Postwar Lionel Steamers - How To Identify By The Numbers

Рет қаралды 18,812

7 ай бұрын

For someone who is new to Lionel Trains, or who only dabbles with them, it can be overwhelming to look at the immense variety of available Lionel Postwar era steamers and to know what to look for - and what to avoid. One clue is to look at the number of the locomotive.
In a previous episode, we examined Lionel’s Postwar rolling stock number system and unlocked the code to determine the quality of various items.
Experienced collectors know about the 3-digit O Gauge, and 4-digit O27 Rule of Thumb, but that system doesn’t work for more than a dozen cataloged models. Is there another way of looking at Lionel’s numbers to help us understand them? Indeed there is! The system is not as intricate as with the rolling stock numbers, and no special features like smoke or Magnatraction are indicated in the numbers, but there is a definite plan of numbering series - groups of similar locomotives - in Lionel’s Postwar numbers.
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Пікірлер: 53

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 7 ай бұрын

Greenberg's Guide To Lionel Trains 1945-1969 [Affiliate Link] walmrt.us/3NtI13q

@jeremycarr9410 Ай бұрын

A 2065 was my 1st engine...still the queen of my railroad! Rock solid reliability, I've named her Emma !

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks Ай бұрын

Nice!

@_molls 7 ай бұрын

The 2055 is my first ever postwar locomotive. I just got it two months ago and I absolutely ADORE it! It’s smooth, reliable, fast, and can haul a ton of cars. I honestly prefer that it’s boiler is cast in one piece, as four screws, and the mechanism pops out for servicing haha Whenever I meet someone who wants to get into trains, I’m gonna recommend them a 2055 or a 665 as they’re big engines, and are some of the most reliable and easiest to service haha Long live the hudsons!

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 7 ай бұрын

I love my 2055!!

@johnknippenberg-LandmarkYards 7 ай бұрын

Great comparison, and I like your critique on the different engine series.

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 7 ай бұрын

Thank You!!

@isellu 7 ай бұрын

Nice video. It is very informative, especially given the confusing Lionel numbering system. This is a great source of easy-to-understand Lionel locomotive postwar offerings. Thanks for posting this!

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 7 ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@wayneantoniazzi2706 7 ай бұрын

Great tutorial Mike! I'll tell you, the 2046 and 2056 Hudsons are great pullers, even the 2056 that doesn't have Magne-Traction. In addition to which engines such as the various Baby Hudsons and the less-than-pristine 736 and 746 models are starting to become VERY resonable as far as prices go. All are great entry-level engines for those on a budget.

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 7 ай бұрын

Thanks for the info!

@drummerdave_a 7 ай бұрын

Another very informative video, Mike! Thank you for making sense of the numbering system for Lionel steamers. I also thoroughly enjoyed the video on the post-war rolling stock numbering system. Lionel did some rather goofy things when it comes to their number-identifying systems, but you made it all make a lot more sense of it. Thank you for the videos. Much appreciated!

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 7 ай бұрын

Thanks for the comments!!

@timnewman1172 7 ай бұрын

I really like this era of steamers, but sonme in the MPC era aren't bad...

@wayneantoniazzi2706 7 ай бұрын

Right, and there's some good deals out there on some MPC Era Lionels as well.

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 7 ай бұрын

Absolutely!

@Engine1988 7 ай бұрын

Many people consider it to be "if Lionel Scout was an entire 15-year long era". However, much like the Lionel Scout trains, it was actually in no way as bad as often thought.

@metalheadrailfan 3 ай бұрын

When it comes to the 736, because it ran for so long during the Postwar era, I feel it's the best mid-range locomotive alongside all of the Turbines and Small Hudsons. Mine was about $200, which is reasonable. I have been seeing 746s go roughly $350-$500 depending on which variation. 773's forget it. Those are always in the $1200+ range.

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 3 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing!!

@huntercoleman460 7 ай бұрын

Thanks for the info Mike.

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 7 ай бұрын

You bet

@guitarshredderjay9423 7 ай бұрын

I love this video! I have these locos! These series are the best!

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 7 ай бұрын

Cool!

@paulbervid1610 7 ай бұрын

Great conversation

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 7 ай бұрын

Thank you!

@caseyvillemodelrailroad3877 7 ай бұрын

Great vidio, this should be helpful at the next train show.Thanks for the morning coffee...

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 7 ай бұрын

You're welcome!

@richardsobieck9660 7 ай бұрын

Good job

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 7 ай бұрын

Thank you!

@ldever3 7 ай бұрын

I was about to throw a fit when you said my 1000 series 1666 was “not worth it”. Then I realized what you meant by 1000 series. Mine is also late prewar, although originally purchased right after WWII. It runs well and pulls well. But no smoke. It did come with a whistle tender, but tenders would be a topic for another day. Tomorrow is another day.

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 7 ай бұрын

Prewar or Postwar, the 1666 is very nice.

@jZ0357 7 ай бұрын

Would love for you to do a ready to run series video comparing some of the ones from the 80s to the crap they’re coming out with today

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 7 ай бұрын

As someone who purchased quite a bit of 1980s Lionel product, I wouldn't necessarily say today's product is any worse. The rolling stock is significantly better than the plastic trucks (and sometimes plastic wheels), frequently -failing couplers, and low-detailed cars MPC cranked out. And when inflation is factored in, the prices are comparable.

@awesomeaustin5704 Ай бұрын

This might come in handy, going to a train show and want to find a postwar engine to go with the cars I have

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks Ай бұрын

Good luck!!

@awesomeaustin5704 Ай бұрын

@@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks didn’t find an engine, got some other stuff though.

@williamsimmons152 5 ай бұрын

The Lionel 224 can pull a serious number of cars.

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 5 ай бұрын

Indeed!

@waynecasey6375 7 ай бұрын

Hey Mike, thank you for another great video I love it!! I’m a big fan of those old steamers, quick question at minute 11 you said “not designed to operate on O27 curves at all”…. could you please tell me what the minimum curve is for those O gauge locomotives are. Thanks again for another great video full of awesome information!!

@wayneantoniazzi2706 7 ай бұрын

The 726, 736, and 746 are intended for 031 trackage and curves. You MAY be able to get away with running them on 027 trackage if they're not going too fast but they'll probably have trouble with 027 switches. The scale 773 needs (I think) a minimum curve of 054, it's a BIG engine. Someone please correct me if I've got that wrong.

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 7 ай бұрын

The 700E needs O72 curves. The 773 was advertised as a Super O engine, so it should be able to get around O36 and larger.

@wayneantoniazzi2706 7 ай бұрын

@@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks Good information! Thanks! (Not that I'm likely to luck into a 773 anytime soon, but you never know, do you?)

@waynecasey6375 7 ай бұрын

Ok great thanks for the info!! Very much appreciated

@wayneantoniazzi2706 7 ай бұрын

@@waynecasey6375 You're very welcome!

@MygrandpasTrain 7 ай бұрын

Great information. I just got a Lionel 1130 which came with some American Flyer I wanted. Question is that one typically a plastic shell or was it die cast? The one I have is plastic so Im guessing it was a later model?

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 7 ай бұрын

I think I gave the impression in the video that ALL 1100s have metal boilers. This is incorrect. 1130s, as the last of the Scouts, have plastic boilers and 200-style metal motors.

@ninaf9388 4 ай бұрын

What if a Lionel doesn't have a model number?

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 4 ай бұрын

If there are no markings whatsoever, it is likely a late-1960s uncataloged item for a mass retailer. These usually have very little value, but there are exceptions.

@coreymitchell3900 5 ай бұрын

What about mu 8632?

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 5 ай бұрын

If you mean "my 8632", that locomotive is from the LTI era (after 1986), not Postwar (1945-1969). Modern catalog numbers are a totally different animal altogether.

@Engine1988 7 ай бұрын

This video is making me think of English. The English language has more exceptions to the rules than things that follow it!

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 7 ай бұрын

The problem is usually words with French origins.

@Engine1988 7 ай бұрын

@@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks At least for the most part. I'm always frustrated during literature class. My dad's way of describing English is that it "mugs other languages in dark alleys for extra grammar".