Your top-5 Postwar engines

Are these supposed to be best postwar engines period, or are they limited to the ones we personally own? 

Out of the ones I own:

1: 1951 2026 -- far from rare, but it was my very first locomotive, given to me for Christmas, 1951.  Still running flawlessly.

2: 736 -- The biggest postwar steamer I own.  Looks great and runs great.

3: 681 turbine -- Far from scale, but if you're going to talk postwar, you can't do without at least one turbine.  Rugged as a chunk of granite.

4: 675 -- Not the world's greatest pullers, and they can be a real beast to take apart and reassemble.  But great lookers, and they do manage to capture the "feel" of a PRR K4 (even though the wheel arrangement is all wrong).

5: 2032 -- The Erie Alco AA set.  The only diesel in my top five, because of its "all-business" dark and hulking looks.  And with MagneTraction, it's a great puller, too.  And it has the heavy die-cast frame, not the cheap stamped frame that Lionel inflicted on later releases of its 027 Alcos.

All of the above are non-scale.  I also treasure my NW2 6220, but I run that with my modern scale locomotives.

In general, in your mind. I only have three of my five.

Agree with the Erie AA Alcos. Maybe my favorite of all. Just a striking looking set.

I've always liked the C&O 624 Switcher. I recently picked one up in great running condition. Just screams Lionel PW to me.

Edit: One more that came to mind. The 2328 Burlington GP7. Always thought that was one of the better looking PW color combinations. Very sharp.

For Me,it has to e

773 from 1950

726 from 1947-49

2333 Santa Fe from 1948

2333 NYC        from 1948

2331 Virginian Trainmaster

2025 Lionel Lines 2-6-2

746  Norfolk & Western Class J

Mikey

These are my personal favorites:

1. My New Haven F3 from 58....my 1st engine.

2. The New Haven EP-5.....I drool for anything New Haven.

3. 2046 or 646 steamer.....a great little Hudson.

4. 2016, 2018, 2037, 637....all similar little steamers with different features (magna-traction, smoke, whistle)....but, great pullers.

5. 520 Boxcab.....just a charming little engine.

Not a very stellar list except for #1 and possibly #2.....but, they work for me!

Peter

My all time favorite Postwar Lionel engine is the 1946 version of the 726 Berkshire.

Even though they only have one motor its hard to beat the operational characteristics of the 2023 style Alcos and the 622 /623  style switchers.

I think my last two favorites will be the turbines and the 41/51 style switchers.

I would say my favorite is the 2046 Hudson. Looks great pulling a string of 6464 boxcars. Number two on my list would be the 675 (or 2025). Usually on my layout, this will be pulling 4 or 5 2400 type passenger cars. Number three would be the turbine. Number four would be a Marx 666. They are sized about right to work well with Marx 6" tin cars or smaller Lionel cars and they smoke very good.  I guess number 5 would be the 2023 FAs. They run great and look good pulling just about anything postwar.

This is a neat summer time thread. I am looking forward to reading some of the replies.

J White

1. 2379 Rio Grande F3

2. 2379 Rio Grande F3

3. 2379 Rio Grande F3

4. 2379 Rio Grande F3

5. 2379 Rio Grande F3

I only had one PW engine

I never had any of the classic F3's when young and now mostly model the steam era so my picks (in no particular order other than date):

1) 1947 2025 - smooth runner, good smoker, and unique trim features

2) 1949 2026 - runs well, nice trim features, slider pickups the only drawback

3) 1950 736 - maybe the best postwar engine

4) 2056 - chose over the 2046 because of the smooth operation

5) 1957 746 - iconic, great looks, good puller

When I had post war back in the 80's it was, all were new in boxes,

1937 700e

scale freight cars 

all the F units

1) 2368 Baltimore & Ohio F-3's - I was lucky to find one in Like-New condition that belonged to a friend. I'm partial to the B&O, and I love the blue, black and white scheme. It's also perhaps the rarest and most collectible of the postwar F-3's, second only to the Canadian Pacific.

2) 6250 Seaboard NW-2 - My version is the extended spaced rubber stamping, which I prefer to the often flaky decal version. The orange and blue scream classic Lionel. Just a great quiet runner, and I upgraded mine to Teledyne uncoupling using the old whistle relay.

3) 2025 K-4 - I wish Lionel would bring these back, since they're just a wonderful mid-sized design. I especially love this version with the chrome rimmed drivers and die cast trailing truck.

Now I can't say much others since I never really owned any others, but I do really like the 1950 773 Hudson because I'm a Hudson lover. But since I don't have the money to afford one, I opted for the modern Century Club version.

no certain order, and just from my experience-

675, looks great, runs great, and the first engine I bought for myself. Never had any trouble taking it apart.

2046

736

2055, just got mine this week, and very pleased with it

Marx 666 smokes like a chimney,great detail

671(my Uncle's 2020 is the one I remember growing up, watching that Keystone going around the tree.Now it will be mine with his passing)

2025

NYC F3s

671/681

B&M GP9

GG1

early NW2s

My origianl Santa Fe ALco

My original 2055

Only because I had these as a kid!!!

and I have always like GG-1s and EP-5s as I grew up on the New Haven Line and saw them every day!!!!!!!!

Thats it....

one short so you all can fill it in!
Ben

1. American Flyer #313 Pennsylvania 4-6-2 steam engine

2. American Flyer #336 U.P. 4-8-4 steam engine

3. American Flyer #499 New Haven EP-5 electric

4. American Flyer #21234 C. and O. GP (short step version)

5. American Flyer #21918 and #21918-1 Seaboard Baldwin diesels

Somebody likes S-gauge 

1.  Union Pacific 2023.  Silver and gray.   (My first engine)

2.  New Haven EP-5

3.  New Haven 209. Alcos

4.  MTH New Haven e-33

5.  Lionel CC 773 Hudson

It's hard to pick 5 engines, because postwar engines are bulletproof, and will do almost anything that's asked of them. I also find them to be very reliable, and the ones I run most when company is over. That being said, here's my attempt at a list:

1. 736 - Impressive engine to see running, especially pulling a long string of passenger cars

2. 2344 NYC ABA - Impressive in size, sleek design, and can pull stumps. If it wasn't for the battery for the horn, it would be #1

3. 681 - Another stump puller, and my "do anything" engine. I refer to it as "the Tank" because it will do anything (and has the battle scars to prove it)

4. 773 - This is an impressive engine to see, but I like my fast postwar engines, so speed (both by design and my old lube bogging it down) moves this down to #4

5. 675 - While the lack of magne-traction hurts this engine, it's still a lot of fun. I love making the wheels slip on this engine (those nice baldwin discs). I took this engine to school for a month over Christmas, and it performed perfectly! The kids always wanted to run it!

Here is my list which are all postwar Lionel:

671 PRR S-2 Turbine

675 PRR K-4 Pacific

2245 Texas Special F3

2331 Virginian FM Trainmaster

2332 PRR GG1

That's a nice list. You pretty much nailed it.

I like the 1st year, more black than green GG-1. But that's not gonna happen.

My 2037 is a little beast.

The 520 is cool.

Any critter is cool really, but Rio or Great Northern.  

Any steamer with an Elesco feed water heater on top.

Daylighters, the Crusader, and the War Bonnets are my fav. color bombs.

Oh.. a model of Jawn 

Hope your feeling better.

My 671 681 and 682 turbines

2351 Milwaukee Rd EP5

2333 and 2343 Santa Fe F3's

2026 because it was my first Lionel.  My Dad bought it used, and the lever for the E unit had to be held in place with a match stick.   

681 because it was made the year my wife was born.

That's all, I don't have five favorites.

Hmmm. My fav is an AF 290 and an AF 283. I have a bunch of AF 300's and like to run those. In O gauge, I like the Lionel 1666 and 675. 

1. 773 (1950 version)

2. 2343 F-3s (any of the horizontally-motored F-3s "growlers")

3. 736 Berkshire (best traditionally-sized steam)

4. 622 NW-2 Switcher (smooth runner, and a scale model to boot!)

5. 2330 GG-1 (die-cast, dual motors.  Only falls to #5 because of the stubby proportions)

The FM trainmaster would probably be my #6 (but you didn't ask!)  -Ted

Ah......tough to narrow down to 5 models, but we'll give it a shot.

1. My Lionel 2332 Virginian Blue and Yellow FM Trainmaster. Gorgeous and a beast of a puller

2. All my F3s. Love the look and sound of the dual horizontal growlers and I love working on them. But my faves are the  SF 2343 ABA and my 2245 ABA Texas Special (gorgeous and I double motored it......sweet!). 

3. My 736.....iconic, big, heavy, and great puller.

4. Early Alcos......a tie between my 2023 yellow and gray set and the beautiful red and black Rock Island 2031 set. I came late to the Alco scene. Jeff Kane recommended them to me and now I really enjoy their smooth running characteristics and turned them into great pullers by adding a motor to their dummies. 

5. And in 5th place.....an unlikely one......the Lionel 58 Rotary Snowplow. I wanted one as a child and Santa never brought me one. So......as an adult "child", I finally bought one and really admire it. 

Roger

To those that like the 2023s, in photos online as I've looked to purchase a set, it looks in many pictures as though the roof is warped/bulged. Are my eyes deceiving me, or is that a common problem with them?

Andrew,

Your eyes are not deceiving you. It was a common problem later on which they finally corrected for with a "dimple" on the roof. You have to look around, though, and you'll find 2023s that have minimal warpage. 

Roger

Hi Rich

Isn't a 2056 ..... just a 2046 without magnetraction?

My only PW engine is a 2046 that has been in the family since ~1950. So, I don't know much about these old engines.

Jim

I miss-typed.....meant early on they had the problem.

Roger

Ah, that's disappointing. I've been shopping the silver sets online and most all I have seen have the warpage. I'm guessing it can't really be reversed either, at least not at home... 

Andrew B.,

Your right. I loved American Flyer. Once upon time, that's all I had.

Based on what I own; order and reasoning:

1.) Late '40s 726. Nickel-rimmed Baldwin wheels, very good puller despite no traction aids, linkage-driven wheels is cool (well, three axles anyway).

2.) 2340 GG1. All metal, huge puller, great detail for the times.

3.) 773 (1950 issue). Big, beefy, good detail, great puller. Would easily be #1 if but for the generic sintered drivers.

4.) 2343 Santa Fe F3. Lots of detail and enough weight/traction to take advantage of that super steep gearing courtesy of the horizontal drive it'd probably out pull most modern locomotives.

5.) 6220 ATSF switcher. Looks a bit off as I'm convinced it's bigger than scale but it's smooth, beefy, pulls well and the mechanical bell is nifty.

Honorable mentions:  Late '40s 2025 for the nickel-rimmed Baldwin wheels and AL smoke stack and 2331 Train Master because it's big and fast and pulls a lot.

That's correct, Jim. But, like their 2025/2035 counterparts, it seems to me that the non magnetraction versions run smoother and a bit quieter. 

I'm nuts about all of my post-war motive power but if it comes down to my top five I would go with the following:

1.  746 Norfolk and Western Class J 4-8-4 Northern.

2.  773 Hudson (1950 version)

3.  726 2-8-4 Berkshire from 1946 with the Nickel Plated Baldwin Disc Drivers and Smoke Bulb.

4.  2344 NYC F3 AAs.

5.  Marx 333 4-6-2 Pacific (Smoking version)

Honorable mention is awarded to every other Steam Engine, Diesel Engine, Motorized unit Lionel ever made in the post-war era.

 My favorite postwar engine is the #21 Marx Sata Fe tinplate FT AA pair.

I was was born in the 70's so I only had my dads postwar set to judge by. I loved his (which became mine)and it still holds pride of place for me. I have since gotten some other Postwar but those were all after the fact.

These are my favorites, not because they are the biggest and the best but the ones I had or dreamed about as a kid.

2035 my first and only engine as a kid 

622 NW2

1656 switcher

2065 Hudson with the Elesco feedwater heater.

2032 Erie FAs

Pete

1. 773 Hudson w/2426w tender

2. 2343 Santa Fe F-3 ABA

3. 671 Turbine

4. 622 Santa Fe bell ringer

5. 2341 Jersey Central Trainmaster

I kept trying to narrow my choices to just 5 but couldn't do it so, I will just say, I agree with about 90% of what is listed already.