The Scent Of Ozone...

Re: steam switchers... you might find that Lionel's four-wheel switchers are also "big."  In other words, if the prototype is really a PRR A5, they scale out to more than 1:48.  In this case the true scale models from Weaver and MTH might actually fit in better size-wise, although the paint finish and level of detail is very different from Postwar.  If you want to stick with the Lionel 0-4-0's, IMO the 1656 is the smoothest runner of the bunch.  For some variety, find a prewar 203 (0-6-0) and retrofit it with knuckle couplers.  The 6-wheel small switcher was never reintroduced after the war.  But they are geared a little lower and actually have pretty decent slow-speed for switching.

Those Kusan FA's look good!  Never tried one.  I would be interested to hear about how well they run, compared to the well-known Lionel versions.  Love this topic!

@laming posted:

 

 

TWAIT A MINUTE!!... HOLD THE PHONE!!!....

Yeee haw! USPS just delivered my box containing my 2055, 2065, 2046W!! 

Cutting this one off right here... and getting ready to unbox, get some pics, set up a loop, and...

Film at 11.

Andre

Well, How do you like your purchases? I guess we won't know for a short while while you test things out (I know that feeling of anticipation mixed with excitement.)

By the way Andre, I was able to locate a very decent looking copy of that book "Model Railroading". I have not received it yet, but from the photo it looks great and appears to have the same photo cover as yours.

Update:

Wow, some replies before and after I posted my recent update! Cool. Let's see what y'all said...

palallin:

Don't mix 'em? Run 'em separate? Hm. Hadn't thought of that...

OKAY... enough of that! I don't even want to go there!!

You also said:

"Strangely, I don't have a problem with the adjacent On30 next to either one."

We're a weird lot, us model rails.

Trumptrain!

You hit the nail straight on the head! Looking forward to the day I can fill a room with ozone... even if its only from a locomotive circling an oval on the kitchen table!

BTW: What make of trumpet you play? "Way back when" (Jr. High, mid-60s) I played trumpet. Had a Bach Stradivarius. I understand that was quite a trumpet. It must have been, for I made the mistake of leaving it at school in the band cabinet only once. It was stolen. Ended up taking the insurance $$ and buying a bass guitar and amp (renting a trumpet to finish the school year). Played bass ever since.

Trumpets? What does that have to do with Postwar ozone??? (I'm amazing. SO hard for me to not drift in a topic.) Sheesh. Back to my topic at hand...

BREAKING NEWS!!!

Just got down unboxing my stash that arrived, put 'em on the table and snapped some "before" pics. Here they be.

2065...

2055...

2046W...

Setting up an oval on the kitchen table and using my trusty 1033, here's my first findings:

2065...

Runs great. E-unit works reliably. Needs disassembled cleaned and lubed. (After I'm done with this post.) Headlight does not work. Numbers nice and strong. No dents. Some edges there's paint chipping. The rods are bright and very clean. Rollers look great.

2055...

E-unit cycles reliably. Ran free in reverse, very sluggish forward at first, but freed up quickly. Headlight works. Numbers nice and strong. No dents. Some edges there's minor paint chipping. The rods need to be removed and cleaned with fine steel wool/etc. Rollers look great. Same deal: Needs disassembled, cleaned and lubed.

2046W...

I feel like such an idiot. (Not an uncommon occurrence, I might add.) When I was viewing the pics of it, I was studying the really important stuff: All steps intact, over all condition, under frame condition, wheel condition, roller condition, rust, etc, etc. Never even noticed that it's a "Pennsylvania" tender!!! (I guess my pea-sized brain ignorantly "assumed" it was LIONEL LINES??) SO... eventually the shell is going to be up for trade for a "LIONEL LINES" shell of the same quality. Whistle relay works, whistle motor tries... but I stopped right there before abusing the brushes. Needs to be disassembled, cleaned, lubed, etc.

SO...

Except for the idiot move on the tender lettering, I done good. Overall these engines are in very good (maybe excellent?) exterior condition, likewise the tender. Mechanically they seem to be sound, but will need the cleaning/lubing routine performed. Speaking of which... need to load 'em up and head out to my layout room where my workbench is located!

All fer now!

Andre

Some quick replies to the input while typing the above...

Ted:

Thanks for the insight on the 1600 series 0-4-0's. I will need to see one up close and personal before I spend the $$ on one. Also thank you for your other tips. As for the Kusan's: They're two rail. I also understand from Kusan owners that they don't run the best. However, they look GREAT. Oh, and I was also told that a Kusan shell could be made to fit the K-Line 'Lionel replica" FA.

N5CJonny:

Thrilled with 'em. (Except my Pennsylvania debacle!)

You found a copy of Bantam Book's "Model Railroading"? Cool! You're gonna' love taking the trip down Nostalgia Avenue it will produce. Love the smell of my Bantam Book too, even though I get odd looks from the Ms when I open it, and poke my nose in to inhale the fragrance! (Yeah, I'm weird.)

Okay... need to load 'em up and off to the Hobby Hut!!

Andre

Andre I wouldn't let steel wool anywhere near my trains!  Especially not the 2055 / 2065 which have magnets in their chassis for traction.  If the side rods are rusty, that's realism!  If it bothers you, you could use nylon Scotchbrite or a chemical solution that "dissolves" rust.

Yes the Kusan molds were reused by K-Line.  However the K-Line versions ride a little high, because each truck contains a huge, transversely mounted can motor geared to the wheels.  Unless you permanently rewire those traction motors in series, the K-Line diesels run REALLY fast!  I bought a set of the K-Line FAs wasn't happy, and promptly returned them.  YMMV.

@laming posted:

N5CJonny:

Thrilled with 'em. (Except my Pennsylvania debacle!)

You found a copy of Bantam Book's "Model Railroading"? Cool! You're gonna' love taking the trip down Nostalgia Avenue it will produce. Love the smell of my Bantam Book too, even though I get odd looks from the Ms when I open it, and poke my nose in to inhale the fragrance! (Yeah, I'm weird.)

Okay... need to load 'em up and off to the Hobby Hut!!

Andre

Yep, like I said it looks like your book by Bantam books. I decided to check out a train dealer in New Jersey I have been dealing with for many years (All Aboard Train Shoppe) and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it. Not only did he have that book, but he is selling another of the same book just like it plus older issues as well!

Very glad you are happy with your purchases!

I agree with Ted saying to stay away from steel wool when cleaning those rods as the fine metal particles can find a way into everything.

Scotchbrite is your friend for most things. No small metallic particles to ruin things.

You can also remove rust with WD-40 and a BRASS bristle tooth brush. Works great. Best if you remove the rod first and set it on a flat surface.

Apologies to Paul Simon:

"Hello ozone my old friend,

I've come to be with you again,

With trains of ancient O gauge,

Old Bantam books I turn the page,

Revive visions, long planted in my brain,

They still remain,

All with the scent...  Of Ozone."

Rusty

Hi All:

Yup, on "stay away from fine steel wool" idea. What I had in mind was using a product for cleaning chrome called "Nevr-Dull" by Eagle One. It's a tin can filled with what looks like a roll of fiberglass that has a solution in it. You pull off a bit and polish with it. Works pretty good on motorcycle chrome. However, it may not be fiberglass... it might be metallic. SO, I'll follow y'all's advice and nixo the use of any suspect material. Scotchbrite it shall be.

UPDATE:

Engines...

Used a soft toothbrush on the boilers of both engines. Helped, but didn't get all of the dust. I think the dust has oil in it and it will take more than a dry toothbrush to cut it. Would it be okay to use warm soapy water on the boilers, or would that put the cab numbers in jeopardy?

One at a time, I removed their boilers, removed the brush plate and cleaned the armature and slots, cleaned out the brush cups and the brushes themselves. Upon reassembly of the brush plate I applied LaBelle oil at the bearing points of the armature, as well as all other bearing surfaces (axles, gear studs) and pivot points (rods/etc). I used LeBelle white grease on the spur gears.

For now, I've only insured they were mechanically sound with no mechanical issues and made sure they have fresh lubrication/etc so as not to do more harm than good when running them around the oval. They run much more quietly and smoothly now at much lower voltages. However, 2065 seems to bind up noticeably going around an 027 curve. The 2055 does not.

As for cleaning 2055's rods: I will attend to disassembly of the 2055 for rod cleaning some other time, that is if I decide to tackle it.

2065's headlight: Turned out the headlight is burned out on the 2065. It had a GE 57 bulb installed. Is that something I can pick up at O'Reily or Auto Zone? Also, I noticed it has a class light lens missing. I will want to replace that, so I figure I'll need to hit a parts supplier for same. Good opportunity to give a bit of support to OGR's advertisers.

Tender...

Removed the shell, and upon applying power and activating the whistle lever on the 1033, saw the whistle relay was being lethargic. By pushing up the contact with a screw driver, the whistle system produced a nice loud whistle, so the motor is okay, but what does that indicate on the relay? Does that indeed sound like a relay? Or, could it be the 1033's whistle circuit?

SO... that's where I'm at for right now. Time to find a headlight bulb, a set of class lights, and figure out what I need to do about the tender relay or the 1033.

Here's a pic of the 2065 after getting the boiler dusted as best I could and reassembled. Note the S scale fella' on the running board. Looks like S scale Engineer/Fireman figures will work fine with these Baldwin Hudsons.

All fer now!

Andre

Warm mildly soapy water is usually ok for general cleaning. When in doubt, clean an area you won't see or is hard to see. That way any mistakes won't be as noticeable or affect the finish too badly.

That was pretty funny, Rusty.

Ozone...

So far, neither of these engines are producing much ozone. Perhaps they'll need to get used to being run again.

OH...

Forgot to mention: Placed one drop of smoke fluid directly onto the heater coils, and sure 'nuf, both produce smoke.

Back in the 90s, I think I recalled modifying these Postwar smoke pots/coils. I think I recall disassembling them, un-soldering the coil, removing one wind of heater wire, and re-soldering. I think I also recall that I would place a disc of fiberglass under the coil and thus have it better adapted for liquid smoke fluid? Does this sound right?

Andre

RD:

Thanks for the input. I figure the paint will be fine, it's the numbers I would worry about.

HOWEVER... I'm about to decide to just leave 'em be. They look great as is... and what little dust remains in the tighter quarters simply looks like light weathering. I'm think I'm going to be fine with some "patina" and character that will be found on the various pieces I will be acquiring.

Speaking of weathering...

Nah... that's best discussed another time. Won't be long and it'll be supper time here in my neck of the woods!

Maybe I'll blither on about weathering/etc later after supper or sumpthin'.

Andre

I will throw a pic of 2055 up, though.

Take a gander at how it cleaned up, and the remaining dust and oily dust/whatever on the rods...

In all, I think it looks mighty fine, and sort of like an "in service" steam engine of the late-40s early-50s.

In my mind's eye, my "vision" for any future 3-rail layout is to reflect a working railroad using the scenery and the trains to carry off the impression. Thus, this "gritty" look of 2055 will be absolutely fine, don't you think?

Andre

@laming posted:

...2065 seems to bind up noticeably going around an 027 curve. The 2055 does not. 

Both were designed for and sold with O27 track.  But these are 70-year-old toys, and who knows what they've been subjected to since!  Lionel's quality control was good but not perfect, and the variation could be due to electrical or mechanical differences.  I'm guessing that it's mechanical.

Your 2055 shows quite a bit of wear on its wheels, so it was well-loved and broken in.  The 2065 may still be new-ish, or maybe it was always a reluctant runner sentenced to the shelf by it's original owner for that reason.  At a minimum you should make sure that nothing in the valve gear, side rods, etc., is binding.  Does the problem occur both clockwise and counter-clockwise?

Turn the wheels by hand and look for tight spots, chipped teeth, etc.  Are all drive wheels secure on their axles?  Is there excess slop in the spur gear train along one side of the loco?  How does it compare to your other one?  Are the wheels out of gauge, maybe due to a fall from the table?  A lot of questions, I know.  If it's obvious you'll find it pretty quickly.  If not you might have to try a handful of these to find two or three that run really well.  That's an expensive proposition, but not as much so as it was for me in the 1980s!

I think your proposed mods to the smoke unit are on-target.  Making lots of ozone takes voltage, current, and RPMs!  That will come in the future with long straightaways and longer trains!  It'll be worth the wait :-)

Hi 'Ya Ted!

'Preciate your input.

2065...

Rolled it over in my hand and took a look at the gears/teeth: All present and accounted for. (That's a good thing!) All wheels are tight on the axles, and there is a bit of run-out (side to side) for each axle. (Which I assume there should be some side-to-side run-out?) I don't know what the spec would be for such run-out, and besides I don't have quick access to my feeler gauge to get a measurement on it. All in good time.

Seems to do its hitch thing either clockwise or counter-clockwise, mainly toward the exit of the curve. I suspect there is a bind or a rub somewhere. I also suspect that I can find it eventually. The bind/hitch is most noticeable at lower speeds (obviously). At typical cruising speeds, it's not as noticeable. However, if it can be found, I'll bet I can find it, especially with tips from y'all to help me when I'm stumped.

Tender...

I adjusted the relay contact tabs closer together, but that didn't seem to help when the tender was stationary under power. However as it trailed along behind the 2065, I would periodically try the whistle. It started working intermittently. The more it ran, the more willing it became. It got to where I could just about whistle indefinitely when stationary. However, whether stationary or trailing along behind the engine, it seems like I have to hold my mouth just right and the whistle handle just so for it to sound.

Now, once I hit the "sweet spot" on the handle, it will whistle nigh continually. But, if I go too far with the handle, it quits. Oh, and there does seem to be the volt "spike" that a whistle circuit is supposed to apply to the rails to overcome the resistance of the whistle relay/motor. However, I'm kind of wondering about the lever having to be "just so" in order for the whistle to blow?

In all, I'll eventually get it all sorted out.

I will say that it's awful nice to again be handling hefty Lionel Postwar steam engines and watching them pace around the little test oval. These are some mighty satisfying toys, they are.

Even though my my little Marx 999 from my 25225 set has so many good memories attached to it, the quality difference between the little Marx and one of the Hudson's is quite startling. These Lionel Hudson's are built like tanks. (Weigh about as much as one, too!)

All fer now.

Andre

I reckon these engines have got my imagination whirring like steam gin. Couldn't help but clear off the non-3-rail stuff off'n part of the benchwork and put the engines and some cars up there to visualize and do some imagining.

If I squint a bit... I can almost see...

"A couple of hard working freight engines are simmering on the ready track down at 12th St. Yard. The Hostler and his helper are giving the 2065 the final going-over to make sure she's ready for the evening westbound "Hot Shot" freight she's called to be on. She'll have meat reefers and all sorts of high-priority cars tied to her apron strings when she gets the "Highball". Sister engine 2055 will be on the Night Freight later that night. 'Course, the Night Freight's not nearly as glamorous a role as 2065 drew, instead of struttin' her stuff like the 2065, she'll be blowin' her stack off as she's sluggin' her way up Sheffield Hill. In the background can be seen the boxcars the Bottoms Switcher spotted just this afternoon. They say diesels will be replacing these grand machines "soon"... but for now, it's coal smoke and steam down at 12th St Yard."

Andre

Andre,

I have two or three transformers that had/have had the same problem:  if the handle isn't in *just* the right position, no joy.  I also have one whose throttle is the same way:  go past the sweet spot, and the party shuts down.

palallin:

Understood! I recall the same on both ZW's I've owned: Had to hold the whistle activator "just so".

S SCALE FIGURES

So I dug through my old stash of leftover S scale stuff. Found several more S scale figures, so thought I'd see what I could do with them. These figures came from the NZ firm "Railmaster". Therefore, their attire wasn't what you would typically see in the center of the USA during the late-40s/early-50s. (That falls outside my "Givens 'n Druthers".)

I guess I was bored, but I set in to "Americanize" them. I began by filing off the squarish billed hats most had on. Some I converted into "baseball-type" hats, others into "Scally/Ascot" hats. One had an odd looking long coat on and the same square-ish looking hat... so I used my rail nippers to nip away portions of the jacket tail, then filed to reshape the legs/etc to look like the fella was wearing a mid-length jacket. Same treatment of his hat, too. Ended up filing it to reflect the "ball cap" look. This figure is much reduced in size from the others, so I figure he can represent a youth.

ANYWAY...

That time sink filled, I brought them in and placed them about to see what I thought...

My conclusion:

S scale figures will work nicely with the "traditional" sized trains I have in mind. You may think they look a bit small... but try putting a seated one inside the minuscule cabs these Baldwin Hudson's have!  (You discover very quickly just how "imagineered" Lionel's Baldwin Hudson is!) I'm hoping to find plastic S scale figures that are seated to use for Engineer's and Firemen in the various engines I hope to roster, 'cause it's much easier to modify plastic figures than white metal!

All fer now!

Andre

Just had to get a copy of the Bantam book Model Railroading, so I ordered a copy online yesterday from the All Aboard Train Shoppe mentioned above by N5CJonny. I ordered the 1950 first edition version. It looks like there are still a few various editions available on their website. I never had this book, but wish I would have when I was starting to build my Lionel layout in the early fifties. I was 10 years old in 1951 and it started on my bedroom floor with an oval of track, a couple of Marx signals, a Plasticville church, log cabin and a Lionel set 1469WS that included the 2035 locomotive. After receiving another set a couple of years later, which included UP silver & gray 2023 Alcos, I think my mom got tired of me setting up my little empire on the bedroom floor so my dad had a carpenter friend build a table for the basement, 5 X 9 plywood, which I believe was more readily available for ping-pong tables back then. That board, combined with two very old (and warped) wooden tables that came out of a truck stop diner, became my little world for the next couple of years. From then on it was, come home from school, go down in the basement and work on the railroad. It wasn't great, but I did it all by myself, and I was proud to have friends over and run it with me. My first train was actually a Marx wind-up set when I was 15 months old, followed by an electric Marx set a few years later. I have little, to no memory at all, of the Marx trains but thanks to a couple of photos of my bedroom floor layout and only one of my basement layout, I do recall how much fun I had with Lionel trains. Like so many on here, I'm glad I got hooked on the scent of ozone at a very early age.

 Love this thread Andre. Very interesting.