Hey, nice set ! If you havent already done this....the old stuff gets gunky when setting for years. Take the motor all the way apart, clean the brushes, commutator windings and the case. clean and lube internal gears and shafts. Then it will run like clockwork again !
Sounds like too thick/heavy grease in gears. The worm gear set up has a lot of drag by their nature. Use a bit of WD40 to thin out grease. But yes as a general rule as they warm up they speed up a bit. Yours looks a bit excessive with internal friction to be so slow starting up. Those double motors are quite powerful as they are geared lower than anything else Lionel made at the time. Also check the roller bearings on the armature shaft and the two 12 tooth idler gears for old grease. “Dead grease” here has a greater detrimental speed effect.
@ the engine actually is a single motor which is some of the issue with its pulling power. The old grease was removed and new applied. The engine was also experiencing wheel slip because the Rail King passenger cars were too heavy for a single engine. It runs better with the lighter Lionel passenger cars. Thank You for all the great suggestions you gave me. I really appreciate it. 🙏🙏🙏👍
Tx Special really cool! My 2026 Lionel Steamer from 1949 does the exact slow start thing. Just like yours, give it a minute, gentle push, then it comes alive and I have to throttle down or it will flip on curves
Yep. I also figured out with only one motor it can’t pull many passenger cars at all without wheel slippage. I removed the non motorized B Unit and it runs better.
HOwdy. I really like those passenger coaches. I have the Texas Special F-3A engine and it only goes forward. It had a slot in the roof for the E-unit reversing lever but this is the cheaper 027 version. So I used a piece of plastic under the cutout and filled it with super glue and baking soda. Then sanded it down and repainted the top. Looks great now without that slot. I always paint the screw the same color as the body, the one in the rear that holds the body on. Cheers from eastern TN
Thank You very much for watching and commenting. I appreciate your information you shared on how you fixed your train engine issue. I sure do like the passenger cars and especially the Post War Texas Special A/B Units. I enjoy running trains and it’s enjoyable to go down in my basement and sound a few hours just focusing on the trains and noting else. 👍🙏❤️ Oh, I love Tennessee especially the eastern side. Have spent a lot of time out in the mountains backpacking back in the day! Beautiful Country for sure❤️❤️
Looks cool! Great shape for having some years on it!
Absolutely 👍
Hey, nice set ! If you havent already done this....the old stuff gets gunky when setting for years. Take the motor all the way apart, clean the brushes, commutator windings and the case. clean and lube internal gears and shafts. Then it will run like clockwork again !
Absolutely! GREAT ADVICE, I actually did just that once I received the units. 👍👍
Sounds like too thick/heavy grease in gears. The worm gear set up has a lot of drag by their nature. Use a bit of WD40 to thin out grease. But yes as a general rule as they warm up they speed up a bit. Yours looks a bit excessive with internal friction to be so slow starting up. Those double motors are quite powerful as they are geared lower than anything else Lionel made at the time. Also check the roller bearings on the armature shaft and the two 12 tooth idler gears for old grease. “Dead grease” here has a greater detrimental speed effect.
@ the engine actually is a single motor which is some of the issue with its pulling power. The old grease was removed and new applied. The engine was also experiencing wheel slip because the Rail King passenger cars were too heavy for a single engine. It runs better with the lighter Lionel passenger cars. Thank You for all the great suggestions you gave me. I really appreciate it. 🙏🙏🙏👍
Tx Special really cool! My 2026 Lionel Steamer from 1949 does the exact slow start thing. Just like yours, give it a minute, gentle push, then it comes alive and I have to throttle down or it will flip on curves
Yep. I also figured out with only one motor it can’t pull many passenger cars at all without wheel slippage. I removed the non motorized B Unit and it runs better.
Very sharp train, the passenger cars really add to it. _Steve
Thanks Steve. I think so also. I was happy to find the cars for sure.👍👍🙏
HOwdy. I really like those passenger coaches. I have the Texas Special F-3A engine and it only goes forward. It had a slot in the roof for the E-unit reversing lever but this is the cheaper 027 version. So I used a piece of plastic under the cutout and filled it with super glue and baking soda. Then sanded it down and repainted the top. Looks great now without that slot. I always paint the screw the same color as the body, the one in the rear that holds the body on. Cheers from eastern TN
Thank You very much for watching and commenting. I appreciate your information you shared on how you fixed your train engine issue. I sure do like the passenger cars and especially the Post War Texas Special A/B Units. I enjoy running trains and it’s enjoyable to go down in my basement and sound a few hours just focusing on the trains and noting else. 👍🙏❤️ Oh, I love Tennessee especially the eastern side. Have spent a lot of time out in the mountains backpacking back in the day! Beautiful Country for sure❤️❤️
nice love postwar trains
ME TOOOOO! Loving more and more every day!❤️❤️🔥🔥👍
They look great, you're right, not everything matched on the real rails back then.
Thanks Joey! Appreciate It🙏🙏
Looks awesome! Try a 100-watt or greater transformer. I know Williams always recommended 90 watts or more
Transformer Time! No money for one though😭😭😭
Suggestions??
@RABSTRAINS MTH Z-1000 is a solid choice and quite affordable. I personally run an MTH.Z-4000 and a postwar lionel ZW
@ you are right. A z 1000 is 160.00
Do they do ok with Lionel trains?
Did you just get this on eBay? ..... I made a bid on one of these last week on eBay and someone out bid me!!!
Nope. The white/red ones, Rail Kings are from Trainz.Com. I purchased directly off of their site
The Lionel cars were buy it now, no bids.
@ They are very cool and the mix of the white with silver cars looks awesome to me
@ Thanks. At first I wasn’t so sure, but in real life you see all kinds of mixed cars. I like them! I agree with you.👍👍🙏