# Lionel # 2055 Locomotive & # 2046W Tender



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I got this from don3 here,

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=11873









Fittie bucks shipped.:thumbsup:

The small hornets, I mean the size of a baby mosquito, took up residence in the entire whistle. Little black ones.
I needed to pull out my magnifier glass to see some.

The shell is missing one step and a screw, no big deal.
I took it off and this is what I found. I put it on the tracks and gave it power....nothing. I then noticed that the 2 pickup wires had broken off the pickup rollers. I soldered on a couple of new wires and gave it power.....nothing, but I did get a bunch of sparks.:thumbsup:

















I took it apart and gave it a quick cleaning, I put it on the track and powered it up........IT RAN.

But didn't make a whistle, it did blow out some of the miniature wasps.
I got my can of air and blew it out good.

I put it back on and.....I got a real low toned soft whistle,:thumbsup: though not a strong one yet it needs some fine tuning.
I got hungry and quit .












I am just going to get these road ready, no paint just a thorough cleaning inside and out.
For now.
I did think about ALIEN GREEN.

*

Maybe make it an old*_*, Jersey Central **Loco*_*.:thumbsup:*


----------



## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Ed,

You're supposed to be hiding cash in your trains ... not hornets! Maybe the hornets in one are a good idea ... serve as a decoy to scare people away from finding your money wad!

Nice acquisition ... looks like they'll both be running soon. Enjoy!

TJ


----------



## servoguy (Jul 10, 2010)

I use a black permanent marker to touch up locos and tenders. It gives a little purple sheen depending on the light, but that disappears after a while. Don't forget to oil the lower bearing on the whistle motor. I see mud the wasps put into the whistle. Did you clean it out? I have a tender with 6 wheel trucks that is really rough. The shell is pink plastic painted black. Before I used the marker on it, it looked like it had chicken pox. It is presentable now.


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

tjcruiser said:


> Ed,
> 
> You're supposed to be hiding cash in your trains ... not hornets! Maybe the hornets in one are a good idea ... serve as a decoy to scare people away from finding your money wad!
> 
> ...


I got better hiding spots. ( and a note hidden in case I croak someone will find it.)

You hear all the time about money being found in used clothing or something that is tossed after someone dies.



servoguy said:


> I use a black permanent marker to touch up locos and tenders. It gives a little purple sheen depending on the light, but that disappears after a while. Don't forget to oil the lower bearing on the whistle motor. I see mud the wasps put into the whistle. Did you clean it out? I have a tender with 6 wheel trucks that is really rough. The shell is pink plastic painted black. Before I used the marker on it, it looked like it had chicken pox. It is presentable now.


That is the reason I put that picture up, the whole whistle housing was packed, see the side where the hole is supposed to be?

I took it apart real quick too see if it had life, I have to go back now and thoroughly clean it right.
I will admit I am a little afraid of slipping the impeller off of the armature shaft.
More later.


----------



## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

servoguy said:


> I use a black permanent marker to touch up locos and tenders. It gives a little purple sheen depending on the light, but that disappears after a while.


Is that right, Bruce ... the purple sheen disappears after a while? I didn't know that. Week? Month? Year?

TJ


----------



## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Congrats on the new purchase. At least the tender doesn't buzz now.:thumbsup:


----------



## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

big ed said:


> The small hornets, I mean the size of a baby mosquito, took up residence in the entire whistle. Little black ones.





T-Man said:


> At least the tender doesn't buzz now.:thumbsup:


:laugh: :thumbsup: :laugh:


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Wooo....Wooooo The horn is blowing.

I took it back apart and the engine purrs like a (growling) kitten.
A little bit of engine noise, yes I oiled it up.

But it still did not blow, if you look at the above pictures of the Bakelite whistle housing you can see where the wasps had put their mud.

One side is an intake port and the other side is the expelling side where the horn sounds blows out after it goes by the impeller.
Over on the intake side inside the housing there must have been mud inside. You can't really see inside and I did not take the impeller off as I did not want to break it.
I got a piece of piano wire and stuck it inside then blasted air though with my air compressor. 
I did that on both sides good.

I went back down to the dungeon and Wah La, it is blowing good.:thumbsup:

Now on to the 2055.
I put it on the track and got buzzing from the e unit, but the engine doesn't try to run.

















The light bulb was burned out I replace it an it worked, the smoke unit started to smoke too. :thumbsup:

I pulled the e unit up and to me it looks like I might need a new tumbler I am not sure.
After I pulled it up I lost all power it looks like a wire came off from something, I got to figure out where. I think it is from wherever it hooks to the rollers.
I put a jumper on and get power to the e unit, lights and smoker but there is no power going to the brushes.

Time to take a break.
Got to get some food....for thought.

Maybe put it in a box and fool around with the 1615 engine instead.


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

tjcruiser said:


> Is that right, Bruce ... the purple sheen disappears after a while? I didn't know that. Week? Month? Year?
> 
> TJ


I let the marker dry, then rub the area with my finger. Whatever the reaction is, the spot fades out so I can no longer find it.  Sometimes, if it doesn't work properly, another application does the trick. It's really almost like magic.


----------



## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Ed -- good progress ... glad the whistler is whistling!

John -- finger rub ... got it ... good tip. Thanks.

TJ


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

T-Man said:


> Congrats on the new purchase. At least the tender doesn't buzz now.:thumbsup:


The first thing the old (young) lady said when I showed it to her with the miniature wasps, was PUT IT OUTSIDE SO THEY DON'T FLY ALL OVER THE HOUSE! That was as she was shooing away imaginary wasps she saw.:laugh:

I told her....duh, they are dead, they are not flying around! But she swore she saw one.

I don't know how, as I needed a magnifying glass to see what they were as they were so small.

Woman.
You should see her when a bird fly's too close to her, she looks like a there are a hundred bats around her. Ducking and flailing her arms around.

Well T, it doesn't buzz, but does have a purring growl. 
I oiled it all maybe it all, just needs to be run a bit?


----------



## servoguy (Jul 10, 2010)

I don't know how long it takes for the purple sheen to disappear. I did some locos and tenders more than a year ago, and when I looked at them a few months ago, the purple sheen was gone. I use the finger trick on some parts. I touched up a #44 rocket launcher with a light blue magic marker, and the finger trick made things blend together pretty well. This piece has a lot of detail broken off, but now at least, it is all the same color.


----------



## steam chaser (Feb 21, 2011)

Great buy Ed, looks nice...............Minus the wasp's of course. (HA,HA)


----------



## FlintNodule (Feb 25, 2012)

It looks wonderful now! Nice going Ed!


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

FlintNodule said:


> It looks wonderful now! Nice going Ed!


Thanks, but what you see I did not really do anything yet. 
Just a quick cleaning to make it run.
I am no where done, but stayed tuned it might be a while as other things along with springtime are getting in my way.hwell:


----------

