@geepboy posted:

I see post-war models in catalogs and stores with TMCC. Does this mean I can control the TMCC loco with my LC 2.0 remote or do I need a TMCC base system as well?

Also, is there a way to tell post-war from other models by the part number alone? I'm just not knowledgeable enough to tell the difference from a catalog picture.

Dan

No, you won't be able to control older TMCC locos with the LC 2.0 remote. Only the other way around. If you go with TMCC Command Base and remote, you can control both TMCC engines plus LC+ 2.0 engines.

Someone else more knowledgeable than me should ring in about the part numbers but, near as I can tell, all modern Lionel part numbers begin with 6-.  But, if your question goes to identifying modern replicas of old poster engines, then I don't think there's a formula for that.

Good news is that finding a modern equivalent won't be that hard. I happen to own a copy of

Greenberg's Guide To Lionel Trains 1945-1969 Vol.1: Motive Power & Rolling Stock

This book shows all the locomotives made in the postwar era. There are others. Look for engines you like and then search for that on the Lionel website to see if there's a modern version in TMCC, Lionchief, LC+, or LC+2.0.

One thing I've noticed is that we have many more real road names available today. Postwar leaned more heavily toward generic Lionel Lines.

Just about everything has been remade at one point or another if not with the same tooling a pretty close replica. The classic 1946 2-8-4 Berk has been re-done many times most recently in LC+. The Berk done even more recently in LC+ 2.0 is NOT a postwar replica. The postwar 2046/2056 Hudson has also been redone many times, TMCC and LC+. In steam, I think those are your best starting points.

For diesels, the GP7/GP9 and NW-2 from the postwar era were also made with LC+.

Lionel made some postwar replicas appropriately called the Postwar Celebration Series. These came with TMCC.

One last thing to consider.  The LC+ and LC+ 2.0 engines come with better speed control than original TMCC engines. Remember, TMCC is an older technology. To me, that's a gamechanger. If starting from scratch today, I would not buy TMCC unless it was one of the more expensive ones equipped with what Lionel called Odyssey or K-Line called Cruise.

Hope that helps rather than confuse the matter.