POTRZBE posted:Mr Gilly, I have a Lionel tech near me. If he had a series 2 frame and a series 2 motor, he could modify my 2004 PE, no? I really don't want to invest a lot in an "under the tree" train set.
Check out item # 293331087010 on eBay. Per the Lionel spare parts list, you're looking at $106 in parts, IF you can find them. Several of the parts are listed as unavailable. I think you'd be hard pressed to convert a series 1 to series 2 for the price of a complete replacement.
As I mentioned above, this is what I did. The locomotive and tender shells swap. The older ones have better detailing than the newer ones. Sell your old one for parts (~$50?) and recoup some of your costs.