I picked up a 4-8-2 #738 steamer but cannot locate this numbered loco anywhere on the www to determine its age, etc..
Looks just like a 726RR. Any help in identifying it is appreciated.
Most important, however, I am trying to re-wire the head lamp and am frustrated trying to get into the guts of this beauty. Am I that lame or is there a secret trick to getting inside this sweet heart?
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Pictures from various angles would help.
Larry
That's definitely been repainted and renumbered, probably started out as a standard postwar Berkshire.
It's most likely a 736, probably from sometime between 1950 and 1954.
You have a re-numbered 726 locomotive.
The service manual will show the disassembly. There are slight differences in the 3 years the loco was offered, but this manual is representative of them all.
Take off the front and rear trucks first.
There are 2 screws deep inside the pilot (cowcatcher) and 2 screws under the cab.
Once the shell is off, the headlamp wire is soldered to the 'E' unit.
Larry
Interesting....as I am NOT a model train fan with a lot of experience, why would someone re-paint/re-number such a piece. And they did a nice job of it.
This is a very nice piece, in my eyes but now I need a tender for it as well.
And, of course, I quickly found that screw near the pilot after you pointed it out and the quickly resolved my problem.
Younger eyes probably would have helped. Thanks kindly for the quick responses.
While I'm here, allow me to also ask for the best source for Lionel brushes and also which "guide" book is the best for Lionel
history/worth, etc.? Thanks again.
Ray
It was probably repainted because the owner thought it would look good with a grey smokebox and lining, and the number may have been chosen to avoid duplicate numbers. That is, the owner may have had another 736 and didn't want two engines with the exact same number. It's possible the number had some sort of a significance to the owner, but because of how close 738 is to 736 that's probably not the case.
It may have been repainted when it was new, and bought with the intention of repainting it to achieve a certain look, or possibly more likely, repainted as part of a restoration.
It probably used to have a 2046w tender - they're not hard to come by, lots of them on Ebay.
I'm not sure where you can get the brushes - probably Ebay. I've never actually replaced any, unless they've been worn very far down I don't think there's really a need for it.
That all makes sense. Thank you. Some of my older units have chipped brushes and severely worn brushes so still looking. Got some from some source but they were incorrect size.
As I further research this piece, it appears to be a 736 as it has magnatraction and, with a three pane can window, likely from 1950-51. She sure is pretty...especially with the gray up front.
Than you again.
Hope you find a tender for it - I always like custom pieces like this. Makes you wonder who built it, what's happened to them, and how you've come to own it. I'm sure whoever built it would be glad it's owned by someone who's going to take care of it.
Depending on the exact year of the loco's production, the brushes are either 622-121 or 2020M-33 available at The Train Tender.
Larry
Agree with the renumber.
Access to this requires an OGR Forum Supporting Membership
