Lionel Original Scale Turbine

The 1990's version is IMO the best looking one ever made. It is huge. The running gear not so much, the pullmore motor was not the best but it ran ok. 

The price I think was around $600 if I remember correctly. 

Not sure if there was a paint problem, if so I never saw it. 

Dave

Dave: The original poster is referring to the scale turbine that was built by Samhongsa in Korea in the early 90's. It came out right after the original Reading T-1 Northern & scale B-6 switcher.

Some have the paint issue, some don't. 

https://ogrforum.com/...10-s2-turbine-lionel

Here is one currently for sale. You can clearly see the bubbles on the boiler, just to the right and above the S2 plate.

dAAAOSwux5YPyEP" target="_blank">https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lione...b:gdAAAOSwux5YPyEP 

Thanks guys......mine is a 18010 Turbine. I just gave it a going over and all good right now. Mine runs well....not as good as the MTH 2-10-4 but that was $1000 and the Turbine was bought used for $250...so I think I'm good. 

I looked very hard at the Lionel 18010 for a long time. Ended up buying a 3rd Rail version. Just got it converted to DCS earlier this year. My total cost was way less than $1000. There's one on eBay right now that is very reasonably priced.

FWIW, it already has traction tires, a can motor, and is a great puller. Here's the check run. It has the elephant ears, just not wearing them in the video.

I am still amused by an older grandfather holding his grandson who saw this at the Richmond Science museum. I was running this locomotive pulling seven 21" scale passenger cars.

"Lookie at this here! That there is a Lie-Oh-NELL! Santa brought me this exact same train set back in 1948. That's a real cast iron engine, probably weighs 25 pounds. Ya put the smoke pills down those four holes right there. Sumbody dunne put the wrong number on this one. Took the names off the cars too. Durn shame".

I didn't have the heart to say a word. I'm sure he does remember his train as being 15'+ long. Who am I to mess up that memory.

Gotta love them Turbines!!! 

The original Lionel toy train turbines are among the most "bullet proof" model train locos ever made!

D&H 65 posted:

Dave: The original poster is referring to the scale turbine that was built by Samhongsa in Korea in the early 90's. It came out right after the original Reading T-1 Northern & scale B-6 switcher.

Yes that was built by Samhongsa for Mike Wolf for Lionel!

I have one of the original scale 18010 Lionel scale turbines. It is a beautiful and very heavy locomotive.The pull  more motor runs acceptable, has decent pulling power but not as smooth as a newer can motor type. There is some slight paint issues on some areas of the boiler casting but they are not really that noticeable.The original Railsound system is ok but not as good as newer locomotives made today. I would suggest since this is an older locomotive to visually inspect and test it before purchase.The 18010 Lionel scale turbine was made in 1991.This engine has been remade by Lionel and a later version may have a can motor.

Hump yard Mike:

I would get one with a can motor rather than a Pullmor.

=========

"Ended up buying a 3rd Rail version"

That loco has a bit of history, too. It was built as a Williams model, but Williams and Samhongsa had a messy divorce, and the builder was "left with the loco". 3rd Rail offered to buy and market them. The original price was less than a typical 3rd Rail loco, as was the detailing, I think.

Or so I have read.

I had one for a while; never ran it, and when Lionel offered the Pilot 6-8-6, I bought that and sold the brass one.

3rd Rail offered a "package" whereby they would install a Pittman motor and a better (slower/more tractive effort) final drive ratio; I forget the price.  

PRRronbh posted:

Yes that was built by Samhongsa for Mike Wolf for Lionel!

So....it's kinda a MTH loco then......

AMCDave posted:

PRRronbh posted:

Yes that was built by Samhongsa for Mike Wolf for Lionel!

So....it's kinda a MTH loco then......

Yes.  And that is why Lionel's production of S2 6-38028 became part of the law-suit.

Also 6-18010 represents the S2 as originally shopped out before mods such as the steam line relocation took place.

Tinplate Art posted:

The original Lionel toy train turbines are among the most "bullet proof" model train locos ever made!

You bet they are! I have 3 as of current, a '46 2020, a '47 671, and a 682. All run and smoke like they did when they were first sold. Shame nobody makes toys last like that anymore. Companies just want you to buy another.

How hard would it be to put a Proto 2 board into one of the 90's Turbines? I might get one used and put a Proto 2/BCR in there as MTH's Turbine sounds aren't that bad.

People like JDS Limited Productions have shown upgrading this engine to can motor and other modern features.

I imagine upgrading the engine to can motor alone is $60 or more, not counting other amenities like command control, new sounds, etc. Proto 2/3 upgrade kits typically cost $180 give or take, and Lionel upgrade parts from Electric RR a little bit more.

I still have a soft spot for the old Lionel Trains Inc. big steam like this, and I agree the look on this engine looks a bit nicer overall than its more recent counterparts. Real coal load, and the class lights look properly proportioned and not oversized.

Thanks for the responses.  I have owned the 3rd rail turbine in the past, and prefer something different.  I take it there are very few (if any) upgrades of the lionel scale turbine of the 90’s...

if the motor was only $60 to upgrade I could update the rest with an dcs upgrade on my own.  

OK.....after talking about the Turbine here decided to go down and run it tonight.  I was moving it from a table to the layout and a 2 inch long phillips head machine screw came out from the front truck area. I took it to the work bench, removed the front truck and saw a hole and attempted to put this screw into it.  It goes in....but catches on nothing just spins.  I check as much as I could and then put it on the layout...runs fine....well like it always has.  Any idea what this long thin machine screw is holding?? I really do not want to tear it down and not figure out what it is/was for....Thanks

AMCDave posted:

OK.....after talking about the Turbine here decided to go down and run it tonight.  I was moving it from a table to the layout and a 2 inch long phillips head machine screw came out from the front truck area. I took it to the work bench, removed the front truck and saw a hole and attempted to put this screw into it.  It goes in....but catches on nothing just spins.  I check as much as I could and then put it on the layout...runs fine....well like it always has.  Any idea what this long thin machine screw is holding?? I really do not want to tear it down and not figure out what it is/was for....Thanks

If it helps you figure it out, the exploded diagram for this engine seems to be in Lionel Service Supplement # 21, pages 8-11 (tender is a few pages later).

I took a quick look, the only thing that looks like it might be of that length is a part they called the "Weight Mounting Screws" on page 10.  They have no part number listed and showed as not available on the diagram itself.

Is there another similar hole to the one you found that does have a screw?  The diagram shows 2 of these.  Obviously don't remove the second one!

-Dave

WOW...Thanks! That looks like the loose screw.....I kinda figured that it held something.....I thought maybe a light bracket or.....I doubt I'll take her apart right now!! MANY THANKS!

Dang Gilly! Are you planning on the engine crew to pick up mail on the fly? 

Originally posted by David1:

The price I think was around $600 if I remember correctly.

The hell it was! The MSRP was $1800.00 with the Brass N8 Cabin Car. Maybe YOU  bought it used for $600.00 and several years down the road but those 1990 PRR s2 scale models were top dollar when originally released. I ran mine once and due to slippage had a hard time pulling my PRR K-line 8 car Broadway limited set. It's been a "Shelf Queen" since but I located the Lionel Roller base for it. 
I still say it's MORE detailed than the Williams/Third Rail one. The Sounds are steady Turbine sounds with no issues. I have purchased used at auction the 2002 Odessey version and hopefully will be able to run it soon. I LOVE the smoke Deflectors for sure!

As for the Lawsuit comment, Lionel is still making them. Several years ago the Legacy version came out with the Elephant Ears. Yet NO PRR scale T1.

I recall they tested one in CTT. The list price, with the N8, was indeed $1800 . The street price was about $1500.

I bought mine about 6 years ago for $650. It was advertised as new. When I got it, it had been run. I complained to the seller and he knocked $300 off the price. Everything works on it and it runs just fine. It does have some blisters on the boiler, but since I got it for $350, I can't complain.

As far as the Lionel scale PRR T1 duplex, I bought one of them about 5 years ago. I figured I would dead before Lionel issues a new one. 

The first one looked great but seemed grossly under powered to me.

Big Jim posted:

Dang Gilly! Are you planning on the engine crew to pick up mail on the fly? 

Yeah, that cable does need to be tucked  oops..... Funny what you see after the camera gets put away.

Nice tender.  Wish the latest had that coal load.

Well, it's not scale, but I have the MTH Imperial PRR Turbine PS-2.  It is actually a good size with a large tender, but not scale,  It runs great with all modern controls and sounds.  I've wondered about selling it, but haven't done so yet.  No bubbling paint issues for sure.  I thought that they did a great job with it.  I had to get used to it whooshing instead of chugging, but that is prototypical.

Alan 

I have two MTH PRR Turbines.....the RK which is very nice and BIG....and the Baby Turbine which came in a set. The Baby is smaller, I think, than the vintage Lionel!!! They do run SUPER....may end up selling both.....