Lionel 226 VS 226E?

They are identical, other than the numberplate. The E-less plate is the later of the 2 when Lionel dropped the 'E' designation from all the locomotive plates. The tender journal boxes may be nickel on the 226E and black on the 226.

The 226 & 226E are some of Lionels BEST running engines. Mine runs and pulls like a champ

Mike

Ditto on the 226s being among, if not, THE best running of Lionel's steamers.  The motor Lionel used in the 226s as well as in the 224E and 225E in my opinion was the best they ever manufactured.  All of these engines run very quiet and incredibly smooth.  I have all three and nothing in my post-war inventory can match them for a smooth and quiet run.

I do appreciate the information and it is a great help. I have a group of these trains and I was going through them and these two had me wandering as they looked identical but had different numbers. I believe there are some 224s and 229s in the group also I just have to get time to look at them. Thank You very much!!

Postwar 675 used the same motor but it had an inherent 'wobble' caused by the center blind driver on one side being manufactured with an ever so slightly off centered axle hole. In my years of PW repairs, I removed that wobble for many a customer.

In my mind the 226'is' the best running steam engine produced in its time. I run mine each Christmas time around the tree.

You can replace the rear truck on the cab with one from a PW early 726 so you get a draw bar on the engine. I did this with one of mine (have a couple) and I hook it up with a Lionel Rail sounds tender of the same size as the original. Awesome!

224 and 229 engines, while smaller, are nice engines too.

I am not 100% sure on this but I have a 224E from around 1941 that was with a three car passenger set, so I think the E was dropped after WW2, but otherwise after 1945 it is the same engine in almost every respect.

Lee Fritz