Lionel prewar O gauge. Question on gauges and automatic coupler height alignment

810/2810,811/2811,etc upto 817/2817 and then 820/2820 are close to standard O where your 2620 is O-27 size a major difference in size. as for coupler height it seems every car I come across is just about a different height. I really need to go thru all of mine and get them the same height for the 810 series and then for all the others. I believe there would be different height for the two different sizes. 

Rich, 800/2800 vs 600/2600  have a manufactured difference in the height that is not compatible. There are some crossovers, of course, but generally  the box coupler car types (by number) are not compatible. You can tell by the trucks.... the 600/2600 freights will couple with the 1600 freights, as well as the 1700 and 2900 series....they all ride on the same trucks basically.

You probably want to get a 2820 searchlight car to go with your crane. 

Here they are in a recent photo. Thats actually an 810 crane, but same size. You can tell by the latch couplers instead of box couplers. The box couplers and latch couplers mate, but as others have noted, the size of the car determines the coupler height. 

George

I ran into this problem also, the trucks with the slot in them are taller.

I would tell you folks , that learning the coupler compatibilities would serve you well.  Learning which locos are High coupler, and which are Low coupler would be a good start. Then you can move on to all the cars.  Much more learning there.

Much information about the prewar coupler heights can be found in the Lionel Service Documents, including the height differences in the 600/2600 and 800/2800 series.

As mentioned by Rob E., learning the types of couplers, and which ones were used on specific series of cars, is important.  He can probably, along with myself, will tell you, that you should get your hands on Bruce Greenberg’s books, (Vol. I & II), for 0 & 027 gauges, which has a wealth of knowledge, explaining the various couplers from the beginning of Prewar, until WW II.  Both books are worth it, for learning Prewar.

Well, that's what I get for "assuming" all box coupler cars would play together. Even though my 2657 caboose looks lower than my 810 gondola, they couple smoothly. Lucky, for that reason, I can at least run my one and only prewar tinplate train with the cars in specific order. Thanks for setting me straight and the book reference.

Rich

Teledoc....what a great idea.  

Rich, if your 812/2812 is burnt orange in color ... that is one of the crossovers!

TeleDoc posted:

As mentioned by Rob E., learning the types of couplers, and which ones were used on specific series of cars, is important.  He can probably, along with myself, will tell you, that you should get your hands on Bruce Greenberg’s books, (Vol. I & II), for 0 & 027 gauges, which has a wealth of knowledge, explaining the various couplers from the beginning of Prewar, until WW II.  Both books are worth it, for learning Prewar.

Volume IV, the prewar sets book, talks to what engines were made to go with which cars and even which cars were sold together in sets. This helps in understanding what works together.

George

Looking in my 1939 Lionel catalog, I see that they made it very clear taht there were two sets of incompatible O Gauge couplers.  It says nothing aobut compatibility of O and O-27, but probably no at Lionel one thought seriously about them being used together.  Here's a quote from that catalog.

"Lionel freight cars are made in two sizes - the 2651 series and the 2800 series.  Cars in the 2800 series are larger than those in the 2651 series.  Their couplers are higher and the two sizes cannot be used together.  Before ordering additional "O" gauge freight equipment, consult the chart printed at the top of Page 34."

There were seven kinds of operating cars, but only five for either size.  Cars made in both serioes were the llog flat, dump car and crane.  The operating gon and searchlight were only in the 2651 series.  The twin floodlight and merchandise car were only in the 2800 series.

The non-operating freight cars had similar discrepancies.  The passenger car situation looks totally confusing.

mlaughlinnyc posted:

  The passenger car situation looks totally confusing.

Ha, not Flyer confusing, but it is confusing all the same.