Model Train Journal

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LIONEL-O-GAUGE ... 4073830134

1110 Scout. Plastic clamshell motor block (as evidenced by fore-aft fibre lockout lever), rusted, corroded, tender is missing front truck (it appears from excellent photos).

Every 1110 or variant I have ever had here was "here, take this....for free". Every. One.

Opinion?

Not worth the cost of shipping.

"Tender is in very poor condition, and the locomotive wasn’t tested. "

Yeah, right...the evilbait escape clause.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1930s-Lionel-1688E-Steam-Locomotive-1689-Tender-for-Restoration-CHEAP/293649814565?epid=1740469599&hash=item445ee49425:g:Y0oAAOSw9IpfAmlt

This would be a far better candidate...maybe for half the asking price.

Good thing about that one is, pull the brass plates and repaint, put the plates back on.

Was the coupler missing or did I miss it?

Second one, kingpin mounted multi-purpose drawbar, train end, a frame mounted bar with slot.

Tab in slot or hook coupler Lionel used in its early cars and in some cheaper sets, it’s compatible with many other makers’ similar couplers.

Lionel used a tab in slot or hook coupler in its earliest sets and in some cheaper 1930s sets. These couplers are virtually identical to everyone else’s hook couplers, and they’re all compatible as long as the cars sit at about the same height. They’re even compatible with Ives‘ automatic coupler. The tab fits into a slot in the Ives coupler. As much as Lionel said it valued backward compatibility, Ives actually did a better job with it.

Looks like the "tab" portion is not there.

Yes, it looks like the tender is missing a chunk of its coupler; I thought use of tab couplers had stopped by the time they made the 1688/1668 series, at least on the 1600-series former-Ives freights they got matched with. Has me wondering if this is the original tender.

For me, the biggest challenge here is replacing the pick-up assembly (which would be the sliding type). I've never had much luck making a job of prying a replacement into place on the underside of the prewar motors (never tried it on a postwar, but I suspect it's not any easier).

I don't have a 1688/1688E...I should try to find a decent one.

Here's a Lionel Jr set with a 1688E loco and tab-couplers:



But then there's one out on eBay now with link couplers:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lionel-Jr-1688E-with-FRONT-FACING-WINDOWS-1689w-1673-1674-1675-set-1936-Orig/264803626290?hash=item3da786ad32:g:cm0AAOSwVqpfFzrk

While I'm guessing these are pretty rare, seems priced high.

If you're talking about a knuckle coupler conversion on pre-war trucks....I've done a bunch.
The "tabs" closest to the coupler are used, measure axle spacing, drill holes in the vertical coupler base sides that distance back from where the axle will sit, assemble axle through hole....anyway, works.

Heresy, I tell ya, lol.

healey36 wrote:Heresy, I tell ya, lol.

sorta like using the exact same coupler assemblies Lionel sold WITH instructions to convert Scout couplers to something that works?
That kind of Lionel heresy?

At least we're not sticking Kadees on pre-war Lionel, right?

ScaleCraft wrote:At least we're not sticking Kadees on pre-war Lionel, right?

Protocraft couplers, and P48 trucks and drivers on pre-war Lionel,

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:

ScaleCraft wrote:At least we're not sticking Kadees on pre-war Lionel, right?

Protocraft couplers, and P48 trucks and drivers on pre-war Lionel,

You ARE working on an article that covers that, correct?
I knew guys (long gone) who rim insulated Lionel drivers (or went Outside Third), turned flanges, pulled rollers, Monarch couplers, better ladders and brakewheels, paint, lettering (by hand, no less) so it ain't unheard of.

What none of us can figure out is where did all that stuff GO?
Carey can't own ALL of it.

ScaleCraft wrote:

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:

ScaleCraft wrote:At least we're not sticking Kadees on pre-war Lionel, right?

Protocraft couplers, and P48 trucks and drivers on pre-war Lionel,

You ARE working on an article that covers that, correct?

Dreaming.......

I knew guys (long gone) who rim insulated Lionel drivers (or went Outside Third), turned flanges, pulled rollers, Monarch couplers, better ladders and brakewheels, paint, lettering (by hand, no less) so it ain't unheard of.

Seen all that.........

What none of us can figure out is where did all that stuff GO?

Landfills

Carey can't own ALL of it.

He doesn't. But he sure does have some of the nicer stuff.

There used to be a Lionel dealer (and parts..and junk) I used to deal with regularly. Allison M. Cox.
Old Al ran his out of his HUGE home where he had the floor of the three or four car garage excavated, poured, covered, and the hole held his collection (at least what he allowed anyone to actually see) accessible from the basement shop...garage retained 3 or 4 car usefulness, UNTIL Lionel mandated no dealers out of homes, and he was done. Dealer #2, if I recall, right behind Madison Hardware.

Anyway, he'd buy collections, extras, piles, rob TCA sales tables and strip stuff (worth more in parts!)

He'd end up with stuff that was "messed with". I'd pick up all sorts of stuff from him he couldn't sell.
One I recall is a Lionel 665, cast cowcatcher cut off (broken first? Who knows), bell on smokebox front, added whistle, air pump casting..cheap. Probably ten bucks. Still here, still runs just fine.

Some of those old "scaled" engines from the 30's and 40's I'd like to see.

I remember a guy who bought a Lionel large-door streamline baggage car. Rare and valuable. Laughed how Al didn't know what he had.
Until he tried to sell it at a TCA show and my buddy pointed out somebody had very carefully de-skirted it.