, the trailing truck was changed to the new sheet-metal version with plastic sides.

Three Window Cab - For the first two years of production, the 2046 was produced with two small cab windows with a larger rear window. This version is always equipped with the complete die-cast trailing truck. Four Window Cab - For its final production run in 1953, the cab contained four small windows. This version is usually equipped with the die-cast trailing truck, but occasionally surfaces with the sheet-metal truck with plastic sides.

The 2056 remains a dependable and quality locomotive and is identical to the 646 and 2046 steamer, except for the number and its lack of Magnetraction. This locomotives is actually a combination of other Lionel steamers: the boilers is from a 736 Berkshire steam engine, but is equipped with the Santa Fe Hudson 4-6-4 wheel arrangement.

The 2056 steam engine was available in boxed sets or as a separate sale item for only a single year, 1952. It is a somewhat hard engine to locate.

Standard features on the 2056 include; 4-6-4 wheel arrangement with detailed driving wheel hardware, black painted die-cast boiler, three-position E-unit, headlight, smoke, wire handrails, die-cast trailing truck plus an ornamental bell and whistle.

Actually, the boiler came from the prewar 226, which was a 2-6-4 loco. That boiler casting was turned into the Berkshire (2-8-4) after the war. A few years later, they brought the 4-6-4 wheel arrangement back to this boiler with the 2046 and 646.

The Greenberg books yap about the 646 and 2046 being a combination of Berkshire boiler and six coupled drive train, but that is actually the combination that was made first.

The prewar 225 morphed into the Pennsy K-4, with a lot of mold reworking.

The prewar 224/1666 morphed into all of the postwar 2037 and 2018 types.

2-6-4.

I'd suggest a 2046 because it has magnetraction. The 2056 does not.

Thanks guys for all the great info, I think I'll go for the 2046 because of the better 

pulling power, unless the 2056 would do the job, don't know about that.

Tin 

I have my 2056 pulling a 2046W & 4 2400 passenger cars & she runs great - don't even miss the magnetraction  

Either would be great for you. 2046 may be easier to find, as the 2056 was just made in 52

A couple of folks have suggested that the 2056 is more difficult to find because it was made only one year. In my experience, I find two or three 2056 locos for every one 2046, and hardly ever see any 646 locos. I don't look at postwar much any more, so this is based on ten years ago, or so.

Me too.  When I read that post, I thought the same thing, and realized to myself that they must have made A LOT of trains in 1952 - which they did!   The number of 2056's, 2026's(non-MagneTraction reruns), and 2025's(non-MagneTraction reruns) around today is astounding.

I don't consider the 2056 or 2046 difficult to find. At one time, the 2046 was considered more desirable than the 2056 because it has magnetraction.
I have not seen many 646 locos.

Back in the early '70's my wife bought me a second hand #2046, 1953 version, 'Four' windowed loco., with 'Headlamp,' 'Puffing Smoke,' 'Three-Position' E.-Unit, 'Magne-Traction,' an ornamental 'Bell' and I later added an ornamental 'Whistle.'

The locomotive came with the wrong #6066W 'Freight' tender, but someone took out the 'Whistling' unit, from the the tender!  I later added the 'Whistling' unit and the proper amount of 'Grab-Hand Rails.'

Years later, I bought the correct #2046W 'Streamlined' tender with 'Whistle,' 'Water' 'Scoop' and I installed a back-up light.

This, locomotive #2046 is a 'WORKHORSE,' pulling it's own weight and the weight of the tender, with it's whistling unit, four die-cast flat cars, two die-cast wrecker cabs., a few other operating cars, with their mechanisms, that add weight and a lighted caboose, all on level track.

Here's some info. of the Lionel Post War Locomotive #'s 2046/56: 

http://www.postwarlionel.com

Ralph

RoyBoy and C.W. - Is/are there any difference(s) between the 646 and the 2046 other than the three-digit engine being packaged with O gauge sets and the four-digit one being packaged with O-27 sets?

Pete

If postwar is not absolutely mandatory, you can also consider Williams/Williams by Bachmann makes a clone of the 2056/2046 style Hudson that includes traction tires, which will allow it to pull longer cars than either the 2056 or the 2046.

The MPC clones too - the 8600 is identical except for the liquid smoke unit.  There are others in a variety of decoration/roads that are every bit as good as the 2046 for running.

According to Tandem Associates, the 646 and 2046 are about the same.

The 646, 2046 and 2056 are basically the same engine. The only difference being the numbers, and that SOME 2056s did not have Magne-traction.  Early production 2056s had Magne-traction until the factory ran out of the parts. I have one that has it.

The reason for the number differences was marketing.  The 646 was an O Gauge loco and the 2046/ 2056 were O 27 steamers. This allowed Lionel to use the same steamer for both O and O 27 sets and still maintain the fiction that they were "different".

Ed Boyle

Thank you, Ed.  I suspected as much.

Pete

Its best if you can run the engine before buying it unless you know the seller and he can tell you for sure its a good runner. My experience with the hudsons has been mixed. I think both the NYC type and Santa Fe type use the same mechanism with just the E unit located in different places. An engine that has been run a lot will have wear on the spur gears and their supporting shafts. This allows the gears to rub on the wheels causing strained running. The gears and shafts can be replaced but its not easy and should be done with special tools like wheel pullers and cups. Most of my Hudson are good runners but a few are not.

Pete

I still have my 2046 from 1954, runs like a top yet and is my go to engine for the toy train part of the layout.

My main plan is to run it with my AMT cars, which need a bit of power to pull 

them.

Tin 

What track are you using? If you run on Atlas, having magnetraction will make little to no difference.

If you're using traditional Lionel track, I would go with the 2046. Or as suggested above, a Williams or an MPC Hudson. Some of those MPC steamers are going for very fair prices these days. 

You could even get a 783 Hudson. That ought to pull those cars no problem!

I would personally consider a Berkshire, a 736 would be a better runner, with a quieter drivetrain. I would be hesitant to recommend an MPC Hudson, with the fast wearing gears, and wobbly drivers. Just my opinion.

quote:

 Early production 2056s had Magne-traction until the factory ran out of the parts. I have one that has it.

I never heard that before. Sounds reasonable.

IMHO, the problem is one of authentication.
How could one tell whether an engine left the factory as a 2056 with magnetraction, or was subject to a post factory change (repair)? It can be very difficult to tell some repairs from factory work. A skilled person can easily replicate the appearance of factory clinching, staking, etc. A motor swap would not even require those skills.

To which Hudsons are you referring?  "Baby" or full size?  Looking to add a black full sized one, that's why I ask.  MPC is fine for me since my 785 has had heavy use since 1988 with no problems whatsoever.  I am thinking of getting the last USA made Hudson, but I wouldn't rule out MPC because the prices are cheap and it's easy to upgrade the whistle.  Thank you.

As to the Berks, I agree with you, they have wonderful drivetrains but the two wheel lead truck is not the best configuration if you want to set the trains to run and run.  Over the years I have found ours is prone to derailments with that lead truck, particularly through switches.  Multiple layouts and different 736 variants all behave the same.  But they are great locos.  For a pure runner, I would prefer a baby Hudson as that four wheel lead truck is more stable for operating.

To the original poster, we have the 2056 conventional classic and it runs fine.  Don't like the "made in China" on the underside but we'll see how it holds up.  

I have a few MPC Hudsons - the Alton, NYC,(8600), Southern & Santa Fe.  All of them are really good runners. Never a problem w/ them.  The only one which I would avoid is the 8206, although the Baldwin drivers on it are kind of cool.  

I also have a 2056 & 646, 2055 & 2065.  The E Unit is in a different spot on the NYC & SF Hudsons, but besides that, the internals are pretty much the same 

I have two of the MPC era Hudsons, the NYC 8600 and the 8210 Joshua Lionel Cowen Hudson.  I purchased them brand new back in the mid to late 1970s and both still run great.   I think all of the post war small Hudsons were great runners and pullers.  I have many of them and they run just as good as they did in the 1950s.

There are a lot of differences between the 2046/2056 and the 2055/65s. 

I have a 646, and have owned the 2046/2056.  You can easily swap shells so Ed was your new when received with magnatraction.  I had not heard about the 2056 having it either.  G

What they share is a common motor. They simply flipped it end to end between the two series.

2046

2055

Pete

I have a 2046 that I bought at a train show about three years ago, and I have absolutely nothing bad to say about it.  My 2046 and 736 are my two favorite PW steamers -- excellent runners, good-looking and very powerful.  If you find a nice 2046, I'd say grab it.

NOT a 2046. The diagram is wrong. This is a 2046/2056:

The only thing wrong about the diagram is the position of the E Unit. The motor is the same.

Pete

GGG

Yes, mine was new. I got it from the first owner and it was purchased in 1952.

I also got this information from other sources as well.

On another topic, my 646, 2046 and 2056 all run great.  My MPC versions, the 8702 Southern Crescent, 8801 Blue Comet and the 8101 Chicago and Alton  are good runners also and fun to operate, as long as you disconnect the "Mighty sound of Static ..er Steam"

The Crescent needs to be lubricated a lot because the bearings have tolerances that were too tight, 

Ed Boyle

THanks Ed.  Good to know.

Pete,  A lot of Lionel used that motor, but there are a lot of different parts on the 2046 versus 2055 plus the shell is much small in comparison to the 2046.  I think they are further apart not closer in design.  Which was my response to Christopher's post.  G

When I was buying a lot of trains from private individuals, it wasn't unusual for folks to tell me that they purchased their trains years before they were made. People's memory isn't always that sharp when it comes to their trains. If the seller had the original receipt that is another matter. I think I have one boxed set that came with it's original receipt.