Updated w/ pics: Painting Lionel 244 scout loco, any reason not to?

Preserve tradition and the American way.

Do it.  If you only have a few bucks in it and it works make it exactly what you want.  I do not have tips for painting it, but in principle I would have no hesitation.  I purposefully bought a set of passenger cars to repaint before Christmas myself.

JZ

The 244 2-4-2 locomotives are fairly common, and have decently quality motor. I think one would be a great candidate for what you have planned.

Did you ask your girls if they want a pink locomotive?  Toddlers can be fickle.

What, me worry?

C W Burfle posted:

The 244 2-4-2 locomotives are fairly common, and have decently quality motor. I think one would be a great candidate for what you have planned.

Thank you for your input, Mr. Burfle. I have found your previous posts throughout the forum very helpful as well.

The 244's motor design (open AC -as opposed to the plastic case type found in some scouts), solid roller pick ups, smoke unit, headlight, and added weights in this loco were definitely selling features as I looked for a low-priced-bang-for-the-buck option.  I'm excited to get this one on the rails.

JD

No harm done.....DO IT.

JD, here's a thought for you... true story. Years ago at my first YORK show, I got into a discussion with a "collector" who was chastising me for repainting trains as they all are valuable collectibles. So I pulled a scout gondola out of my bag of purchases, and said "Very well then, I'll sell you this gondola for $200.00." He laughed and me and replied it wasn't worth more than $5-10. Of course, I knew that too. So I said "Exactly. After 40 years and it's only worth $5-10 which is why I am going to repaint it."

Now, I wouldn't repaint something that was unusual or a rare variation. But so many of these trains are not only very common, they're also not always in the best visual condition. So it's HIGHLY unlikely they'll ever be worth much more than now.

So I say go for it.

But to go along with what RickM said above, I do have some common postwar trains, but they are in exceptionally nice visual condition, so I have left those alone. I too appreciate the nostalgia and historic angle to these trains.

On the other hand, there are plenty of beat up trains out there that are in less-than-desirable visual condition. Those are great candidates for the paint shop. Of course, the dings and the bangs are also part of the history of used trains too. Some folks like and appreciate those defects, meaning the car was at one time played with and enjoyed by some kid in the past.

Still, there's no shortage of these common trains on the used market today. I've read posts by several folks who've done what you're thinking of, and their girl's loved having a train of their own.

So if the girls want a pink engine, make them a pink engine. That in itself will be a precious memory of dad's love, far exceeding the monetary value of that engine.

Alfred E Neuman posted:

Did you ask your girls if they want a pink locomotive?  Toddlers can be fickle.

What, me worry?

Good question, no I didn't ask, but made the assumption for them.  The older of the two girls has shown an interest in the "choochootrains" without a single one of them being a pink!  So maybe no paint is needed.

Brianel,

Very well said. I appreciate your input and agree that I would not repaint most postwar locos unless it was in rough shape and in need of a restoration. I appreciate their history/nostalgia, hence my hesitation toward painting this common loco.  But with it being common, cheap, well made, and available, I think I'll leave it up to them if they want a pink loco or a black one. 

Don't worry about it.

I performed this blasphemy on a 736 back in the 1980's and lived to tell the tale:

Rusty

I am not a collector and know nothing about train values, but I would paint it too, and I think the girls would like a pink train. I think happy kids are important, plus C.W.B. above also said paint it, and I think he is pretty knowledgeable about collector trains. Of course, I may be biased on colors here, my two favorite tinplate reproductions are the boys and girls sets from a couple of years ago.

Hope all the kids enjoy the trains (parents too)!

It's yours, you bought and paid for it, you know your girls best, let the paint fly.  You only have so long with your kids, make the most of it. Have fun. We're all just playing with trains anyway.

Never be afraid to take the air brush to a train.......Do it!!!! Merry Christmas....

Paint away..... no $$$ value in a 244 anyway....

Just make your train  as beautiful as your girls would like. It's only a toy and it is made to have fun with.

Besides, your handy work will be worth ten times more to your daughters then anything Lionel could ever produce.

Now go have some fun and a very merry Christmas.

It is yours to do with as you please. I would make sure that pink is the go to colour first though, but even if not, you can always repaint it. I would give it a good wash and prime it before applying colour.

I think it is smart for OP to ask this question - hopefully the outcome would have been different if he picked up a 763 or 773 at a garage sale for $15 and wanted to paint it pink...

I would paint it, especially if you are good at painting.  I would find out what color they would like and do it in that color, not necessarily pink.  If it works out, I would probably buy another one and let each girl paint one side of the engine and the tender.   Don't forget you can get glitter paint or add glitter to the train later.  Get them involved in the project and you will probably create memories that Facebook and Tweeter can't erase.  Don't think of it as a collectable Lionel train, rather think of it as their toy, their childhood, and their creativity.

I bought a B&O postwar F3 set one time that the man, as a boy, had painted on every car using thick model airplane paint.  He reversed the blue/white paint scheme on the B&O, he had a 3472 that he painted bright orange, and five or six other cars.  I can't remember all the combinations he had, but he changed the color on every car.  He said he liked them better that way.  It was his train and his choice.

Go for it, unless you are collecting trains for their resale value.   I've never bought trains with the intention of keeping them to sell someday.  Just as I did not build my house thinking about what a future buyer might want.  

The larger part of my hobby is in garden railways.  I have kit bashed LGB stuff and as Rusty Traque said, "Lived to tell about it".  

I thought that I would share the results of painting. Keep in mind this was my first attempt at painting a loco. It was a big hit w my daughter and I expect to perform some touch ups on over spray and detailing with her as she gets older.  Thanks to everyone for your input. I included some diamond rhinestone stickers over the coal load which she really likes too. I also kept the Lionel Lines on the Tender as well as the engine number. 

Who ever said the Girls Set was not going to be a hit with certain young ladies ?   Nice work.

I had a 235 Scout loco a few years ago, got it brand new in the 1960's with a set when I was a child. The 235 was very finicky and needed a lot of work to stay running. I got a newer Scout engine from a friend of mine and the plastic frame was melted beyond repair and replaced the motor assembly in the 235 and was very happy with the results, I made it into a 2-4-0 instead of a 2-4-2. Also I had to improvise some parts to keep the 235 running through the years.

The 244 is from the same time and I would not advise putting much money into it as the motor assembly may break down and need a total replacement.

In my opion the Scout engines from the 1960's were a very lousy motor design!

Lee Fritz

The 244 is from the same time and I would not advise putting much money into it as the motor assembly may break down and need a total replacement.

The 235 Scout locomotive that Lee mentions has a completely different mechanism, it has a plastic sided scout motor.
The motor in a 244 has metal sides and a two position e-unit. They are very reliable & durable mechanisms.

That written, I think the 235 is one of the more difficult to find scout locomotives, but I can not keep all the scouts straight in my memory. I don't think I'd repaint a clean, intact one.

That turned out very nice and most importantly your daughter likes it! Hope she has a lot of fun with it.

The recent MTH O gauge tinplate releases of the boys and girls sets are by far my favorites in tinplate. I hope to be able to get both of them one of these days. I had way too many pre-orders (depleted train budget) when they came out or I would have gotten them at that time. Those are two that I really wanted brand new, but had to pass. I hope MTH reissues them sometime in the future, I'll be ready next time!!

C W Burfle posted:

The 244 is from the same time and I would not advise putting much money into it as the motor assembly may break down and need a total replacement.

The 235 Scout locomotive that Lee mentions has a completely different mechanism, it has a plastic sided scout motor.
The motor in a 244 has metal sides and a two position e-unit. They are very reliable & durable mechanisms.

That written, I think the 235 is one of the more difficult to find scout locomotives, but I can not keep all the scouts straight in my memory. I don't think I'd repaint a clean, intact one.

From what I have heard as well the 235 Scout engine is not that easy to find. Also the 235 has the center rail rollers inside the frame assembly and they are super difficult to replace if replaceable at all, somebody told me that the 235 is factory sealed unit, I am not sure on this. The center rail rollers wear out very quickly through the years on the 235 Scout engine and the motor area looks like it is sealed up. 

I don't have the 244 Scout engine nor have I seen one in person but if it is like the 235 I don't recommend repairing it. Instead replace the whole motor unit if possible.

Lee Fritz

Your young lady LIKES it! That is all that matters.

What a great looking loco! Made all the better now that it's powered by clean burning diamond rhinestones. Well done.

A $15.00 engine and a repaint is well worth the smiles and the seed that it will plant.
Your Daughter will remember this the rest of her life, let her pick out the color scheme and choose what it will pull.
Let her make it her own.
You will have to repeat the process, because when they get older each will want their own.
Have fun and enjoy!!!!!!!!!!

Scout motors are not sealed units. They are repairable, but they are probably the most difficult ones to do, even with the proper tools. The wheels have to come off to get inside the motor.

Back to the original topic: I am glad that JD's project turned out well.

phillyreading posted:

C W Burfle posted:

That written, I think the 235 is one of the more difficult to find scout locomotives, but I can not keep all the scouts straight in my memory. I don't think I'd repaint a clean, intact one.

From what I have heard as well the 235 Scout engine is not that easy to find. 

Your recollections are accurate.  Among the Postwar 2-4-2's, the 235 and 241 were offered in uncatalogued sets one year only, decreasing the odds of many surviving clean and intact.

What, me worry?