O gauge Trains

OK, Zac, let's see all the train stuff you bought while playing hooky from the swaps at Carlisle.....

:poke:

If you insist... LOL I haven’t had a chance to get all the goodies out yet, but these were the prime pickings!

A 2363 Illinois Central F3. They are in good shape. Lettering hasn’t worn off like they usually do. They came at a price though! Ouuff!

Also a 2321 Train master. Not the rarer maroon top, but a decent model none the less. One screw hole is cracked on one side as usual, but the other side is still good. Shows some shelf wear, but still decent, and cleaned up good. I am absolutely amazed at how BIG the train master is for a postwar engine. It’s a monster.

They found their way to the layout yesterday afternoon. Nice quiet runners!

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Think this is cool! Both the Illinois Central, and the Wabash were released in 1955. Both in smaller runs.

As mentioned before, the 2367 dual motored Wabash was a one year only engine, available both as a set and individually. It returned as the 2240 Wabash single motored O27 engine for ‘56.

The 2363 Illinois Central was available as a set and individually in ‘55, and sold individually in ‘56.

Here’s the page out of my ‘55 catalog. I really need to get on restoring the Wabash now!

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@cantflip

I pulled your Dads engine out of the box, and threw it straight on the track, to see what would happen. Gotta love old Lionel! She moves! I’ll get her all cleaned, and lubed up. I’ll take another vid once ready for action.

 
Nice score! The E unit works well in that 2016, that’s half the battle right there.

Thanks! Yes it does! All original underneath, except for one screw, from what I can tell. Need to swap it out as it is a little too long. Brushes even look good! Just very grimy.

@cantflip after a quick wipe, and a little lube she’s just about ready to pull again. Hell even the whistle tender wants to work! Gonna have to clean it up, and lube as well.

 
@cantflip

I pulled your Dads engine out of the box, and threw it straight on the track, to see what would happen. Gotta love old Lionel! She moves! I’ll get her all cleaned, and lubed up. I’ll take another vid once ready for action.


Thank you, I know she's in a better home now. BTW, my joints work like that when I first wake up too, that stuff was last packed away in fresh 1999 newsprint and hadn't been made to run in my lifetime.
 
This is the one accessory I picked up at the Lionel store. The Scrap Yard for the little rail yard. Pretty nifty! I didn’t notice that the guys move as well.



 
I got the rest of the train stuff out, and cleaned the cars up @cantflip they be running the rails again. I gotta find a new truck for the Katy boxcar, and Sunoco tank car. I’ve got a couple tank cars, and threw one of em in there. Haven’t tested the transformer yet. Cars pull good though. The flat car is a helicopter car. Have to find a new helicopter for it.



Also had a little F3 bonanza on the layout the other night. Nothing better then the F3’s to me. I love em!

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I got the rest of the train stuff out, and cleaned the cars up @cantflip they be running the rails again. I gotta find a new truck for the Katy boxcar, and Sunoco tank car. I’ve got a couple tank cars, and threw one of em in there. Haven’t tested the transformer yet. Cars pull good though. The flat car is a helicopter car. Have to find a new helicopter for it.



Also had a little F3 bonanza on the layout the other night. Nothing better then the F3’s to me. I love em!

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That's almost as cool as a garage full of C-bodies!!
 
I got the rest of the train stuff out, and cleaned the cars up @cantflip they be running the rails again. I gotta find a new truck for the Katy boxcar, and Sunoco tank car. I’ve got a couple tank cars, and threw one of em in there. Haven’t tested the transformer yet. Cars pull good though. The flat car is a helicopter car. Have to find a new helicopter for it.



Also had a little F3 bonanza on the layout the other night. Nothing better then the F3’s to me. I love em!

View attachment 303522


Thank you Zac. It makes me smile seeing that stuff working and making someone happy. I was unlikely to ever do anything with it.
 
Nothing like running conventional! Clean them up and they just go.

I showed my wife the video. All she said was “oh, and they run on a layout? All you have are ‘storage tables’.”

:(
 
Nothing like running conventional! Clean them up and they just go.

I showed my wife the video. All she said was “oh, and they run on a layout? All you have are ‘storage tables’.”

:(

Ouch... atleast they are great looking tables!! I would be happy to view them!

@Samplingman and @stubs300 have you guys ever run on the Menards tubular track? I’m thinking of making a bulk purchase. Seen some hit and miss reviews for it. Seems like the newer stuff is better than the older stuff. It’s very tempting for the price of cases of their brand new track.
 
Ouch... atleast they are great looking tables!! I would be happy to view them!

@Samplingman and @stubs300 have you guys ever run on the Menards tubular track? I’m thinking of making a bulk purchase. Seen some hit and miss reviews for it. Seems like the newer stuff is better than the older stuff. It’s very tempting for the price of cases of their brand new track.
I don’t have any experience with the track, but found this review. It does seem to suffer from quality control. I think the modern Lionel tube track is twice the price, but the quality is as good or better than the vintage stuff.

Thoughts on New Menards Tubular Track - Classic Toy Trains Magazine

I use vintage Lionel track, Super O and Gar Graves flex track with the wood ties. I only use FasTrack on the Church’s Christmas layout because it is easy to use, but it’s not very practical for a permanent setup. I guess you are looking at replacing the MTH track?
 
I don’t have any experience with the track, but found this review. It does seem to suffer from quality control. I think the modern Lionel tube track is twice the price, but the quality is as good or better than the vintage stuff.

Thoughts on New Menards Tubular Track - Classic Toy Trains Magazine

I use vintage Lionel track, Super O and Gar Graves flex track with the wood ties. I only use FasTrack on the Church’s Christmas layout because it is easy to use, but it’s not very practical for a permanent setup. I guess you are looking at replacing the MTH track?

I’d love to do super O, but it would take me a while to accumulate all the pieces needed. Looks like guys are able to bend them, and form them into different sizes, other then just the standard O31 for the bigger modern stuff.

I bit the bullet and ordered some of the Menards track. A couple cases, and some various pieces. The price was too good to say no. Figure I’ll get some track crimpers if needed when it shows up.

I’m looking to revamp the layout here in the soon future, and also be able to run the magnatraction engines better. Gonna add a couple lines, and do away with the realtrax o54 loop in the center. The main loop, and upper loop will stay, as I’ve got to much invested in em this past year to give up on em lol.

Hopefully cases of newer track will show up without the problems of the first runs. Thanks!
 
The Menards track showed up. Looks better then I thought it would. Noticed one of the straights needs one of the insulators messed with.

I was hoping the pins would have been better.... but they are a little loose. They don’t pull out, just spin in the track. I got some crimping ahead of me!

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Case of 031
Case of 10” straights
Loop of O42
And 2 40” long straights



Track does fit together nice and tight though.
 
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