Repairing a 1946 Lionel 2020 Turbine For Fallen Modelers Son.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ก.ค. 2023
- Lionel locomotive from1946 model 2020 with smoke bulb. first Generation.
This was sent into me by a viewer. He couldn't get it fixed for over 40 years. I spent a day on it getting it cleaned and operating properly and sent back down to him so his son and him could enjoy it just as he did with his Dad.
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@classicmodeltrains
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So much effort. Result: Superb video! Took me a minute to get it: 'Horseshoe Mode'; LOL. Here's some help with the postage back. Thank you for fun on the 4th!
THANK YOU AGAIN!! you are so kind Marklin!!!
Thank you both. I wasn't expecting that.
Watching you give that locomotive a new lease of life was so satisfying. Your an amazing modelling engineer. Beautiful. 😊
Ron, thank you so much. Honestly I teared up. It's the one locomotive he never got fixed. I'm forever grateful. You need anything ,I'm only a phone away. Thank you,thank you ❤
You are very welcome Norman!!!
Family treasures right there. Congrats on the memories to come.
Just saw your video about this, had to check Ron's video out. Very cool.
Ron
You may not be a "Lionel Master Mechanic" BUT you are 1 hell of a trouble shooter. Absolutely well done. 👏 Norman and his kids will love it.
Thank you! I'm still in my apprenticeship :-)
Ron I wanted to say thank you very much for getting my dads old locomotive running again. Im older than Norman and I havent even seen it run. I remember my dad taking it to the hobby shop a few times trying to get it repaired and they never seemed to bring it back to life. Your skill is indeed incredible. Thank you! 🙏
Hello Paul, Thanks for reaching out and adding some more info to this great story. Glad to help out!!
They didn't have TH-cam University. I have several Post War Locomotives. Most run not any better than okay. My 681, which is similar to this has been a stinker since my dad bought it used in the 70's. I'm looking forward to tearing it apart and seeing if it is worth all the range once she's been serviced.
See? Norman and I have something in common. We both like it when you work on our stuff, because we know, eventually, you'll get it done right. Masterful efforts on this one. Great job...
Thanks M.C. :-)
It's good to see this locomotive come back to life after all these years of sitting non-operative. I don't have this locomotive in my collection, but I do have the MTH version of this locomotive, and I always found it to be a neat locomotive even though it was a one-of-its kind locomotive. Keep up the good work.
Thank you very much!
Built back in a time when American craftsmanship meant something.
Yup!! This thing was quite impressive with its engineering :-)
@@classicmodeltrains Thank you for answering my reply.
I think they only knew how to build quality, no one yet learned the art of building junk.
@@classicamericanflyertrains2423 Until the later 60's. And thank you again for answering my reply.
Wow .... That was awesome Ron ..... Cheers!!!!
Wow, such persistence and perseverance. That was truly impressive. 1946 - the year I was born.
Thank you!!
I say with all honesty you are an amazing man to do such a thing for someone. You seem to have a heart of gold . My hat is off to you sir . Amazing restoration once again love your channel looking forward to your next adventure happy independence day and be safe and God bless
I trust he was compensated.
Thanks Harrison, Glad you enjoy my work :-)
Nope. Did it for free. If it needed any parts Norman would have paid for them. Luckily it didnt.
@@classicmodeltrains once again Ron my hat is off to you . Though I don't know you . your an amazing guy
@@classicmodeltrains understood.
Hi Ron. Your videos are getting better and better. Great restoration work. That machine is from an era when things were built to last forever. I had never seen such a big light bulb on a scale locomotive. And there are Japanese cars with smaller engines... Watching this video has been a real pleasure. Thanks for sharing. Now I'm going to watch the video of the tender (good cliffhanger, by the way)...
Thank you! I was thinking while working on this about all the fancy engineering that went into what's basically a Childs toy. They really made good stuff back in the day.
Well, that put a smile on my face! Fantastic story and a beautiful locomotive. Nicely done!
Thank you very much!
You did good, Ron! You did good. I hope Norm appreciates what you did for him.
I have a 2020 that I got from my dad decades ago and between my younger brother and I, I think it is pretty much toast. I haven’t seen it run since some time in the late ‘60’s. My brother did gawd knows what with it during my Army years and it’s been stored away ever since. I know the boiler front is broke off, the light bulb is gone, the whistle unit in the tender is gone, and the original caboose is gone. I bought a work caboose in the ‘60’s and a Pennsylvania caboose in the 2000’s with the intention of trying to repair the loco and train, but I don’t think that’s gonna happen. I’m old and fragile and spend more time at doctor’s appointments and sleeping than I spend being awake, so it’s does my heart good to know someone with a 2020 has a rebuilt working loco for my favorite railroad, PRR!
Tou have no idea just how grateful I am. I teared up.
Sorry to hear about the 'Ol 2020 getting so beat up in its younger years. Aging is real hard on a Feller, your story tugs at my heart strings. Sounds like this video brightened your day as well as Norman's. I'm hoping you get to feeling better.
Norman, I hope it was worth the wait. This Revival has such a good story that goes along with it. I will certainly remember it for a long time :-)
Thank you for sharing. Fantastic repair Ron, you made that trucker a happy man.👍
Thanks 👍
Those early turbines are a little harder to work on than the later issues. A lot of guys will swear by the Atomic motors but to me I prefer the later more standard design as it’s far easier to service and maintain. Nice job on that! It should provide another lifetime of enjoyment after that cleaning and freshening up!!
Oh and one more thing, I’m seeing that slowly but surely you’re going to the dark side of 3 rail….. it’s dangerous to go that direction lol. That being said, I’ve been a O gauge fan/collector since I was a kid and I’m 41 now.
Thanks for your kind words. I cut my teeth on 3 rail and "S" gauge. I really enjoy it because of all the noise they make while running and the smell of ozone. Yup gunna be a 3 rail layout in my future for sure :-)
🚂Great rescue of a fine locomotive! Time for tea....🫖
Thanks Darren !
Beautiful, Love the Commentary 🚂
Thank you
Thank you for a great video
Thanks for watching David!
That was an awesome restoration. Great job Ron. Love the channel.
Thank you Dale :-)
Glad you didn't give up . " Nothing beats a failure buy a try" Great job . Thank you for a great video .
Thanks for your kind words and a great saying!!
It's always entertaining when you revive history. Keep up the good work using your skills and big heart to return memories to those that truly love this hobby and the loved ones that guided them there.
It's a big family and spans the globe.
Thanks Norm!
Don't know if you got paid to fix that locomotive but either way your a great person for helping some one like you did.we need more people in this world like this guy.good job buddy.
I didnt get paid from the owner. Made some $$ from the views on TH-cam
You can locate Greenberg Lionel repair books online. I purchased one and it covers all of the Lionel products from the 1940's to the late 1960's. It's a reprint of the Lionel service center repair manual. For the most part I service and repair my Lionel and Marx trains. You did an excellent job for a first time diagnose and repair. You did a great job in fabricating the spring. These parts are available from dealers who specialize in Lionel repair parts. E units, well I'm lazy so I keep extra ones on hand. I purchased a 681 from an antique shop for a very reasonable price. Broke the locomotive and tender apart, cleaned and replaced the missing parts, runs better than new. Sometimes these contraptions can be a royal pain to work on.😎😾🐕
Yup! Ive seen the repair book. I think I have it saved in my wish list on amazon. Never really needed one yet. Just need to know where these dealers are with all the good replacement parts :-)
Lionel stuff is metal, colorful, mechanical, fast,and noisy! That's the charm of Lionel! Congratulations!
I agree with you!! Love how noisy O stuff is when operating :-)
Hi, Ron, it's Ken. I just wanna tell you, thank you very much for the excellent video on the 4th of July.
Hello Ken, You are welcome Sir!!
Rewarding work seeing how the old stuff works . Hey ? Ron
Taking stuff apart and successfully putting it back together....YES SIR! Puts a smile on my face for sure :-)
For me, I own 5 lionel Turbines, this was one of your best videos yet. I have wondered how to lube the front gears, and now I know. Good job.
Thank you Ronald!
What a great video. Bet he was thrilled to get this engine running again. I had a 1948 Lionel that was my uncle's as a kid. I took it to the local hobby shop and they got it running again. Now it gets set up under the Christmas Tree every year. The grand kids all look forward to seeing the train. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it John :-)
Oh boy, a huge locomotive!!!
It's got some size to it for sure :-)
Hy Ron. That was a great restoration. I taking my hat off, and for sure to our forefathers too. They engeneered stuff for eternity. I LOVE YOUR CHANNEL. Greetings from Germany - Rainer
Hello Rainer!! Yup.. stuff was made way better back in the day :-). Thanks for commenting
I am fortunate to have some old Lionel smoke bulbs and a few engines with them installed. Most were changed out for the heat element units. The bulbs created a light shift coming out of the stack that gave an eerie sort of illumination on ceilings combined with the smoke as the train went around the track. Nice restoration job! Darn nice running engine!
Thanks Trainman. Pretty cool you still have some old bulbs. I hear there pretty rare.
@@classicmodeltrains Yeah!
I own a 1954 release of the Lionel lines S2 #2020. I bought it along with four rail cars from the 1950s at the Little Choo Choo Shop in Spencer North Carolina across the street from the North Carolina Transportation Museum. When I got her she had a few scratches. The outside may not look in good shape, but her mechanisms sure were. She ran perfectly. I did not even need to conduct repairs, which shocked me. Strange how a failure of a locomotive the S2 was in real life, became a massive success in the model railroad community.
Sounds like you got a pretty good deal on a Classic!!
@@classicmodeltrains It cost around $200 for the whole thing. In case you are wondering the what was in the purchase. A 1954 Lionel Lines #2020 S2 Turbine and tender, Lionel Lines #3451 log dump car with 5 logs, Lionel Lines #2460 crane car, Lionel Lines #2461 Transformer car, and Lionel Lines #6419 Work Caboose.
That was fun, I have my dad’s # 682 turbine from the early 50s. Most have been dropped years ago and broke the frame. It is displayed on a shelf in my home today.
Thanks Rick. Sorry to hear your Dads loco is broken.
Thank you so much for that.
I have a 671 and 681 I got in bits and your video is going to make putting them back together so much easier.
Glad this video can help you out :-)
Back in the day, Lionel used smoke tablets that rested on the huge light bulb to produce smoke. I didn't realize that Lionel used blind drivers even on the trucks. I run all my Lionel 027 on DC as they will run on either AC or DC. If you have a whistling tender, you have to disconnect it to run on DC or it will constantly whistle. Cheers from eastern TN
I hear DC makes them run quieter because the e-unit is not buzzing constantly
Congratulations Ron that was a tough one . I'm so glad you was able to fix it up for your friend. I know it was driving you crazy but you did it
Thanks! Many hours went into it.
Great work on the repair! There’s nothin’ else like working on an old Lionel, i was thinking of getting a postwar Lionel to put under the christmas tree this year.
Thanks! You should get a tree train. Brings back memories :-)
That’s the thing about objects..they mean nothing to anyone else..but to the individual they mean everything when they are a memory from a beloved family member….it’s like they are still here…great work!
Thank you Thomas and I agree with your statement :-)
Thank you
:-)
That was awesome when you got the whistle to work! Very cool :D
Thank you:-)
Hey Ron, you are so informative. I have about ten or so of the those 671, 681 and 2020. There are two version of the 671. The 1946 only version is a dual drive with a big drive gear. It’s impressive. They changed it in 1947 and and went to a different drive type. I really like the 46 because it’s like have 4 wheel drive.
Thank you! Yes many versions of the Lionel Turbine Loco
Perseverance. Success!
You da man!
Thanks :-)
Hi Ron, I enjoy all of your videos. Your expertise in restoring engines and trains is fantastic. In this episode, your determination in this rebuild made a dream come true for Norman and his family. You kept his Dad's memory alive, passing the torch of an heirloom for future generations. Tell Norman to keep the engine away from carpeting.
Thank you very much!
Ron, you did a brilliant job restoring this loco. I'm quite sure I would have given up after the first ten minutes LOL. That loco was an excellent design for its time. Hope it lasts another 50 years.
Many thanks! Its got 50 more in it for sure!
great job you are the best
Thank you very much William!!!
Wow! A light bulb smoke unit. I've seen smoke pellets but didn't know they sat on a light bulb. Now I want to get more of these old engines
Yup! A real old way of getting er done. Not a big smoker though. Marx always seemed to out smoke a Lionel.
happpy Independence day run have a safe and enjoyable day.
Thank you!!
Oh my goodness that’s amazing that you finally figured it out I would build or buy a acrylic case with tack inside and have a custom made plate with his dad’s name on it on a shelf 😢 very nice locomotive and tender priceless piece
I’m trying to find a good price for a 1980’s LGB 2017 powered tender for my locomotive it didn’t come with it so I have to find one separately and then the LGB 4021 Gondola Car G-Scale so if you come across any let me know please
That sounds like a wonderful display case for sure. I rarely come across G gauge.
Oh okay thanks and I was wondering which locomotives were powered because I found a place that is an antique store near me and they have a lot of train locomotives for sale for a few dollars and I was wondering if they were any ones that I should look for and I also found a locomotive and tender that resembles the big boy locomotive HO scale but with a very big price tag of $270 or higher I could not afford it but wish I did
I believe it’s a 4005 Union Pacific
I’m not an ho man but I enjoy watching all your videos, especially the o scale. You are very intuitive when it comes to mechanical problems, you’re good with electric and you have a lot of fortitude, or comes to model trains in my opinion you’re one of the best on TH-cam and I want you to want no I never write comments but I did enjoy this episode so I made an exception I will be watching in the future I also own a German Shepherd
Thank you VERY MUCH! your comment really made my day. Thanks for commenting this one for sure!!! :-)
Hope you have/had a great 4th. Great video and restoration. Great inspiration to others in the hobby to repair their own engines.
Thank you. Just trying to spread good info to others :-)
My 2020 has the same problem. Boy these locomotives sure are heavy!!
They are MONSTERS for sure :-)
Nice work, I learn so much from you!
Thank you! Glad I could help :-)
A few minutes into the video I wanted to pull my hair out, I'm ok now. You are a good technician. It was very satisfying watching you solve all the opportunities ( in sales there are no problems just opportunities) with this locomotive. Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it Scott :-)
That was a great job! Your channel is the best!
Thank you so much Philip. 😀
I appreciate your detailed restorations, thanks 😊👍!
Thank you Stephen :-)
Nice work Ron!! Interesting video. Loved watching you restore it.
Many thanks Gary!
Great job.
Thank you!!
Ron great video! Just goes to show you that these prewar engines can't be killed. Just need a bit of work to get them in running order.
Thanks Stephen! Built to last back in the day
Great Video!
Thanks!
You did a great job reviving that locomotive. Thank you for the demonstration.
Thank you very much SF Bob!!
LOVE your videos; no matter what type train your working on! You have an AWESOME personality! Keep 'em comin'!
Thank you very much!
Pretty amazing, Ron. A labor of love for sure! Great work!
Thanks a bunch!
Cool thank you sir
Thanks for watching and commenting Ken!!
Great job, Ron!! Another enjoyable video!
Thank you David :-)
Great job, Ron
Thanks William!
Fantastic job Ron , keep up the good work. Very enjoyable vids...
Thanks Paul!!
Superb job Ron! Your skills are really amazing! You’re a Master!
Thank you My Friend!
another fantastic vid Ron. good looking Loco for sure. Happy 4th 🎉
Thanks, you too!
Nice to see a grand old Lionel turbine in operation finally excellent job on the restoration of that classic model
Thank you very much :-)
Hey Ron, happy 4th to you and the family. Great job on that turbine, those e units are a pain in the you no what!
Thank you Thomas and same to you. Yes them E-units are very time consuming to take apart and then twice as long to re assemble. Pretty cool design in what there doing. Kinda over engineered compared to a Marx :-)
Its intimidating but worth the effort. Nice work!!!!
Thanks Joseph!!
Thank You Ron Happy 4th
Same to you!
Great work
Thank you!!
Great video, Ron -- fascinating to see the engineering on those first-gen turbines. Bravo on figuring out the workings of this complex beast!
Thanks Stephen. Lots of cool things going on in there
WONDERFUL, GLAD YOU MADE THE EFFORT TO COMPLETE THE JOB. LOVE WATCHING YOU TROUBLESHOOT PROBLEMS. YOU ARE A MASTER AND ALWAYS SUCCED AT YOUR JOB.
Well done !
Thank you :-)
Great job! Enjying your videos!
Thank you Bernard
Hi Ron, I really enjoy your videos and I always look forward to the next one. When you went into horseshoe mode on your multimeter I laughed out loud. I find myself going into horseshoe mode quite often at work to verify continuity of electrical plugs and wires. I'm happy that you were able to get that old loco up and running again, I'm sure it means alot to the guy it belongs to. Have a safe and happy 4th. Of July.
Hello John, Yup, being able to actually "use" a DVM for diagnosing issues is a great skill set to have. I hope your 4th is a good one as well :-)
Another phenomenal video!
Thank you :-)
Holy Meat and Potatoes Batman!!! Great Job Ron I love your work and this site-----Keep on Fixin Talk to You Soon Dan the MRMAN!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks Dan!!
Nice program, good job!!
Glad you enjoy it!
That was FANTASTIC!! 🚂😁
Thank you so much for sharing this video!! Happy Independence Day!! Your SKILLS are INCREDIBLE! 👍 Very informative history lesson regarding the electromagnet. And the one-of-a-kind TURBINE locomotive .. built only once.
Thank you!! and Happy 4th to you as well.
Awesome job, Ron!
That’s the problem - too many parts!
Thank you. Yup lots of pieces to this one
I was going to suggest that you rewire the e-unit but you ended up doing it, so good for you.
Hello Jim. Yup. that original power wire was fried to a crisp. all the insulation was falling off. Rest looked good. Wanted to leave it "original" you know :-)
Great Job , Thanks for all the tips on this Loco. I have the 671 I must lubricate. Happy 4th of July!!!!
Thanks Butch!!
Lionel was in such a hurry to have a smoking locomotive for Christmas season that use ammonium hydroxide pellets which are corrosive and gave up poisonous gas which is why they stopped using. Then Frank pettit invented his safe smoke pellet which he made in his kitchen oven and kept it as a family secret recipe for many many years until Lionel bought it
You always have the good Juicy stories Frank!! Thanks for sharing them with me.
@@classicmodeltrains you are welcome.
Dogged persistence and skill always pay off in the end! Great back story, and great to see this old beauty ressurected after lying dormant for decades. I'm sure ther was a lot of cussin' that got edited out of this one. Thanks for all the awesome content!
Glad you enjoyed it. New words were invented :-)
Hello Ron how are you doing I think your a great fixer 🎉also have a great 4th of July.
Hello Paul, I am doing well Sir!! Thanks for your kind words :-)
Well worth fixing up this old classic model train. Just like fixing up and restoring old tube radios.
I agree with you Sir!!
Nice rebuild, was worth the effort.
Very nice show Ron. 👍🏻
Thanks John 👍
That flapper mechanism is a nightmare to work on. Lionel had come out with a kit to replace the bulb smoking unit with a standard smoke unit.
The E-unit? Yes they can be a pain :-)
Lionel produced the 2020 & 671 from 1946-1949. The 681 was made from 1950-51 & 53. Lionel made the 682 from 54-55
Thanks David. That all makes since now. Researching on the web can leave a Feller with more questions :-)
Excellent work! What perseverance! I’m very impressed with your dogged determination to figure out how it all goes back together.
As for the electromagnet winding, Lionel engines were designed to work with AC current almost from the beginning, and since there is no reverse polarity on an AC circuit, you can change direction with current flow. I hope this didn’t cut into your celebration of the Fourth!
Thank you Dan! Yup the phase switches in the electromagnet winding and the brushes with the rotation of the drum in the e-unit. Celebrated the forth and made a video. Good holiday to me :-)
2020 is my favorite locomotive. Your restorations are prima. I would have liked to see you put that finger back on the E unit.
Hello Stephen, I think I want one for myself now as well. Sorry I didnt video the finger re-solder. E-unit disassembly and reassembly is very time consuming but I suppose it should be filmed so others can learn how to do it.
Happy 4th Ron.
Thank you!! Same to you :-)
You make cleaning a Lionel engine exciting……….even though it is a bit messy but sure beats watching grass grow. Good to see somebody else besides me that uses an ultrasonic cleaner………works wonders with cruddy, slimy, crud, and filthy stuff. Also good for carburetors and smaller car parts. Between the ultrasonic and a bead blaster any thing can be made like new again. Making the new spring is something cool. I like making parts rather than buy. Especially when I want to finish the build up NOW. That is a well designed engine for repair and longevity. About the only thing (E unit) is a pain in the ass to fix. I generally eliminate the E unit and replace it with a miniature double pole 6 position switch to achieve forward and reverse. I don’t have any need for idle. Your an interesting guy.
Thank you for your kind words Gene. I like the challenge of fixing the original or fabing up my own parts. Keeps the noodle thinking.
Magnets being rare was also why all the radios back in that time had electromagnetic field coil speakers in them They sounded great, but were pretty high voltage. My 1933 Philco model 18 Highboy's speaker runs on somewhere in the neighborhood of 550 volts and that's also why radios of that time had such massive transformers in them, to step up the voltage needed to run things.
Thanks for that cool information. I had no idea the speaker coils were electro -magnetic :-)
@@classicmodeltrains At least up until the late 40's when they did start putting in permanent magnet speakers.
Funny you made this video because im currently restoring a 1946 2020 turbine right now
Sounds like good timing. Hope your gets fixed up without to much headaches :-)
Great vid, perfect timing! I just dug out a nearly identical train set that belonged to my grandfather. I think mine is a year or two newer but still a 2020 with a 6020W tender running on 027 gauge track. I have the full set, and from what I can figure its from 1947 or '48. Its likely got less wear on it than the one you just fixed but its certainly due for some maintenance. It did run out of the box after at least a 60 year long sleep but I don't suppose its had much attention even back in the day.
My locomotive has a different smoke set up, the smoker is a heated grid element, and the bulb only lights the headlight.
Thanks! Yup the bulb smoker was only used one year.
That’s a rare early 2020 since it has the horizontal motor, e unit, and smoke bulb. The removable wire on the brush plate is the e unit lockout put in place of a lever that you find on other Lionel locomotives. The smoke unit used pellets that sat in the bulb which should have a dimple in it and what ever you do don’t use smoke fluid.
I completely agree with you :-)
Hey Ron i have two steam locomotives that were my dad i am 66 yrs old and i have never seen them run, iam hoping to get them running my dad was a mechanic for reading RR so both are from the reading lines your video inspire me to work on them wish me luck never work on steam engines
Hello Joe. I am hoping you get these Ol Gal's running again. Usually the e-units give the most problems. Good luck and patience to you Sir!!