# Need info on my lionel 259



## TOM32

Can anyone supply information on what might have been the consist of a set [if any] with the 259 [not 259e] engine and tender?
My set from 1940 which my dad bought used, had the following cars [which i still have.]
two 607 pullmans, a 608 observation car, 652 gondola, 654 tank car [aluminum], 655 boxcar [tuscan and cream], 2657 caboose, power by a type n 50 watt transformer.
All are in good condition...lights work, engine has been rebuilt electrically only.
Thanks for any info ....
Tom


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## newB

Hmmm, 259 loco w/ 259T tender were only available in 1932. And my 1932 catalog has 3 sets with these included; outfits 177, 178 and 180. But all of these sets do not include any of the freight or passenger cars you have listed...

So either this was an uncataloged set or not a set at all?


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## tjcruiser

He didn't specify 259T tender, did he? Many 259's (or 259E's, I guess) came with the 1689T tender, if I recall.

I don't have my books here with me tonight, but I'll try to take a look tomorrow and see what they list.

That said, I think any set would have been all passenger cars, or all freight cars.

Tom -- regardless of origins, it sounds like a fabulous collection ... right up my alley, actually!

Would love to see some pics !!!

TJ


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## TOM32

newB and tj...thanks for the info, much appreciated. Money was tight back in '40, so I guess Dad bought the train as he could afford a car. I have two tenders...one is a 259T [I think as it isn't marked], and a 1689T.I found a nice 651 flat car on ebay a while ago, thought it woud go well with the train.
I have a trestle bridge that I can't find info on...looks like a 315-316, but mine has a light socket on top in the middle. No bulb..don't know which bulb it took?
I'll try to get some pictures posted...
I recently bought a Lionel 11-6008-1 249E Black with Brass set to be given to my grandson. He is 3 now and loves choo-choos.
I guess I have a soft spot for tinplate......
Thanks again


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## tjcruiser

Tom,

Thanks for posting pics in the forum's Gallery section. That said, it's often easiest to post pics directly in your thread of specific interest. Use the Go Advanced tab on the bottom of the normal thread page. Once there, use the paper clip icon to lauch a tool which will allow you to browse to and than upload pictures directly from your computer. That will incorporate the images as little icons directly into your post that we can then click on to see. However, better still ... once you click on one of those icons, it'll open the picture in its own new window. Use Ctrl-C to copy the full URL address to your clipboard, and then use the "little mountain" icon to Ctrl-V past that URL inbetween 'img" tags back in the post. That will have the photo show directly in the post.

Sounds complicated, but you'll quickly get the hang of it.

As an example, I went to the Gallery and grabbed the URL address of your 259 photo. Here, I've used "little mountain" icon to stick it between "img" tags ... syntax is:



















You can grab a URL for a photo from anywhere ... photobucket, etc.

Now, back to your 259 ...

I see a tab sticking out the top of the loco. Can you confirm that that's for an e-unit, rather than a manual reverse switch? Our prewar/tinplate gang on the forum recently learned that some very early 259's had a manual switch whose lever was through the rear of the cab, and NOT through the top of the boiler shell. Yours postdates that. I can't quite tell from your photo whether your loco has true spoked wheels, or solid cast wheels. Spoked was early 1930's, solid cast was late 1930's.

Nice freight cars, too!

Oh, in case you haven't seen them, we've had some fun member-threads on 259's here:

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=3748

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=3944

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=7350

Cheers,

TJ


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## T-Man

1937 may be the last year produced. It was not listed in 1939. It could of been sold in 1940. The passengers cars were offered as the set. The other set was the 654 oil tanker,651 flat and 657 caboose. The set is 232e or w for whistle and retailed for 10.95 or 14.75 Page 12 of the 1937 catalog.


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## newB

The photo convinces me that at this loco is actually a 259e and not a 259. My 259 does not have the E-unit switch on top of the boiler and has the forward-reverse lever visible thru the cab window.

A sharp loco you have there, and even better that it has some family history to it!


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## T-Man

newB said:


> The photo convinces me that at this loco is actually a 259e and not a 259. My 259 does not have the E-unit switch on top of the boiler and has the forward-reverse lever visible thru the cab window.
> 
> A sharp loco you have there, and even better that it has some family history to it!


That suggests it is an earlier version so a picture would help.


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## TOM32

*Pictures of my 259/259E*

Seems to be much confusion as to what I have...


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## TOM32

I must have dropped the engine a few times as a kid..the hind end droops a bit..but after 70+ years, so does mine...........


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## gunrunnerjohn

Apparently, the rear drooping is a common issue on those locomotives. It's also petty common with us old gents as well I expect.


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## tjcruiser

Tom,

I merged your two threads into one. In general, we try to keep like-topic posts consolidated to one thread.

I can see from those photos that you do NOT have the early-version open-spoked drive wheels. Rather, you have the later version "simulated" spokes via solid cast wheels. Later 1930's.

Nice looking loco, though. Essentially, a clone to my 259.

I'll have to check my catalog books, but I recall that Lionel eventually dropped the "E" designation ... late "with e-unit" loco (that used to be called 259E) were issued with the shortened 259 name. I think. I'll check.

Regards,

TJ


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## TOM32

*Many Thanks*

Many thanks to all who are helping me with the train ID and the process of using the forum.....
Here's my tinplate 'collection'........
I'm thinking of getting a 36x80 hollow core door, and set up a small layout..need some buildings etc.....


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## tjcruiser

Tom,

I love your Pullmans ... look to be in great shape!

One suggestion via my own lessons-learned ...

If you set up a layout with any switches (rather than just a simple oval), I would strongly urge you to use true O track and switches rather than the smaller-height O27 track and switches. The leading and trailing trucks (wheelsets) on these old tinplate locos have a tough time navigating through O27 switches, and often have a tendency to bounce around, causing a track voltage short.

My little layout is O27, but it's rather non-functional for my prewar tinplate. One of these days, I'll swap over to true O track.

TJ


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## novice

tjcruiser said:


> If you set up a layout with any switches (rather than just a simple oval), I would strongly urge you to use true O track and switches rather than the smaller-height O27 track and switches. The leading and trailing trucks (wheelsets) on these old tinplate locos have a tough time navigating through O27 switches, and often have a tendency to bounce around, causing a track voltage short.


yep, lesson I just learned as well 

Nice looking tins Tom - love the passenger set in the back (green ones)


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## TOM32

I have a good supply of O gauge track...bought on ebay, I wire brushed any rust etc off, masked off and painted the track from the bottom of the rail down, also painted the bottom. Then buffed the rail.
Sold any 027 track I had.
I have some MTH Realtrax in the N.E. Patriots set I bought...31x50 oval.
When the temps hit 110 out here in the desert, time to hunker down and get indoors out of the heat...good time to start a layout.


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## T-Man

If you want a suggestion.

The 249e is not a good child engine.

It has a cast frame. One good drop and it's toast.

The 259 is better suited to the abuse. 

The torpedo type shells are also prone to breakage too.


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## tjcruiser

tjcruiser said:


> I can see from those photos that you do NOT have the early-version open-spoked drive wheels. Rather, you have the later version "simulated" spokes via solid cast wheels. Later 1930's.
> 
> I'll have to check my catalog books, but I recall that Lionel eventually dropped the "E" designation ... late "with e-unit" loco (that used to be called 259E) were issued with the shortened 259 name. I think. I'll check.


I checked my books, and it looks like I was wrong in my statement above. Very early (1932, only) production was 259 with manual reverse and spoked wheels. 1934 and thereafter were all 259E's with e-unit auto reverse. The early 1932 259 had red open-spoked wheels.

That said, Tom's loco has a 259 tag on the boiler front, though it lacks the red open wheels of the 1932 version. His wheels have wide rims, which leads me to think perhaps circa 1934 ? (Not sure why the tag is 259 rather than 259E, though. It sounds like he does have an e-unit, so perhaps the name tag was replaced at some point?)

TJ


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## TOM32

*Bridge info*

I guess I'll just say I have a 259E, REV B.....It's a neat ol' engine, and runs well.

I'd still like some info on the bridge if anyone can ID it

Now to start thinking of a layout...got some track plans, but not a lot of room. 3x7 might be max for me right now.

Thanks all for your interest and help.


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## gunrunnerjohn

3x7 is not a lot of room, I'd be thinking O27 for that kind of space.


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## tjcruiser

Tom,

At first glance, it looked like a Lionel prewar 315 or 316 bridge to me. However, when I look at the photos of those in my catalog books, their trusses run in the opposite direction of yours ... from middle top to downward/outwards. Yours is opposite. So, I'm not sure what you have ...

Maybe new Lionel? Maybe Marx?

TJ


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## TOM32

*36x80 layout*

I modeled an O gauge layout 36x80 after reading an article in OGR. Of course, I couldn't come close to THAT layout..................


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## TOM32

*Bridge*



tjcruiser said:


> Tom,
> 
> At first glance, it looked like a Lionel prewar 315 or 316 bridge to me. However, when I look at the photos of those in my catalog books, their trusses run in the opposite direction of yours ... from middle top to downward/outwards. Yours is opposite. So, I'm not sure what you have ...
> 
> Maybe new Lionel? Maybe Marx?
> 
> TJ


I think I may have found out about the bridge...It appears to be an American Flyer S scale/gauge, [from what I see selling on ebay and others]. It is 24" long, 4 1/2" wide, and has a 5" height clearance. It is missing a bulb, or beacon, or searchlight on top, but the socket and wiring are fine.
I've de-rusted it, took out some dents etc, and repainted it with rust-oleum silver "hammered" paint. Looks good to me, but probably not to collectors, since it has been "fixed".


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## tjcruiser

Good stuff.

Post a pic or two !!!


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## TOM32

I also found a source for 14v red and green light bulbs which should fit the socket on the bridge. I doubt I'll find an original beacon for it.


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## tjcruiser

Bridge looks great!

When you say "beacon", do you mean that there was something that stuck up above the top of the bridge, as a cover over the bulb itself?

I think a colored bulb (alone) would look just fine.

Nice work!

TJ


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## TOM32

Thank you,
Yes...saw one on an auction site that had what appeared to be a searchlight type housing, and I think it was called a beacon. Also saw one with a small building on top.

http://americanflyershop.com/american-flyer-750-trestle-bridge

I agree, a colored bulb will do nicely. I have a few coming from this site.

http://www.autolumination.com/trainbulbs.htm


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## gunrunnerjohn

I'd be using one of the large ones. Also, you might be able to find a blinking one, that would be cool.


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## TOM32

gunrunnerjohn said:


> I'd be using one of the large ones. Also, you might be able to find a blinking one, that would be cool.


Yep...the above web site shows a red blinker....$0.75


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## gunrunnerjohn

That's the ticket. A beacon should blink.


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## tjcruiser

Tom,

You might be able to color a clear (normal) bulb with a Sharpie. I've never tried that, but I could be an easy/cheap option?

The little "beacon house" on top of the bridge in your first link is really neat. I've never seen a bridge like that before. I'll give AF the thumbs-up over Lionel on that one!

Cheers,

TJ


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## Timothy442

*259 engine*

Hello, I happen to come across your threads and I almost fellover reading it.
I too have the exact same set minus the caboose. My mom gave this set to me, to take care of and keep it going. Amazingly my mom also got this set used when she was a child in the 1940's as a christmas present. Engine and cars are all original, and the only thing that has ever been done to it was to replace a few light bulbs. How funny that the sets are identical, and the circumstances of how they were recieved is also amazing.
Thought I would share my story.
Cheers!, Tim


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## tjcruiser

Hold on to that treasure, Tim!


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## sjm9911

Agreed, it's a great set!


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## Tom lucchese

newB said:


> Hmmm, 259 loco w/ 259T tender were only available in 1932. And my 1932 catalog has 3 sets with these included; outfits 177, 178 and 180. But all of these sets do not include any of the freight or passenger cars you have listed...
> 
> So either this was an uncataloged set or not a set at all?


I have the same 259 eng.


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