Lionel 773

Tender should be 2426W. Check on the bottom to see if there is a number.

The 2426W Tender came with the 1950 Hudson.  The 1964 Hudson has a 2046 sized tender, and I believe it was a 773W that was stamped on the bottom. Although your picture is not the best, it looks like your Hudson is the 1964 version.

Might be just a loose wire somewhere that is causing the problem.  I once had a lead to the motor field break in such a way that it was nearly invisible.  Check it over carefully.  If you have a multimeter use that to test for continuity using the ohm function.

As George wrote, the 1960's 773 came with a 2046W style tender. There are a couple of variations. The tender can be marked either "Pennsylvania" or "New York Central".

There is a rare variation on the NYC tender, which has the lettering very close together.

Here is the tandem associates page on the 773.

Lots of folks did pick up 2426W tenders to go with their 1960's 773 locos.

The tenders that came with the 773 are

1950 version was the 2426w which had a silver rubber stamped engine, this engine had the valve guides on the steam chest.

1964-66 was the 736w PRR and there were 2-773w tenders made, small lettered and close large lettered which is rare, these came with a white numbered hot stamped engine, and no valve guides on the steam chest.

Hope this info helps all.

Ken

Thanks guys. The tender with it is a 2046W, so that's wrong then. I guess I'll have to watch for a correct one to become available.

As for the engine, I'll let you know what I find when I open it up.

First thing I would do is get some CRC electro cleaner and spray it in on the motor and  unit. Got 2 engines running yesterday doing that.

That's in my tool kit if I need it this afternoon.

The snow is supposed to stops soon, so I'll need to dig out before I get to work on trains.

Does this tender look right to you? They claim it's a 773W, but I don't see a stamp, which makes me question it (not to mention the backwards water scoop...)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HTF-Li...;hash=item4ae3a90854

That is a correct 773w tender

Michael,

 The trucks from the bottom view do not look PW to me, anybody else agree?

Art

I think they're the AAR trucks, which is what the website posted earlier says they should be, but I could be wrong. That's why I'm asking.

I may ask the seller what was done to it already

Michael,

The tender is correct with the correct plastic AAR trucks. The broken step is a bummer though (particularly at that price) unless you'd be OK with adding a repro shell to the correct underframe. You might better wait for a nice one or consider upgrading to the 2426W as many do. 

Instead, you could also consider adding a Wlliams tender patterned after the 2426W. 

Jim

The trucks look correct to me. The tender body looks to be correct as well, but the seller states that one step is broken off.
I checked the Greenberg guide that has a section on tenders. It does not state whether the tender should be rubber stamped with a number on the bottom. I am not positive, but I do not think they were stamped. I checked a 736W tender that was handy, it is not marked.
Finally, IMHO, the position of the scoop does not matter. According to the book, some tenders had the scoop mounted backwards. Regardless, they are too easy to flip for it to matter.

Michael,

   It is the copper ground straps, looks to modern to me, but then again I may be wrong.

Art

Postwar plastic trucks have ground straps that come out of the bolster area. Only trucks that need to provide a ground have them.

Several versions are shown on the bottom of this Service Manual Page.

Thanks C W, I stand corrected, learn something new everyday

Art

Another point to check: The knuckle on the tender's rear truck should have a snap-in knuckle. These are the knuckles with built-in hinge pins, and do not use a rivet.

Those knuckles are now available as a reproduction part.

(I learn new things here too)

It's really a shame that Lionel put that crappy little O-27 tender behind a scale Hudson. What were they thinking?

Thanks a lot everyone! I truly appreicate it!

I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet. I may get this one, or there is a 2426W on as well that I am considering. And it's no rush, since the 2046W is close to the proper one, and it is a very nice one.

RoyBoy :  they were thinking CHEAP ! This was the mid-60's, and I was surprised that they even brought back the Hudson at all.

I strongly suggest you read the postwar Lionel service manual pages on your 773. It has tune up suggestions, and explains how to make certain the gearbox cover is installed properly. The pages are available on Olsen's site.

Car Crazy,

Both the 773's are geared differently than other post war loco's.  Their top speed is much slower than you find in most PW loco's.  I have both the 1950 and the 64 loco's and they will pull quite a impressive consist.  I really don't know the right words for this but they seem to have more pulling power than the gift of speed.

Paul Edgar

Thanks guys. After reading the responses here and checking videos out on youtube, I realize that while I think mine might still be a bit slower (in forward), it's not by much. I took a video of it running at full power with my ZW:

I might try adding a little more lube and replacing the motor brushes tomorrow (I cleaned them today, which helped a lot), and then put the shell on. Thanks guys!

CarGuy, the 773 is supposed to run slower--because it was derived from the prewar 700E, scale speed for an adult audience was one of the design considerations.  This is a GOOD thing!  The 773 is one of the few postwar steam locos I would trust my 3-year-old nephew to run!  Also if I recall the 773's rated voltage is a high 10-20 volts.  So if you don't have a ZW or Z4000, it might not be able to attain its full top speed on your layout.

It's certainly true that some of the 773s would benefit from tuning/tweaking as outlined in the service manual, and even articles in the hobby magazines over the years.  I know the modern-era Hudsons "loosen up" and coast better after they've been broken in.  However, with 18:1 gearing, none of them are speed demons.  Good choice, enjoy your new loco!

The tender in the ebay listing has what look to be the MPC trucks, but that late in postwar production they could have gone to those at Lionel to take out some cost. So your tender could be original with the Hudson. The tender that would look best is the full scale one that Williams offered as an after market tender. I believe it is full scale or close to it. Just checked the Postwar Lionel index and those are the original trucks for that vintage Hudson. At least you know it is most likely all original. Go here for more information:  http://www.postwarlionel.com/terms.html

Thanks everyone!

Towards the end of postwar Lionel, in the dark days, they were putting all kinds of crazy combinations together to take cost out so they could complete with HO which was burying them. People were trading in their Lionel and Flyer like mad, and for cheap, to get HO scale stuff. All you have to know is that Lionel brought out the inane Girls and Boys sets in pink and blue! That is desperation marketing run amok.

The girls set was cataloged in 1957. Lionel was still making some fairly nice stuff. While it turned out to be ill conceived, it was an attempt to expand their market. Didn't Ford make pastel pink and pastel blue Mustangs?

As far as I know, their decision to bring out the 773, and pair it with a 2046 style tender has never been explained. Maybe they had a large stock of 773 parts on hand to use up. Maybe they thought the large engine would stimulate interest in Lionel "O" gauge.

Yes, Ford made some pink Mustangs in the mid to late 60's, but they were often special order (they don't show up on most paint charts). As for the blue, they had several blues, some of which were close to a pastel. Ford used more color options to expand sales of the Mustang without changing the body in 1966 (not that they needed to, they made the millionth Mustang that year).

To be fair, I truthfully think a blue train would have sold better than a pink one, just like blue cars sell better than pink ones.

Back to the 773, I had mine running around the layout last night. According to my speed sensor, I had it running alone at 73 smph (81 smph in reverse), and 64 smph with 5 cars (all according to Lionel's pedestrian walkover and speed sensor). Thanks for all your help everyone!

In 1965 I bought a new Lionel 773.  To hold down expenses I let the dealer keep that silly little tender.  In those days OSR had articles for making your own scratch built tenders.  They were not much to look at but they filled the gap in the late eighties by releasing a large tender only (no engine) equipped with Railsounds.  It was modelled after NYC tenders used on Hudsons.  I grabbed one, applied NYC decals and ran my 773 til it needed an overhaul.  I don't remember the model number but perhaps another reader can give it to you.  I'll bet it it'll be a long search but it will be worth it.

Good luck..      Odd-d

The Girl's set was also catalogued in 1958; although I'm sure that none were actually produced that year (carryover stock from 1957).

As to the 773 itself, the only real difference with the loco itself as I understand it between the 1950 version and the late postwar versions (1964 up to 1966) was the inclusion of side valve gear guides on the steam chests on the 1950 version while the 1960's version did not have them.  So the only thing to consider with the 1960's production is which variant of tender to use?  The #736W in Pennsy for 1964 only (IIRC), or the 773W tender in NYC markings which was from 64-66?  In either case, Didn't both variations have the plastic AAR trucks with disc couplers?  Either way, both tenders would be "correct" in late postwar Lionel terms, correct?

quote:

 In either case, Didn't both variations have the plastic AAR trucks with disc couplers?  Either way, both tenders would be "correct" in late postwar Lionel terms, correct?

yes, and as far as I know, they should have the late knuckles with built-in hinge pins, no rivets.

One more thought in the proper tenders for your 773.

The 736W and 773W both should have blank number boards on the sides of the tender shell. Last I checked, none of the reproduction tender shells, nor any of the tender shells done by "Lionel" in the modern era have those boards. (That might have changed with the collectable classics series)

There are a couple of 7736W tenders on EBay right now. One of them is listed as mint.