Okay... all isn't perfect in my model railroading world after all.
If you have the patience to endure, you can read an update here .
Andre "Drama Queen" Ming
WELL...
I may not be able to have my cake and eat it, too... but I just might have figured out a way to at least have a piece of that cake. 
Goes like this...
Wife has been talking maybe we ought to put up our tree and decorations next year to help us feel in the mood a bit more. (Our daughter has long out grown the Christmas tree/present experience and now the grand daughter is entering adulthood... so Christmas ain't what it used to be for us.)
I explained that our Christmas display we used to make with some of my Lionel trains was always a "warm fuzzy" for us... perhaps we need to include that, too?
I think she's in.
SOOO... after the Season's over... and once the summer slump hits for train sales... I might pick me up enough PW stuff to have a Christmas train. Of course, as we ALL know. THAT'S where closets/shelves full of stuff starts. Let's see, I would want a set of 2032's... some freight cars... a good PW Baby Hudson... OOOoo... a Berk!... some lighted Baby Madison's in Pullman green... some...
Merry Christmas!!
Andre
Laming a postwar 2046 baby hudson is my favorite of the baby hudson about 1/2 inch to an inch longer than the others 2055/2065/665 etc.
All post and prewar lionel,williams ,marx and some modern mth ran on small 2 loop track layout with 2 pw ZW transformers since 2002 with a dcs setup with remote in conv or command and sometimes without remote just using handles of ZW for the older trains but run fine with remote as well.
laming posted:SOOO... after the Season's over... and once the summer slump hits for train sales... I might pick me up enough PW stuff to have a Christmas train. Of course, as we ALL know. THAT'S where closets/shelves full of stuff starts. Let's see, I would want a set of 2032's... some freight cars... a good PW Baby Hudson... OOOoo... a Berk!... some lighted Baby Madison's in Pullman green... some...
Merry Christmas!!
Andre
Summer is the best time to find deals on the internet auction sites. May-September is when I've always gotten the best deals. The winter months are the worst time to buy.
Works the opposite way with my other hobby (old Ford Thunderbirds). Now is the best time to buy parts. May-September are the worst times, as everyone is driving and breaking their cars. It's always best to buy hobby stuff off season, especially if you are patient and don't "need" it right now.
Lou1985 posted:Summer is the best time to find deals on the internet auction sites. May-September is when I've always gotten the best deals. The winter months are the worst time to buy.
Works the opposite way with my other hobby (old Ford Thunderbirds). Now is the best time to buy parts. May-September are the worst times, as everyone is driving and breaking their cars. It's always best to buy hobby stuff off season, especially if you are patient and don't "need" it right now.
Hi Louis!
Well, I certainly don't NEED any PW right now... but I sure do WANT some of it.
I fully intend to wait until after the sellers market is over. I will readily admit, though, that I'm anxious to feel the heft and smell the aroma of PW again... but I'm going to try to not allow myself to be in too much of a hurry.
Having said that: I also confess I'm watching a listing or two on eBay.
Andre
All:
Well, I dood it: I just purchased a package deal and awaiting delivery of a 2055 engine, 2065 engine, and a 2046W-50 whistle tender.
This brings up a question about Postwar Whistle tenders. By virtue of the above purchase, I'm now aware the 2046W-50, but I'm wondering, what other postwar whistling tenders were offered by Lionel?
I can recognize a couple that came with whistles by their shape, but I don't know the numbers/etc. Looks like I'll need to be shopping for a tender for one of the Hudson's I have on the way, and it would be nice to be schooled on PW whistle tenders so I know what to look for for it, as well as whatever's to come. My Greenberg PW book doesn't go into much detail about the whistle tenders, so therein I see the pictures of them with engines, but no notation as to what tender is what.
Any assist t'would be much appreciated!
Andre
There are a few web sites ,like this Tandem Associates one that give pretty good information and indexes
Tenders: https://www.tandem-associates....el/lioneltenders.htm
Main Index: https://www.tandem-associates....onel/lionelident.htm
However, I find these as other valuable resources of great PW information:
*Greenberg Guides (not the price guides)
*A membership to the LCCA to get the access to the digital copies of the Lionel Catalogs from the pre, post, and modern years (along with the Postwar Service Documents)
*Olsen's Toy Train Library (Freely Hosts copies of the Lionel Service Documents in hopes you will order parts from them)
@laming posted:All:
Well, I dood it: I just purchased a package deal and awaiting delivery of a 2055 engine, 2065 engine, and a 2046W-50 whistle tender.
This brings up a question about Postwar Whistle tenders. By virtue of the above purchase, I'm now aware the 2046W-50, but I'm wondering, what other postwar whistling tenders were offered by Lionel?
I can recognize a couple that came with whistles by their shape, but I don't know the numbers/etc. Looks like I'll need to be shopping for a tender for one of the Hudson's I have on the way, and it would be nice to be schooled on PW whistle tenders so I know what to look for for it, as well as whatever's to come. My Greenberg PW book doesn't go into much detail about the whistle tenders, so therein I see the pictures of them with engines, but no notation as to what tender is what.
Any assist t'would be much appreciated!
Andre
This might help if you're looking for the tender that came with your loco. Since you (will) have the 2046W, you could look to pick up a 6026W.
Andre: Please post photos when they arrive! :-)
Most all tender styles were offered with a whistle. If the number is followed by a W it was made with a whistle. If the number ended in a T or no letter it didn’t. Pretty sure all the large diecast 2426 tenders had whistles. Most of the rest came with or without.
Pete
bmoran4 and Training Wheels:
Thanks for that information! Looks like the info therein will thuroly edumacate me an' smartin' me up about Lionel PW tenders. I'll be bookmarking those sites. I am already watching for 6026W tenders.
Art:
You can count on it! Both "before" and "after" pics. (Pre-post clean up/etc.)
Andre
Pete:
Thanks for confirming what I've learned over at the above links. Looking for the "W" will help a lot. I was surprised to see that Lionel made oodles and gobs of various tenders during the PW era.
Andre
Note, if a can motor belongs anywhere, it's in a tender. I've used a few and they are good at it.
Standard whistle relays and board triggers alike got made for can motor powered air whistles. A lighter assembly is nice on stub axles. These use less power and let more of the 5v boost get to the engine for a speed up vs slow down. (Works nicer on heavy pulls at loco or transformer limits) Same chime housing; offhand. Might be good for a bash onto a plain one. Most "T" shells have the ports opened or at least marked.
The early cast ones have beautifu detailing, esp. in the grabs and stantions. Even the slopebacks. Only a good valve train impresses me as much. My fav was actually a cast link & pin tender (# forgotten)
Hi All:
Just yesterday I received my 2055, 2065 and 2046W items from the USPS.
Two questions:
1. The headlight bulb is burned out on the 2065. The bulb that was installed was a "GE 57". Using Google, I learned those are available but I also learned they're 12v bulbs. Seems to me that isn't enough volts in view of the 16+ volts typical transformers can crank out? What bulb is called for and where to find?
2. One of the clear "Class Light" lenses is missing on the 2065. What is the part number for it so I can find it on the parts lists I've downloaded from S&W (forum sponsor)?
Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.
Andre
The 2065 bulb is indeed a #57 bulb available from any auto parts store (see below). They are nominally 12V, but are actually rated for 14V. They can be run at higher voltages that our trains use at a cost of a somewhat shorter life (stock life is about 500 hours rated). You will be just fine replacing with another #57.
As for what you are calling the class light, Lionel refers to it as the running light and is part number 2065-16 which @S AND W lists:
If you are looking to one stop shop, @S AND W also has the #57 lamp you need:
Automotive listings for the #57:
https://shop.advanceautoparts....2-57llbp2/10030922-P
https://www.autozone.com/elect...bulb-57ll/964974_0_0
https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/LMA57
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The 12v bulb is a good choice. I would not use anything higher than a 14 v. At 16v your engine will be running 120 mph and derailing at the curves.
Those engines came with green "marker" (sic) light jewels. I doubt Lionel ever referred to them as class lights. Search the auction sites for them and get many hits. Some may list the correct Lionel part number if you prefer to order from a sponsor.
700E-166
Pete
edit I believe the clear lens referenced above is for the headlight. Lionel used only green and red (switchers) jewels in their post war engines.
Thank you all for your knowledgeable input.
Looks like I will try to source the GE 57 bulb locally, and will start compiling a list of parts over the coming weeks/months for S&W. (I am going to try to support our advertisers as much as practical). I'm sure S&W would NOT make enough profit on a $1.85 parts sale to make it worth their while. Seems a bundle order would be best, and I don't have a "parts needed" list containing enough parts as yet. For now, the 2065 will be fine missing one lens.
I have had the Greenberg's "Guide To Repairing Lionel Trains" book suggested as a "go to" for parts #'s and specs/etc. Is that the book I need to in order to have parts diagrams, exploded views, and specs for working on Lionel Postwar so I can be more self-sufficient as the months go by?
Andre
That Greenberg book is the ticket! I believe it is titled "Greenberg's Repair And Operating Manual For Lionel Trains, 1945-1969". There have been a few selling quite inexpensively on the for sale forum here in recent months.
You may also be interested in the companion book "Greenberg's Lionel Postwar Operating Instructions With Layout Plans" which has all of the postwar instruction sheets.
Even though the 3 pole AC motor and the attached conventional relay on the Lionel fan driven whistle motors can be a PITA, I still prefer them for nostalgia reasons! But that's me! :-)
