Postwar 2055 Mystery

Edstrains,

Here IS some info:

http://www.postwarlionel.com

I never heard of Montgomery Ward being referred to as 'MONKEY WARD?'

Ralph 

I have, my Grandfather use to call it that.

Art

Where did you find it? No cars?

I have never heard of a 2055 with a non-whistling tender. Perhaps an uncataloged set.

The collector part of me says keep it the way you found it.

But of course it is your train, I am certain you will enjoy owning it.

(lots of folks called the store "Monkey Ward" around here)

here is a reference. It wasn't issued without a whistle tender. The difference between 53 and '54-'55 is the type of number stamp.

Rhetorical question...why do the original tenders always get separated?

To all who have heard and used the term 'Monkey Ward,' though I was born and partially raised on The Lower East Side of Manhattan, N.Y.C., N.Y.S. and had moved to Staten Island, N.Y.C., N.Y.S., where there was a Montgomery Ward store.

I have never heard and/or used the term 'Monkey Ward!'

As, a matter of fact, the small Montgomery Ward store, in S.I.,  was on the same block, same side of the street and a few stores north of the Sears and Roebuck store, which was also small, but a little larger than the Montgomery Ward store.

Now, the smaller Monkey Ward and the small Sears and Roebuck stores are gone.

Only a newer and larger Sears and Roebuck store stands in a mall complex, located elsewhere. 

I do like the term 'Monkey Ward,' which sounds funny.

Ralph

You may have a locomotive and tender from set # 1503WS.  This set was cataloged in 1953 and 1954.  Included were the 2055,6026T,6462 gondola,6456 Lehigh Valley hopper,6465 Sunoco 2-domed tank car and a 6257 SP caboose.

A similar set was listed in 1952,the engine # being different.

Merry Christmas,

Norm

Norm,

You are correct, as the set #150WS, was nicknamed 'The Overlander.':

http://www.postwarlionel.com/1503WS.html

Ralph

that was very common in Eastern Ohio/Western Pa, and Sears and Sawbucks.

1503WS (overlander) came with a 6026W whistling tender,  not a 6026T non-whistling tender. The "W" in the set number means whistle, and the "S" means smoke. I also checked all four catalogs that have that set to be 100% certain.

The link provided by RJL also says 6026W, whistling tender.

quote:

Rhetorical question...why do the original tenders always get separated

In the 1970's, when I started, it was common for operators to swap around tenders to make combinations they liked.
When the sets were new, I am certain that stores would occasionally swap pieces in order to hit a certain price point and make a sale.

Folks that had more than one engine might mix them up.

And there is always the possibility that the engine came in an uncataloged set.

Fast forward to more recent times, many sellers offer the engine and tender separately in an attempt to maximize their yield from the sale.

6026T tenders without whistles were offered in areas that didn't have 60 cycle house current available. In the US, most of the T-tenders can be traced to Canada or Mexico. Given that the OP is in Arizona, it's possible the set originated "south of the border."

The relays in standard whistle tenders didn't like the non-standard power, and the whistles would either blow constantly or not at all. Therefore, they were removed when sold in those areas.

To identify a proper T tender, the number with the T should be rubber stamped in silver or white on the tender frame. There should also be a component box for the tender that has the W blocked out and a rubber-stamped T applied. Other tenders that can be found in this manner include 2671T and 2466T. There are probably others as well.

I hope this helps.

TRW

Don't know about the tenders, but Sears and Sawbucks and Monkey Wards were standard names in lower Michigan where I grew up.  Most often they were just called Sears and Wards.

.....

Dennis

Here is a shot of the underside of the beast showing the 6026T stamp on the tender frame. I can understand that the electrical issue in terms of "whistle friendly" power could be a very big deal. Perhaps this was found in the back room of an old hobby shop in Vera Cruz...

I never heard of 'Sears and Sawbucks,' either!

Great!!!!

I've heard and said; "Five and Dime," for W.F. Woolworth's,

'Fin' for FIVE dollars and 'Sawbuck' for TEN Dollars.
Ralph

Todd is correct, it was made for export. The relay would close on its own at about 12 volts on 50 cycle current and would close all the time at 25 cycle current. So the whistle feature in the tender was eliminated at these selling points. A whistle shack was usually available to purchase for those who needed a whistle.