# Lionel Prewar 262 Loco & 262T Tender



## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Hi guys,

I've been nursing my prewar needs with little 1681 locos for a while now. Calming and soothing treats, of course, but at some point one has to put down the pacifier and move up to the big leagues...

This is TJ's weening moment! ...

I spotted this prewar Lionel 262 loco and mated 262T tender at the Amherst train show in West Springfield, MA a few weeks ago. Original boxes, too! I was keenly interested, but first put the loco on a test track at the show. "Lights on, but nobody home." Hmmm ... a simple wiring glitch, or a fried armature or field coil? Fortunatly, the dealer struck a fair price, with the promise that if the motor was hopelessly fried, I could return the lot for a refund. Quite ethical, I'd say.

I packed up my prize, and a few days later was itchin' to pop open the shell and debug the motor. But ... how, exactly, does one "pop open" the shell of one of these locos? After a bit of poking, I figured it out:

Two screws on the bottom cab wall and one in the top smokestack will allow the tinplate boiler shell / cab assembly to be removed from the cast frame. Once that's done, a screw near the rear truck and two horizontal screws through the top-front of the motor will permit removal of the motor from the cast frame. The boiler front flips down for headlamp access. (The "preheater" on top of the boiler front is the latch.)

The 262 loco with manual reversing switch is circa 1931-32. Beautifully detailed copper and brass trim, throughout.

Once I was able to remove the motor, I was relieved to find that its non-operation was a simple old-age wiring issue. I jumped the brushes/field with power, and had the motor running again in no time.

I've begun the process of cleaning up and rewiring the motor. A relatively easy job here ... the wires screw to terminals on the brush holders and to terminals on the disc manual switch. One solder joint needed to the field coil, and I can (fortunatley) reuse the thicker power-feed wire from the pickup plate.

Unlike my little 1681's, the armature on this loco is easily removed for cleaning. Remove the brushplate holder, and the armature slips right out. Nice.

As fas as I can see, this loco has had very little run time in its life. The motor was very clean from the outset, and the shell and wheels have little wear, with the exception of some small distortion on the cab roof.

For now, I'm simply rewiring the motor. However, in the springtime (warmer outdoor weather), I will likely remove and polish all of the copper and brass trim, and perhaps tackle some fresh paint.

I don't think I'll completely walk away from my 1681 pacifiers, but as I begin to take "big boy steps", I'm delighted to have this latest 262 toy at hand!

Cheers,

TJ

































































Here's I've removed the old wiring, and begun the process of cleaning the motor and its components ...











Original boxes, too!


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

WOW 


Nice shape too! :thumbsup:


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

T,

A very close cousin to your 249E. Essentially the same shell/frame, I think.

TJ


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

The 262 has a fancier boiler. I have been watching them, Someday! My time will come.

I see you went hog wild at Springfield eh!


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## trenes115 (Dec 9, 2011)

Are the handrails on the cab rear corners brass with nickle stanchions? Can't quite tell from the photos. They're missing on my 262 and I'd like to pick correct replacements.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Trenes,

The handrails on the cab are brass (or perhaps brass plated steel?). Interestingly, the stanchions are cone-shaped hollow sheet metal fittings that each have two small tabs that hole them in place through a hole on the shell. I haven't attempted to polish them up, yet, but if it is nickel, I'd be surprised ... they are rather dull as found ... I almost thought steel or aluminum at first glance.

Just speculation on my part, but I'd bet that Jeff Kane at The Train Tender has these parts available.

Cheers,

TJ


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

T-Man said:


> I see you went hog wild at Springfield eh!


Ha ha ... yup, I rolled in the mud, and had some fun! Good deals, though, I think. A junker 1661 (clone to my 1681) for $2, a 221 streamliner for $35, and this 262 for a very fair price, after some polite haggling with the dealer. I've added all of these to my "to do list", along with my little 1506 windup. Good winter / springtime projects to keep my busy!

Cheers,

TJ


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Hi guys,

Well, this 262 loco and 262T tender had sat on my bench, untouched, for six years. They weren't in bad shape ... weathered and aged, but not a "train wreck", so to speak. I debated for a long time what to do with them. As many of you know, once I get my grubby hands on something, I'm all-to-willing to head off to the strip club, going down to bare metal for a full repaint.

But ... I didn't have the heart to do that with this pair. Things weren't that far gone. I did do a full rewire on the motor, and got it and its manual reverse unit running perfectly again. Then, I got out the car polish and spent some time buffing out the paint on the loco's boiler shell. I filled in a few tiny dings with a black Sharpie (dohh!), but after some buffing, those more-or-less blend in. I did remove the two domes, which had weathered to a blotchy finish, and stripped those to bare copper and gave them a quick clear-dope recoat. I also repainted the steam chest gloss black ... the right side had some serious surface pitting which I sanded out. The 262T tender paint finish was a bit more weathered. I pulled off the cast shell, stripped and repainted that, and gave the brass and copper trim a polish and new clear coat. The tender frame and trucks remain original. (I am missing a tinplate "coal load" for the tender. I can order a replacement from Jeff Kent, which I will do.)

So ... I went for a mostly cosmetic "fluff and buff". A good portion of the original finish remains intact, and this 1931-32 loco/tender pairing live to see another day.

I'm happy. It's happy. Time to find another project!

Cheers,

TJ


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

I forgot about that one!


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

It has the pretty Standard “TJ Touch”, and it only took 6 years from original purchase!!! Great job as we expect from you.:appl:


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Thanks, guys. 

T-Man ... truthfully, I pretty much forgot about this one, too! 

TJ


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## SoShoresGuy (Jan 23, 2013)

As usual, nice job TJ. The 262 looks similar to a 259 but with more "Panache". Jealous (again, as usual).


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Many thanks, SoShores!

My little collection has grown nicely ... mostly by my adopting rusted, dented, forgotten orphans! Admittedly, this one wasn't too bad to begin with ... he'll add a touch of class, perhaps, to the rest of my disheveled band of cohorts!

TJ


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

She's now sporting White Flags and a Coal Load, courtesy of parts through Jeff Kane. All buffed up, ready for a new lease on life!

TJ


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## Dieseler (Jan 29, 2014)

Thats a beautiful looking engine the armature is super clean and its windings look pristine.
If you do not have one already you may want to look for its bigger counter part the 260E with chugger !
I recall the Mrs saying what is that noise ?


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Many thanks, Dieseler!

It's funny you mentioned a 260. I've been eyeing junker ones on ebay (few and far between), but have it on my "someday" list. I've got the tiny-loco segment pretty well covered (with my 1501, 1506, 1681, etc. locos), but am only getting in to the BIG loco segment relatively recently. Here with my 262, and also a 238 that's in the to-be-repainted queue. They are beasts ... but oh so shiny and pretty!

Cheers,

TJ


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## BWA (Jun 16, 2012)

Nice, didn't know you had one of those.

I snagged one in similar shape, straight 262, no reverse, but, with an inncorrect 260 12 wheel tender...….Which, I don't mind at all actually......

Here it is, running right as I received it, with, just a few drops of oil....


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Long lost cousins! Nice looking tinplate on your end, BWA. Enjoy.

And keep paying proper homage to the Gravity Gods. They need to be appeased when one lives that close to The Dreaded Edge!



TJ


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## BWA (Jun 16, 2012)

Yeah, hear ya......

It's not called the CODRR (Canyon O Doom Rail Road) for nuthin ya know...….


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Lol , i have 1 12 wheel tender. Bwa, you sure have some curves in that inner loop, looks good with the auto switching.


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## willrothfuss (Jan 2, 2019)

Hi TJ,

I have the slightly later 262e. ( It was the slightly later version with the e-unit) It was my father's so I would like to get it running. I tried to run it but had a short and took it all apart to find that the wiring was completely fried to the point where it had melted to the frame. I am looking for a wiring diagram and a source for the correct wire. Also, did you happen to have to replace the wire to the pick up rollers? This is striped and the plate with the rollers is riveted on, so I am at a loss as to how to get to this. I will greatly appreciate the benefit of your experience.-


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## e021911 (Sep 20, 2016)

If the wire from the pickup to the E Unit is good but just lost the insulation I use electronic shrink wrap that you heat and it shrinks the wire. I heat it with my soldering iron. Just push it over the wire. 
Jeff Kane at The Train Tender can supply cloth covered wire as original if you want to go that way.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

You can only change the wire if you see where it is soldered. You may see it after the reverse unit is removed. The other option is insulating the wire with heat shrink or just use insulation from a stripped wire. and slide it down.

Removal of the roller plate is no fun and may get damaged on the way out or back in.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Hi Will,

Glad you're aiming to get your 262e running. Ditto to the comments above about the pickup wire. Slip heat-shrink insulation over what's there ... that will protect/insulate the wire.

Below is a generic Lionel wiring diagram that I put together. This is for most locos, where the e-unit flips "direction" of the current through the brushes and armature, and the field coil is grounded to the loco frame. (Some locos have this reversed, with the a brush grounded to the frame.) This diagram below should likely work with your 262E.

Regards,

TJ


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## Millstonemike (Aug 9, 2018)

tjcruiser said:


> ...
> 
> And keep paying proper homage to the Gravity Gods. They need to be appeased when one lives that close to The Dreaded Edge!
> 
> ...


Ah jeez, my track planning has track ties even with the edge of the table. I figured setting it back an inch or two wouldn't appease those nasty gods anyway.

Note the Marx tinplate on BWA's inner loop. Being 1/64 scale yet riding on the same width O scale track, they have a "gravity advantage" over the larger, taller Lionel. I'm somewhat amazed at the speeds my Marx stuff runs on O-27 curves.


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