Got a 225 w\ a 2235t tender that had a whistle and pickups added to it. Bought some gondolas, Baby Ruth car , and NYC caboose in tin plate for the 225 to pull! Now I have all three prewar diecast brothers: 224e,225,and 226e. Awesome engines. Just amazing that these are 80 plus years old and run as smooth as they do
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Donnie, I agree with your assessment of these fine engines. Like you I have all three and believe they are the smoothest and most silent running certainly of all the pre-war Lionel locomotives. The early 675's and 2025's of the early post-war era rival them but I do believe they share the same motor. Great Lionel locomotives all of them!
... These 6 wheel mechanisms are among the best ever. The weighting added to the 226 makes it a strong puller and coaster!
The 226 by far is the best engine out of my roster. Just a smooth, quiet running engine. The detailing for a 1938 model is still a marvel to me. The detail and sound of a prewar whistle in the 2226w is awesome. The added detail of the firebox glow is extremely enjoyable as well. The 225 is an excellent puller. I had no worries loading the gondolas with some small rocks. It doesn't even phase the engine. My 224e has been a little bit of a basket case. But for the price I paid well worth it. Nice to work on these units as well. Can't see myself ever owning a 763 or 700 due to price and 072 radius they require. Could be wrong,but those just seem to fragile and I don't know if I could trust myself with those. 
Very, very nice.
How similar is the mechanism of a 1666 to these? I ask simply because after I went through my post war phase and sold pretty much everything, I kept a 1666 and 2026 because they ran better, smoother and quieter than any of the other steamers I had acquired (675,2020, etc...)
Enjoy!
Mark in Oregon
@Strummer posted:Very, very nice.
How similar is the mechanism of a 1666 to these? I ask simply because after I went through my post war phase and sold pretty much everything, I kept a 1666 and 2026 because they ran better, smoother and quieter than any of the other steamers I had acquired (675,2020, etc...)
Enjoy!
Mark in Oregon
I could be wrong, and please anyone correct me if I'm wrong. I believe the 1666 is the same as the 224 aside from being classified as an 027 engine with slide shoes vs roller contacts on the the O guage 224. The 1666 is still a great running engine!
Donnie
...and the 224 has those nice Baldwin disc drivers, whereas the 1666's are "spoked"...
Mark in Oregon
"Can't see myself ever owning a 763 or 700 due to price and 072 radius they require. Could be wrong,but those just seem to fragile and I don't know if I could trust myself with those."
Donnie, I agree that the 763s appear to be more fragile. On the other hand, they were built to be run, and if you have good track work and are careful, they can be run with minimal risk. I run my black 763e every few years, and it runs like new.
Back to the 224, 225 and 226, does anyone know why Lionel never made a gunmetal 226e?
John
@BlueComet400 posted:Back to the 224, 225 and 226, does anyone know why Lionel never made a gunmetal 226e?
John
No idea. Its the only one that didn't get the treatment beside the 700E.
Too bad they never did it as it would've increased the supply of gunmetal 2226w tenders.
I've been tempted to buy a junk 226e and restore it in gunmetal paint. I bet it would look good. At this point in time, there are too many other projects that take priority, so it will have to wait.
@BlueComet400 posted:Too bad they never did it as it would've increased the supply of gunmetal 2226w tenders.
I've been tempted to buy a junk 226e and restore it in gunmetal paint. I bet it would look good. At this point in time, there are too many other projects that take priority, so it will have to wait.
Funny... Im painting one finally.... Further reducing the supply of 2226 tenders. 
Love to find a gunmetal 2224w to go with my 224e. A boy can dream. I'd like to see a 226 in gunmetal. That would be sharp.
224Es in Gunmetal are plentiful enough with the coffin tender (2689)... with the 2224W tender is a different story, and a costly one!
@Rob English posted:224Es in Gunmetal are plentiful enough with the coffin tender (2689)... with the 2224W tender is a different story, and a costly one!
I've actually got a 1689w restored coffin tender. I think it looks good. It works for now. It's all about being patient and waiting for the right deal.
It's all about being patient and waiting for the right deal.
Amen.
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