# Lionel 736



## Steve R (Jan 3, 2011)

I have been bitten by the Lionel Postwar era train bug. I have been building a small collection of locomotives. I just got the lionel 736. I love the locomotive but never worked on one. I understand it has a verticle motor. I have never had the chance to tinker with one and don't know much about it. I don't even know how & where to lube the thing. Any advice or information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you....Steve


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## santafe158 (Jul 14, 2010)

These are fun ones to work on. They have horizontal motors, not vertical ones.

There are three screws holding the shell on, two at the rear and one at the front behind the pilot truck. Remove those and the shell and you'll have access to the insides (watch the light bulb, pull it off the clip on the smokebox door). Once inside, give it a visual inspection. There are two screws holding the motor to the frame. Remove those and you'll have better access to the gears for cleaning and lube. Remove the old grease with a q-tip and lube it up. Oil the upper and lower motor bearings (one behind the armature, the other just above the screw gear on the bottom). Then oil each axle at the bearing in the frame and also all the moving parts of the rods, especially where the screws hold them to the wheels.


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## Steve R (Jan 3, 2011)

Thanks for the info. I can't wait to see inside. It came with a 6466wx tender. Do you know if thats one of the ones it came with ?


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## santafe158 (Jul 14, 2010)

I'm pretty sure that tender never came with the 736's.

According to my guide book

2671WX Lionel Lines- 1950-51
2046W Lionel Lines- 1953-1960 Note: 1957 engine trailing truck changed from diecast to plastic/sheetmetal truck
736W Pennsylvania- 1961- end of production (the type I have)

As long as you're careful, you shouldn't have any issues working on it. I love working on mine  It's actually quite fun.

I would also recommend that you take the two screws holding the brush plate on out and carefully remove the brush plate. Clean the brushes (I rub them on a rag until they stop leaving a residue) and then clean up the commutator. I usually use a very fine grit sandpaper to take the crud off of it. I also usually carefully run a q-tip up the brush holder tubes in the brush plate to clean any crap out of them too. Then you should have a good running engine.


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## Steve R (Jan 3, 2011)

Thanks again. I did not see it either in the greenberg books. Its still a nice tender and works well. I will have to keep my eyes open for the proper tenders.


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## santafe158 (Jul 14, 2010)

If you have the later "cheapened" version of the engine (they're still great runners), the 736W is slightly more uncommon since it was only used after 1961. Mine came with the plastic/sheetmetal trailing truck but I bought an extra diecast one and swapped them because I like the older version of the truck better  Still have the original so I can put it back.

Mine ran like crap when I got it and could barely get itself around the track without help. A really thorough cleaning and lubrication has it running really really nicely. One of my best runners for sure. Have fun with yours.


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## Steve R (Jan 3, 2011)

This has the diecast trucks. I just got it home and on the tracks. I'm impressed the way it runs. I still want to give it a good cleaning and lube. The tender issue is a little upsetting though.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Steve,

Some tech / service specs on the 736. As mentioned above, the 736 was in production from 1950 thru 1968, with several subtle mechanical tweeks. I don't know if the specs pertain exactly to your version, but they should be close:

http://pictures.olsenstoy.com/cd/locos/loc736p1.pdf

If you have a die-cast rear truck, I think that indicates PRE-1955.

TJ


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## Steve R (Jan 3, 2011)

Thanks for all the information. Train people are truely good people !


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Steve R said:


> Thanks for all the information. Train people are truely good people !



Steve read the last line on the description here.

http://www.tandem-associates.com/lionel/lionel_trains_736_loco.htm

Save this link or bookmark the site go back to home, there is a lot of ID info here.
If you don't already have this site.

You want to sell the tender?

I wouldn't want to run it if it is the wrong one either.

How much?


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## santafe158 (Jul 14, 2010)

Steve R said:


> This has the diecast trucks. I just got it home and on the tracks. I'm impressed the way it runs. I still want to give it a good cleaning and lube. The tender issue is a little upsetting though.


I'd go with a 2046W. They're a little more common than the others so you can find them cheaper.


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## Steve R (Jan 3, 2011)

I may decide to decide to sell the tender. I want to check a few things out first.


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## Steve R (Jan 3, 2011)

Jake, thanks for all the info. If i do sell the tender, i will let you know. I think I may need (2) 2046w's. I also got a 646 that needs a tender also.


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## Steve R (Jan 3, 2011)

Sorry... It's Big Ed thats interested in the tender.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Steve R said:


> Jake, thanks for all the info. If i do sell the tender, i will let you know. I think I may need (2) 2046w's. I also got a 646 that needs a tender also.



I would keep it Steve you never know when your going to need it.
Me.....I would not worry about if I have the correct tender running behind the Loco.

Tenders prices have been creeping upward too.

It works, use it. Get a correct one if you want, but I would hang on to that one.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Steve R said:


> Sorry... It's Big Ed thats interested in the tender.



Ed gets too interested in everything.


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## Steve R (Jan 3, 2011)

Thanks guys. Reading all the responses has been fun and educating. I finally got to clean the 736 and found problems with the boiler front. It seems that the hole the screw goes into on the boiler front is stripped. I think I will have to get a reproduction front. The clip that holds the front in place is also bent. I think half thd fun is working on them.


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## Kwikster (Feb 22, 2012)

You can use JB-weld (an epoxy) to repair the screw hole. It's readily available, durable and can be drilled and tapped. You can use a toothpick to spread it around the inside of the hole let dry and thread the screw back in. Been using the stuff for years. 

Carl


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## Steve R (Jan 3, 2011)

Thanks Carl. I will give it a try.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

JB-Weld fixes almost anything.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

It would be nice to see the engine. I can't help with pictures on this one. I guess you will have to supply the views.

Nice Engine BTW.

The Basic principles apply to all electric motors on cleaning, maintaining and running the engines. Just about any help thread will apply to your engine too.
I doubt you have a problem getting advice here with a engine like that.:laugh:

Check out the information thread.


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## Steve R (Jan 3, 2011)

If I can figure out how to post pictures I will. After looking more closely, its one for the layout. Not very collectable.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

How-to thread on posting pics, here:

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=2595

TJ


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Steve R said:


> If I can figure out how to post pictures I will. After looking more closely, its one for the layout. Not very collectable.


Don't underrate it! Its till one of the best postwar engines. If not valuable it is desirable. Do you know if it is an early version or one from the 60's?


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## santafe158 (Jul 14, 2010)

Keep in mind, the 1960's version isn't much different from the ones made after 1957 (plastic trailing truck). Other than having a 736W tender with plastic trucks and supposedly fewer details (I think mine may have been built out of leftover parts from earlier production. It has the flagholders and cab window configuration of the earlier ones), they're just as good of engines. The tooling may have gotten a little rough towards the end, but they're still great 

In my opinion, unless it's absolutely perfect, they're all meant to be runners


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## Steve R (Jan 3, 2011)

From what i can tell, its from the 50's. It has large silver numbers and diecast trucks. It is one of the quietest locomotives I have heard. It also seems to be a great puller So far, I love it. It will be one of my main locomotives on my board. I also agree that if you got them, you might as well run them.


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## rrbill (Mar 11, 2012)

I agree with Steve about running them, with two caveats. One, be sure they are properly lubricated so that you don't induce unnecessary wear on the moving parts. And two, handle them carefully so that you don't degrade the outward appearance of them with paint chips, scratches, etc.


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