What Have I Got?

You have O Gauge trains.  The 2035 was a lower end engine and is considered 0-27.  0-27 uses the same track as O gauge but was a slightly lower price line of trains.

Here's some information about the 2035:http://www.tandem-associates.c...trains_2035_loco.htm

 

Here's some info on the 1033 transformer:http://www.tandem-associates.c...1033_transformer.htm

The American Flyer set is S Gage. It is about 1/64 of an inch equals one foot. It was released after WW II.you should post some pics.

The American Flyer is S gauge. The 1033 is a great little transformer.

Didn't mean to repeat info, I think we were posting at the same time.

IMHO, a 2035 Locomotive was a mid-line piece. It should smoke, and probably has a whistling tender.

 

Thanks guys!  Now I've got to find a track power clip, clean out the smoker, get a headlight bulb, and start testing.  And I'll tell my brother about his S gauge set.  It's been too many years to remember how I got it, except I remember a Christmas when I was about 10 years old.  I used to try to see how fast I could make the engine run without running off the track.  I picked up the train a lot!   

Of course part of this is my wife wants to build little Christmas villages along the track, so it's going to become a family project.  She's already looking at little houses, and now we know to look for O scale stuff. 

I do remember the smoking stack, but don't know how to find smoke pills these days, and that the tender does whistle.  I hope it still will when I put it back together. 

If you search "Lionel Smoke Pellets" you should find them. Someone just started reproducing them a few years ago. Also, you can still find the originals, but they are becoming more and more scarce.

 

As for hoping it works when you put it back together, if you are really worried about that, find someone in your area that does it. Maybe even someone on this forum could help you.

If you don't have a local hobby shop that has them, Trainz.com sells smoke pellets.

 

Andy

quote:

Thanks guys!  Now I've got to find a track power clip, clean out the smoker, get a headlight bulb, and start testing.

 

There isn't much to do to clean the smoker.

 

It is very very common for a smoke unit to be damaged by someone putting a foreign object into the unit.

Before doing anything to the smoke unit, just let the engine sit in "neutral" at about 12 volts and see if any wisps of smoke curl out. You may also see the white smoke material melting. If the heater element is good and the unit wasn't overfilled in the past, then there is nothing that needs to be done.

 

Don't add any additional pellets until the pellets that were already in there from the last time it was used are fully consumed. (The pellets don't go bad, and the material in the unit will remelt even after years and years of storage)

 

Let us know what you find.

I recently picked up a 2035 from a friend who no longer wanted it. Someone on the forum said I could use 2-3 drops smoke fluid instead of the pills. I tried it and it works great. Easier to find fluid than pills. Just an FYI.  Its a fun engine. 

Anybody got a line on a track power clip?  I've got to get juice to the rails first.

If yor just doing a test you can alligator clip it on. You can even just shove the wire under track at the ties. Be careful the center rail wire does not short to the tie.  May not be a great connection but a temporary solution to test things out. If need be I have clips i don't need. Send me you address and I'll toss a few in mail tomorrow for you. You wont get them for awhile because of holiday mail.  Improvise...im sure you can get it going to test  Jmetzger@avvpa.co 

Google "lionel lockon" and pick youself up a clip for $4 bucks. Or try your local hobby shop if you have one.

 

BTW, common aspirin tablets make good substitute smoke pellets...

Bob:

 

I've got many extra Lionel lockons and even a few S-gauge lockons that will work with your brother's American Flyer train.  You can have them for just the cost of shipping.

 

Contact me at the email address in my profile.

 

Bill 

Bob if you're using tubular track turn on section over.  Insert a butter knife into the center rail seam which will open it up.  With your BLACK power lead skinned back about 3/8" insert it into the opening and remove the butter knife.   Take a RED power lead and do the same to one of the outer rails.  There you go ....POWER LEADS just like you used a clip-on. 

 

J Daddy said:

S Ga[u]ge. It is about 1/64 of an inch equals one foot.

 

You probably want to re-word that so no one gets confused.

 

With the above formulation, a real world 40 foot box car would make an S-scale model only 5/8 inch long.

 

 --Joe

Here is Thor's page relating scale to gauge:http://www.thortrains.net/scale1.htm

Bob

 

Welcome to the forum and the world of O gauge trains!  I see from your profile that you're from NC.  Email me where you live and I can probably put you on to someone near you who can provide you with whatever you need to get your train going again.  There are several members of this forum living in NC and we will be more than glad to help you out.  My email address if in my profile.

Don't you think that that is reversed

Red which is positive (Hot) to the center rail Where the Pick up rollers are located on the engine.

and Black which is Negative or Return to the Outer Rail. which is where the Wheels sit

 

This is the way that the Lock-ons are powered

Thanks a bunch for all the info!  I snapped a shot of both sets fresh out of the box after 55 years in storage.   The American Flyer is in the foreground; mine is on either side of the missing piece of curved track.  I've got the piece, but I've got to steal some pins from some of my straight track (or get properly sized nails) before I put it in.

Jeff, I got a kickback from the e-mail administrator (Host avvpa.co not found).  Could you check it?

From the photo it seems that you have the heavier O gauge track rather than the O-27 size.  Which is good, it is stronger and has a easier curve radius.  Also, there are many more varieties of curves and switches available.  If it came with the set it was probably subsituted by the dealer.  Track pins can be purchased easily.  The surface of the rails on the track, power pickups, and wheels will probably need cleaning.  You can use rubbing alcohol and a rag for that, plus maybe a scotch green pad for the rails.  If it doesn't run just check back here with the symptoms - somebody will help.

 

The American Flyer S gauge set is a beginner's set.  It will run on the same 1033 transformer as the Lionel.  Am. Flyer is more finicky about dirt on the wheels than Lionel so it will need a good cleaning, especially on the tender wheels which are the power pickups for these trains.

 

A warning:  check the the AC 110V line cord on the transformer for cracking insulation - this is common on these and can shock or cause a fire.  If cracking is present then have the cord replaced ASAP.

 

Have fun!!!

 

John

On Postwar AC powered trains it doesn't matter which way the wires are attached.  The whistle relay is not electronic and doesn't care, unlike modern era trains.  The motor definitely does not care.

 

John

Update on my old train. 

I looked at the track website to find out about O versus O27.  The two models actually looked the same in the pictures (three ties), but gave a different circle measurement. I measured the circle diameter and got 29 inches from outside to outside, so I'm thinking the measurement should be from center track to center track, making the track O27.  Maybe I should get a stock of O track if that's the size that perservered.  It might be fun to get a switch.

I plugged in the 1033 transformer and got voltage that varied with the throttle position, so that works.  The whistle switch added about six volts to the output.  I couldn't find any labels on the posts; I've forgotten which wire from the transformer posts goes to what rail.  Anyone got a schematic? 

Now to clean everything and convince my brother that the transformer is mine!