Help identifying an O Gauge reproduction tinplate set

Richard,

It looks like a restored/repainted original Lionel 156 set - not a repro.

The engine is missing the lead and trail trucks, which I think are available.

Jim

Thanks Jim.

Here is a picture of the underside of the engine The mechanism looks new but I can’t see how the two missing trucks would be mounted/ attached.

I appreciate your help!

Richard

The trucks have a tab that rides in the slot in the pilot deck, but I'm not sure exactly how they are attached.

The pickup assembly is also missing the brass Lionel name plate. The pickup probably was replaced in the restoration.

Jim

Thanks again Jim,

I didn’t want to call it a Restored / re painted.Lionel set unless I knew for sure

Richard

This topic was moved to the correct tinplate forum.

The motor blocks made for the 156 are essentially the same motors as the other 150 series locomotives aside from one detail.  There are metal "tabs" with a curved slot cut into them that are fitted into either end of the chassis (I believe the non-156 locomotives still have holes stamped into the chassis sides at either end to facilitate this, although the actual mount isn't there).  A hook on the lead/trailing trucks hooks into that slot and then the second longer "hook" fits into the slots in the sheetmetal frame.  Mine is unfortunately at a local museum for an upcoming holiday display or I'd take some photos for you.

Maintenance parts for the older motors are pretty hard to come by as I've recently learned, so I'm betting that someone retrofitted a more modern chassis into the old 156 shell after a cosmetic restoration.  Yours is also missing the reverse switch arrangement which would have mounted where those square holes in the sheetmetal frame are.

Richard, that is a great looking set!

This is why I don't mind buying restored tinplate items with beautiful paint jobs.

(P.S. - I lived in Memphis and the surrounding area for 28 years, and worked all of that time in the First Tennessee Bank Building and Morgan Keegan Tower.   I miss Corkey's and Neely's)

Mannyrock

Mannyrock

Thanks.

I really thought this was a repo set.

They are considering converting Morgan Keegan tower into apartments.

Corkey’s is one of my favorite BBQ restaurants.

Take care care,

Richard.

Thanks Jake,

so to be clear the engine is a restoration,

not a repro?
thanks,

Richard

Yes, a restore. I would question whether the lok originally had leading/trailing trucks. Then, as now, Lionel produced expensive sets and inexpensive sets. This was probably an inexpensive set. Adding leading/trailing trucks would have added to the cost. The frame and motor may have the cut outs, etc, for this feature but that doesn’t mean they were included.
Steve

@Richard Gonzales posted:

Thanks Jake,

so to be clear the engine is a restoration,

not a repro?
thanks,

Richard

I'd be inclined to say a restoration.  I've never heard of reproductions of locomotives from that particular era (granted I'm fairly new to collecting early 20s Lionel) and I don't think a one off repro would have been that well done.  The stamped frame particularly would be rather tough to make without a fair amount of tooling investment.

As for the lead/trailing trucks missing, they did make a variation of the 156 that did not have trucks at one point (late in the production years I believe) as mentioned by Steve.  I understand that they're pretty rare, so I'm skeptical that yours was one of those vs one that simply lost its parts over the years.  Without having documentation from previous owners to describe what was done, there's no real way of knowing.  Regardless, it's a good looking locomotive.

If you ever pop the shell off, I'd be interested in seeing whether or not it has the period correct motor block vs a later replacement.  That would be a bit more telling of what might have been done during the restoration.

Nice restoration set but in looking at the photo of the bottom it's very clear that's not a humpback type 1,2,3,4, or 5. The double gearing is indictive of a later version motor circa 1927- 1932ish. The 156x version didn't sport pilot trucks but believe it still had a reverse lever as Jake points out.

The 156 was sold as a 4-4-4 and also as a 0-4-0 without the leading and trailing trucks. You can usually see by the wear mark on the chassis and since yours is completely repainted it may of been a 0-4-0 or a 4-4-4.
So it is correct as posted for the 0-4-0.
Looks like the pick up collector was replaced as there is no Lionel badge there. The pickup collector could be ordered assembled (as on your loco) or unassembled where you can add the badge from the old broken collector to the new one by installing the two rivets.
Nice looking set and I like the addition of the frosted windows in the passenger cars, very nice and enjoy😊👍

Thanks again to all.

I'm a post war / modern area guy.  I appreciate all of this great information.

RG