# Lionel 1688 Loco -- Second Chances



## tjcruiser

Hi guys,

There was a feel-good story that was all over the media this past week. A one-time radio announcer with a wonderful deep voice was "rediscovered" after years of living homeless on the streets. Several big media outlets tossed offers his way, and all cleaned up, he was soon announcing the lead-in to the Today Show. A real second-chance story. I hope he lives up to the opportunities and possibilities now presented his way.

What does this have to do with trains? Well, I've just "rediscovered" my own homeless street victim ... a mangy-looking prewar Lionel 1688 streamliner loco. Bruised and abused, but I'm hoping I can clean him up, fix some scars, and offer him a future of renewed opportunities and possibilities.

The 1688 shares a shell that's near identical to the 1668, though with slightly different motor mounts and e-unit slots.

This 1688 shell is pretty trashed. Mostly only paint deep, though. I'm hoping a strip-job with get down to good bones.

Remember (per one of my other threads) that this is an early generation 1688 with a Lionel Jr motor and its e-unit slot further forward on the shell. Later 1688's had a black plastic motor with e-unit slot further back.

The motor is identical to those on my 1681's, with two minor exceptions: the back of the 1688 motor has a bracket that is used for shell mounting, and the light is on a stand-alone bracket that clips to the front of the shell. (The light bracket on the 1681 motor is hard-mounted to the motor cheeks.)

At first glance, I was surprised to see toothpicks jammed into the bottom of the e-unit. Turns out they were holding the bottom contact finger plate, which has one of its tabs broken off. It'll have to be replaced.

The wheels were loose on the axles, and easily removed. The wheels themselves are in good shape (no cracks, chips), and I'm hoping I can super-glue them back tightly onto the axles.

The wiring is shot throughout, and will have to be replaced. I wasn't sure if the motor worked at all, so I cut away the e-unit (bad wiring, anyway), and ran some jumper leads directly to the field and armature. See the pics below. Red wire from center rail to one side of the field coil. Yellow wire from other side of the field coil to the top brush can (going into the armature). The bottom brush can (coming out of the armature) is grounded to the motor frame, so I ran a green wire from the grounded frame to the outer rail of the track. After a quick brush and armature face cleaning, I had the motor spinning like a charm. I was a happy camper ... the field and armature windings are all good.

I also applied power to the e-unit solenoid ... the plunger jumps up OK with power. Good coil there, too.

I'll need to order a bunch of parts: bottom contact plate on the e-unit, new black-fiber contact plate on the bottom of the motor, a lens for the boiler front, and some new red marker lights.

But my first inclination is that this old homeless street victim will get a second chance to have a renewed lease on life. I hope he makes the best of it!

Cheers,

TJ


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## T-Man

WOW banana cips and everthing!

It looks sweet.

I never figured out how to keep the red marker lights on.


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## tjcruiser

T-Man said:


> I never figured out how to keep the red marker lights on.


Dohh! Your ears must have been ringing. I was gonna ask you that very question once I had some repro markers in my hand.

How much do you want to bet that Ed chimes in here ... I think I hear an "EPOXY" echo coming from New Jersey! 

Oh ... nice banana clips, huh? I learned that trick from YOU! I picked up a multi-colored pack at Radio Shack a week or two ago. Beats my prior paper clip and tape attempts! 

Cheers,

TJ


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## T-Man

A little clear silicon will do. You want the light to shin through. A little zap with a solder iron may work too. I have to look at them closer to tell.

You can't beat the package for the clips.


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## gunrunnerjohn

If you glue all the wheels on, I hope you have enough conductivity to allow power to get to the engine.


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## daniel828

It is soo cool to see all these old units coming back to life. I especially like the pics. Just reassures me that I hooked my jumpers up properly.
Can't wait to see how this turns out
--Dan


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## tjcruiser

gunrunnerjohn said:


> If you glue all the wheels on, I hope you have enough conductivity to allow power to get to the engine.


Good point, actually! Thanks for the reminder! (That would have thrown me for a loop if I got the thing all fixed up, and was struggling to figure out why it wouldn't run on a track!)

TJ


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## T-Man

daniel828 said:


> It is soo cool to see all these old units coming back to life. I especially like the pics. Just reassures me that I hooked my jumpers up properly.
> Can't wait to see how this turns out
> --Dan



That motor is like a Marx, the brush grounds to the frame not the coil.
Don't look too close!


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## SkyArcher

That looks like a fun project. I'm looking forward to seeing it finished.


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## Big Ed

T Man, You can use clear epoxy........... 












... .and get your wing off TJ! He is dreaming about Blue Tin plate trains.


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## tjcruiser

Ha ha ... I'm awake ... I'm AWAKE!

T -- You're right ... some of these old Lionels flip direction via the field coil, with the armature downstream and grounded to the frame. It's only a matter of wiring ... the mechanics are all the same ... one could easily wire a motor the other way, with the direction flipped via the armature, and the field coil grounded to the frame.

Hey ... exciting news ...

I made my LIST today ... my list of parts that I need to order from Jeff Kane to get this 1688 and my 258 back in shape. I haven't talked to Jeff yet, but I'm hoping he has most things.

I'm pretty much in motor repair mode for the foreseeable future. I can't really get back into paint/body work until the warmer spring weather. And it was most definitely NOT warm here in RI today!

TJ


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## T-Man

*Red Marker*

I explored the red marker installation. First I showed and installed marker in a torpedo shell. The a couple of new markers. 











From the mounting hole I think it is a press fit.










Then I looked at the 249e










The 249e has a thin shell and I found super glue used. I tink a small dab of epoxy would work to if you apply it on the sides.


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## tjcruiser

T-Man,

Thanks for the marker pics and ideas ... much appreciated.

The red markers I ordered from Kane are "new old stock" from Madison Hardware. I'm curious to see if they'll have that long stud-like protrusion on the back like yours, which I assume are repro?

Kane didn't have any leading recommendation on the marker install, though he did say that some guys heat/distort the back (inside) with a soldering iron. Sounds a bit risky to me. I think I'll try the super glue route, first ... if it looks like a tight fit to begin with.

Will keep you posted ... (though sometime in the spring, after the repaint work).

TJ


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## Big Ed

tjcruiser said:


> T-Man,
> 
> Thanks for the marker pics and ideas ... much appreciated.
> 
> The red markers I ordered from Kane are "new old stock" from Madison Hardware. I'm curious to see if they'll have that long stud-like protrusion on the back like yours, which I assume are repro?
> 
> Kane didn't have any leading recommendation on the marker install, though he did say that some guys heat/distort the back (inside) with a soldering iron. Sounds a bit risky to me. I think I'll try the super glue route, first ... if it looks like a tight fit to begin with.
> 
> Will keep you posted ... (though sometime in the spring, after the repaint work).
> 
> TJ


And if you heat them on the inside you will not be able to get them off if you have to. 
You might get them off but I don't know about reusing them.


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## T-Man

They have part numbers typed by a speed printer. I don't know if they are original. They were in a steam part lot.:dunno:


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## tjcruiser

Ed -- Good point. Very good point.

T -- Kane did say that the NOS markers were darker and a bit less translucent than the newer repro stuff. Purely for comparison, I'll post a pic of them when they arrive.

Cheers,

TJ


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## tjcruiser

tjcruiser said:


> Hey ... exciting news ...
> 
> I made my LIST today ... my list of parts that I need to order from Jeff Kane to get this 1688 and my 258 back in shape. I haven't talked to Jeff yet, but I'm hoping he has most things.


Hi guys,

Project update. Well, Jeff Kane at the Train Tender had all the parts I need to begin to get this 1688 and my 258 prewar locos back into shape.

For those who might not be familiar with Jeff, I highly recommend him. He's very thorough, and really endeavors to make sure that he/you are tracking down the right parts ... especially in the Lionel prewar regime where part number identification way back then was a mystery, at best.

I wanted to post an example of how Jeff packages / ships things ... each part carefully indexed in his order sheet, and heat-sealed into little individual clear-wrap compartments ... to be cut open exactly when you need it.

With these parts in hand, I can now delve into the e-unit rebuild, the motor rewire, etc. 

Cheers,

TJ

EXAMPLE OF LIONEL PARTS FROM JEFF KANE AT THE TRAIN TENDER


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## gunrunnerjohn

I marvel at how nicely he packages things, and so far he's never missed on an order for me. The parts are correct, the prices are good, service is fast, and the shipping is very reasonable. What's not to like?


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## tjcruiser

*Gun Blue ... the Test and Verdict*

Guys,


As found, the motor cheeks om my Lionel 1688 were a bit rusty with bare patches of original metal blackening. I didn't want to paint them ... too thick and prone to chipping. I tried a "re-color" with a black Sharpie pen, but it was too blotchy with an odd bluish streaky sheen. (I removed that failed attempt with some denatured alcohol.)

I've seen some other guys here on the forum use gun blue, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I bought a ittle 3 oz. bottle of Birchwood Casey Super Blue, and tried it out. I first cleaned / buffed the metal cheeks with a stainless Dremel brush, then applied the gun blue fluid with a little cotton rag.

To my surprise, the gun blue fluid is mostly clear in color. However, the metal turns black almost instantaneously when you rub the fluid on it. I applied 2 or 3 light "coats", just a minute or two apart. Then, I let that dry (just a few more minutes), then "polished" it (sort of) with a fine ScotchBrite pad. The result is a nice near-original-looking black sheen.

The verdict is in on gun blue ... I tried it ... I like it!

TJ

*BEFORE GUN BLUE, CLEANED UP WITH DREMEL BRUSH:*









*AFTER GUN BLUE, AS DESCRIBED ABOVE:*


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## erkenbrand

That gun blue does look really good. I can't wait to see how everything else turns out. 

And, I have to agree about Jeff. I love getting parts from him. They're always well packaged and he makes sure you really are getting the right stuff.


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## gunrunnerjohn

That really did a great job, now we know how Lionel did it!  Great job! :thumbsup:


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## tjcruiser

Productive evening ...

I had fun tonight making some more progress on the 1688 motor. I rebuilt the e-unit ... it needed a new bottom 2-finger contact plate, and I rewired all of the other e-unit leads in the process.

I also had to replace the black fiber pickup plate assembly on the bottom of the motor. (The old one was cracked / split.) Added new wiring from there to a little harness on top of the motor, and from there to the e-unit and a lead to a headlamp (not yet hooked up). I polished the armature commutator, cleaned the brush cans, etc.

Everything looking good, except ... NO WHEELS YET! I test ran the motor, anyway ... spins like a charm. The wheels are stitting on my bench ... they sporting newly painted black spokes. My next step is to see if I can tighten up the fit of the wheels to the axles just a bit (they were spinning a touch).

Cheers,

TJ


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## gunrunnerjohn

Well, the motor's looking pretty nice, even without the wheels.


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## T-Man

Bluing has advantages over paint. Nice work! 
I am still looking for some. Nothing at the local Walmart. I thought they would have it.


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## tjcruiser

John, T-Man ... thanks for the nice comments ... much appreciated. l'm looking forward to putting wheels on this puppy.

T-Man -- I ordered the Birchwood Casey Super Blue from Amazon.com ... actual seller is Outdoor Bunker. $8.27 with free shipping. I had it within 2 days ... very fast.

Cheers,

TJ


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## Big Ed

T-Man said:


> Bluing has advantages over paint. Nice work!
> I am still looking for some. Nothing at the local Walmart. I thought they would have it.


A sporting goods store that sells guns would have it.


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## Big Ed

tjcruiser said:


> John, T-Man ... thanks for the nice comments ... much appreciated. l'm looking forward to putting wheels on this puppy.
> 
> T-Man -- I ordered the Birchwood Casey Super Blue from Amazon.com ... actual seller is Outdoor Bunker. $8.27 with free shipping. I had it within 2 days ... very fast.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> TJ



You going to try a second coat?


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## tjcruiser

It has 3 coats already! Done. Finito. Time for wheels! :thumbsup:


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## Big Ed

tjcruiser said:


> It has 3 coats already! Done. Finito. Time for wheels! :thumbsup:



A fourth coat then?

Looks like new!:thumbsup:


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## tjcruiser

*A morning visit to the strip club ...*

Whenever I travel on business to a big city, I'm amazed to pass by an occasional strip club opened for business early in the morning. I've always wondered who visits such establishments so early in the day???

Well, it's confession time ...

Yours truly ventured into a little strip club action this morning. I can only hope that the neighbors weren't watching; that the cameras weren't capturing the evidence; that my name and photo won't be plastered on the front page of tomorrow's local newspaper.

But temptation took its toll ... I had the urge, and couldn't resist. I dove in head first, so to speak ... a little tender rubbing, a special Easy Off moment, and bingo ... another happy (though perhaps embarrased) customer ...

TJ


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## gunrunnerjohn

Tell us more about the strip club, we don't want to see old trains.


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## tjcruiser

Alright ... here's a mystery question ...

As I was poking around ebay tonight, I realized that all (?) of the other 1688 locos I'm seeing have a smooth roof on top of the cab. My 1688 has a square bump on top of its cab.

Is my 1688 unique? Has any one seen one with a square-bump cab roof before?

TJ


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## gunrunnerjohn

tjcruiser said:


> Is my 1688 unique? Has any one seen one with a square-bump cab roof before?
> 
> TJ


That's where it was dropped! :laugh:


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## T-Man

My 1688 shell has no square. You think the name plates were changed or something? Could be a fancier shell.


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## tjcruiser

Fancier shell? I suspect not. I do know that it has an open cab front, whereas most others that I've seen have a walled cab front. So maybe it was a simpler / cruder shell in their production run? Wish I knew.


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## tjcruiser

*In the prime of his life ...*

Nice day here in RI today ... warm enough to shoot a coat of primer on the 1688. An easy loco to paint ... basically, all one part. Simple coat-hanger support during the spray. Primed the inside, then flip-flopped the coat hangers to turn the loco right-side-up, and primed that.

Topcoat tomorrow, if the weather cooperates.

Cheers,

TJ


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## gunrunnerjohn

What color are you painting? Going for the original gray?


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## Big Ed

tjcruiser said:


> Alright ... here's a mystery question ...
> 
> As I was poking around ebay tonight, I realized that all (?) of the other 1688 locos I'm seeing have a smooth roof on top of the cab. My 1688 has a square bump on top of its cab.
> 
> Is my 1688 unique? Has any one seen one with a square-bump cab roof before?
> 
> TJ



Cut that square out so the engineer can open it up to get some air in there.
Like a sun roof.:thumbsup:

Fire engine red would look nice.:thumbsup:


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## tjcruiser

gunrunnerjohn said:


> What color are you painting? Going for the original gray?


This 1688 was originally black, not the gunmetal gray. And ...

She'll soon be black again! Simple, but nice ... satin ...

Pics to come ....

TJ

(Ed ... I hadn't thought about red ... I'll bet that would have looked quite nice. Next time!)


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## T-Man

Looking Good!

I checked all my torpedo shells, the last one was a 1668 and no square.

What primer are you using.? Wallmart ran out and I had to go with Rustoleum, a 25% more deal. I wasn't thinking I may go with a Krylon color.


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## Gerard

I think the square on the roof is a characteristic of some of the early 1688E shells, though I never even noticed one until it was pointed out in this thread. I've seen two (out of hundreds) of 1688Es that have the extra windows on the front of the cab. There is one that recently ended on eBay (# 110675083077) which appears to have the same roof square if you look close, though there is no good shot from above.

This is my best guess on 1688 shell variations:

1688E, no cab wall, roof square + extra windows - rarest
1688E, no cab wall, roof square - second rarest
1688E, no cab wall, no roof square, one nameplate - third rarest
1688E, no cab wall, no roof square - common
1688, cab wall, no roof square - common

It seems like there were at least five different shell variations. I think all 1688Es have the older style 1681 motors, while later 1688s have either the older style 1681 motor or the newer plastic-bottom motor variation. Altogether that makes at least six total variations. My 1688 is a common variation with a cab wall, no roof square, and 1681 motor.


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## tjcruiser

Gerard,

That's a fabulous delination of the 1688 lineage, above. Thanks very much for sharing this ... it helps fill in many fuzzy questions in my mind.

Much appreciated!

TJ


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## tjcruiser

*Dressed in Black ...*

A nice sunny, warm day for painting today. I used Krylon grey primer with a Krylon satin black top coat. The photo below is a little deceiving ... it almost looks pewter-colored in the photo, but it's black in real life.

That said, I was a little dissappointed with the satin. It has a bit more sheen than I was hoping for. I was trying to match the matte paint job on my 221 loco (which I ebay bought already restored). I thought the Krylon black would do well, but perhaps I need to go full flat on the next loco? Is there any paint that has a more matte finish ... something between true flat and satin???

Anyway ... trim details to get installed tomorrow, with luck.

Cheers,

TJ


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## gunrunnerjohn

Looks mighty fine to me, a little "glow" is good.


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## T-Man

Satin is Nice! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

I am not crazy about flat black. The Satin stands out and says I'm freshly painted.


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## Zeke

Wow! She's gorgeous!


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## tjcruiser

Hi guys,

Well, I started this thread with a title of "Second Chances", and I'm happy to profess that optimistic outlook here again. After a weekend project repaint of the 1688 shell, I installed the trim pieces earlier today, and rekindled some life back into this old loco...

After some debate, I opted to remove the shiny metal boiler top trim for the repaint... the three mid-length "buttons", and the bezel ring around the smokestack. I had to grind away the button "peened heads" from the inside to remove them, but I think it made for a cleaner paint job. (Thanks to Jim Stallakid for twisting my arm here.) I installed them with a tiny drop or two of Zap CA from the inside of the shell, along with a drop of Kicker for a quick set. Ditto on the Zap CA for install of the red marker lights in the front. The handrails and the nameplates were easy tab bends.

I had previsously reconditioned the motor, which I had gotten running fine on a bench test. However, when I installed the motor and it's shell-mounted light into the loco, the motor would run, but the light wouldn't. Strange. Remove the shell, and the light worked just fine (with a ground). I checked to make sure that bracket that mounts the light to the shell had scratched through the fresh paint (as it's supposed to) to allow a ground to the shell, motor, and outer rails. All good there. Still, a no-go on the light. After some headscratching, I placed a small piece of paper between the top of the motor and the underside of the shell. Something in there must have been creating a short to the light circuit ... perhaps the bent tabs of the handrail? Anyway, with the paper as a little insulation barrier, everything now works fine ...

And the old Lionel 1688E loco is running again!

Cheers,

TJ

*BEFORE ...*










*AFTER ...*


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## gunrunnerjohn

Let me be the first to say it's a bit of an improvement!  Great job, looks super!

It needs a couple of Engineer figures in the cab.


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## Big Ed

Excellent!:thumbsup: in the first picture, (the one that is not together) it shines like chrome.

I like.:thumbsup:

Next one, Fire engine red with Gold leaf trim?:thumbsup:


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## Gerard

That is a beautiful 1688E. I like the shiny satin black and I think it looks perfect all put together.

Whoever repainted my 1688 at some point (with a dull/matte black color) just painted right over the smokestack ring and trim parts, though the paint is pretty nice and I still think it looks great.

I think a red 1688 could look pretty cool. I can envision a 1688 version of the Red Comet set with some matching red 1630 passenger cars.


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## T-Man

Looks Great!:thumbsup:

How about some stripes???


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## tjcruiser

Thanks, guys. I very much appreciate the nice comments. That's very kind of you all.

As for stripes ... maybe some Big Ed "Alien Green" ??? ...

_NOT!!!_


TJ


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## Big Ed

tjcruiser said:


> Thanks, guys. I very much appreciate the nice comments. That's very kind of you all.
> 
> As for stripes ... maybe some Big Ed "Alien Green" ??? ...
> 
> _NOT!!!_
> 
> 
> TJ



Yes alien yellow with glow in the dark alien green stripes.:thumbsup:

Or the green with yellow stripes.


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## gunrunnerjohn

Here's a mate to your loco: http://cgi.ebay.com/Lionel-Black-2-...593340?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item35b1d1f3bc

Tell you what, I'll buy this one and swap you, you can refinish this one for yourself.


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## tjcruiser

Good spot. You may recall that I already have a 1668 ... full original finish, in quite good condition. One of my first serious ebay buys.

I am "hunting", though ... got my eye on a different prewar loco ... cheap on ebay, with 24 hours to go ... might shoot up in price, but if not ... I'm hunting!

TJ


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## gunrunnerjohn

Well, if it's in the condition of some of the others you've revived, most folks are probably passing it by.


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## jimhaight

TJ, that 1688 restoration has inspired me to tackle my single-nameplate 1668E with the broken -- but superglued -- doorstep. I may not go so far as to blue the motor; mine looks its age but it's not rusted, and I don't intend to pull the wheels. I know I can buy the original gunmetal grey and can probably apply it with an airbrush, but I'll shop Krylon for a similar shade -- or maybe a silver metallic. Again, TJ, superb restoration of that 1688!


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## tjcruiser

John -- I had my eye on a 1689 loco at $17. But it climbed to $45 at the end ... too steep for my pockets. I'll get one some day, I hope.

Jim -- Thanks for the very nice comments. Much appreciated. I sounds like you have a wonderful 1668 on your hands. Of all my old locos, my 1668 runs the smoothest. When I throttledown to power off, the thing just coast so smoothly along for a length or two ... such little friction in that loco, for some reason. Good luck with your rehab!!!

TJ


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## gunrunnerjohn

tjcruiser said:


> John -- I had my eye on a 1689 loco at $17. But it climbed to $45 at the end ... too steep for my pockets. I'll get one some day, I hope.


Yikes, the sucker I mentioned went for $70, so that was way too rich for your pockets!


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## NorCalTransplant

gunrunnerjohn said:


> I marvel at how nicely he packages things, and so far he's never missed on an order for me. The parts are correct, the prices are good, service is fast, and the shipping is very reasonable. What's not to like?


He doesn't take credit cards...


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## gunrunnerjohn

Not sure who you're referring to, but if it's Jeff at The Train Tender, after you make a couple of orders, he sends you an invoice and you can pay it when you get the parts. I don't really care that he doesn't take credit cards, no problem for me.


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## NorCalTransplant

Yeah it was in response to your "whats not to like" comment. I'm not trying to speak poorly about him at all. When I was rebuilding my 671 I needed a bunch of parts quickly before I went out of town. I didn't have time to wait for a check to move across the country. He mentioned he didn't want to have to raise his prices to take credit cards but most all other parts people take CCs and the prices are all about the same. I would happily pay an extra 2-3% to get quality service and parts in a timely manner as well.


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## gunrunnerjohn

Well, after the first couple of orders, you'll have that convenience. You just have to prime the pump.  Normally, when I order from him and he sends it first class, I get it about the second day after emailing him the order, can't beat that.


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## Big Ed

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Well, after the first couple of orders, you'll have that convenience. You just have to prime the pump.  Normally, when I order from him and he sends it first class, I get it about the second day after emailing him the order, can't beat that.


John, on my order through e mails he gave me a total and told me to send a check. This was my first order.
For some reason my check took one day longer to reach him.
But he shipped to me with no waiting for check to get to him.

2 or 3 days later (quick) I got my parts all packaged nice like in TJ's picture.
All labeled too.
I have used other parts places and just get a baggie of parts all together, no labels or nothing.

I got a list (for a while now) guess who I will order from from now on?:thumbsup:


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## gunrunnerjohn

Yep, he has them all separately sealed in little packets, very tidy. I've gotten parts from other places like you describe.


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## Big Ed

big ed said:


> John, on my order through e mails he gave me a total and told me to send a check. This was my first order.
> For some reason my check took one day longer to reach him.
> But he shipped to me with no waiting for check to get to him.
> 
> 2 or 3 days later (quick) I got my parts all packaged nice like in TJ's picture.
> All labeled too.
> I have used other parts places and just get a baggie of parts all together, no labels or nothing.
> 
> I got a list (for a while now) guess who I will order from from now on?:thumbsup:





gunrunnerjohn said:


> Yep, he has them all separately sealed in little packets, very tidy. I've gotten parts from other places like you describe.



Yes....give the man a little exposure here, 

NEED O GAUGE PARTS?
CHECK OUT THE TRAIN TENDER,:thumbsup:
http://www.ttender.com/partslist.html


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## tjcruiser

Simply put: Jeff is wonderful, in my opinion. He's has literally spent hours on the phone and via email with me helping sort out my various restoration projects and parts needs. I can't thank him enough for all of the knowledge that he's freely contributed!

TJ


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## tjcruiser

I've had another "junker" 1688 sitting on my bench, and I recently picked up (ebay) another Lionel Jr style motor (with O27 tag) that's likely from a 1688, too.

I've started to clean up / service the motors and e-units. Not sure what I'll do with these, yet ... I might drop one into another 1681 loco. For now, I'll just get 'em running.

TJ


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## Big Ed

tjcruiser said:


> I've had another "junker" 1688 sitting on my bench, and I recently picked up (ebay) another Lionel Jr style motor (with O27 tag) that's likely from a 1688, too.
> 
> I've started to clean up / service the motors and e-units. Not sure what I'll do with these, yet ... I might drop one into another 1681 loco. For now, I'll just get 'em running.
> 
> TJ


Something wrong with the picture link.

All I see is a little square box with what looks like a green mountain and a white line in the lower right hand corner.

When I open up to post this I see a link.

This,










Hmmm, I added the link and it shows up as the box when I post?hwell:

I await in anticipation for your next master piece. :smokin::thumbsup:


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## icolectto

TJ,

Just catching up on some post and came across your before and after restoration. That is some very fine work. I too like the semi gloss look and looks just like a brand new one might have looked.:smilie_daumenpos:


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## tjcruiser

Thanks, ICO ... Much appreciated.

Ed ... Not sure what's causing the pic glitch. I'm on a tablet now, but I'll have a look from the laptop tomorrow.


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## T-Man

You must have a *set* inserted somewhere. I played with it and got a different picture. I do not have access to TJ's attachments. I tried.


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## tjcruiser

Did that fix the image a few posts above?

(Should be two motors.)

TJ


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## Big Ed

tjcruiser said:


> Did that fix the image a few posts above?
> 
> (Should be two motors.)
> 
> TJ


The picture I see is of something that someone here is selling in the for sale thread.
It is the Green Thomas Kinkade christmas train.

It is the first picture that you see in this thread,

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=26687


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## Big Ed

Oh, wait a minute in the post #68 it is showing 2 motors now.


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## tjcruiser

*Metamorphisis ...*

I finished a quick-n-dirty rehab of these two 1688 motors, and in the process, turned them into likely-candidate 1681 motors. The essential difference (other then the wheel type / spokes) is that the 1688 has its headlamp mounted remotely, whereas the 1681 has its headlamp mounted integrally on a crossarm at the front of the motor. I have a few extra crossarm-sockets, so I added one to each motor.

In the interest of time, I didn't do a full rewire ... only partial, where it was really needed. Everything checks out OK, though, and both motors run through e-unit cycles nicely.

TJ


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## Big Ed

You ought to clean up the e unit on the bottom motor before you use it?
No need letting that rust corrode up anymore then it is?


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## tjcruiser

I tried, Ed ... with my stainless brush. It didn't do much, though. The chrome-like plating on the e-unit is flaking off, and the base steel underneath is rusting.

I'll admit my efforts on these two motors is (intentionally) a lot more quick-n-dirty than some of my other rehabs. I might team these with some shells for a quick sale at some point.

Cheers,

TJ


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## 400E Blue Comet

Hmmm... This looks so familiar... *Looks at TJ's picture* Nope, don't see it.
Lionel Jr.? What does that mean 


big ed said:


> T Man, You can use clear epoxy...........
> 
> 
> View attachment 6699
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ... .and get your wing off TJ! He is dreaming about Blue Tin plate trains.


Did someone say BLUE, TINPLATE, and TRAIN in the same sentence?


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## tjcruiser

Comet,

I use the term "Lionel Jr" to refer to this specific type of Lionel prewar motor. It was used on 1681, 258, early 1688, early 1689. That said, at some point with the 1689, Lionel changed the emblem badge on the bottom of the motor ... instead of "Lionel Jr", the badge says "Lionel O27". But it's essentially the same motor.

I don't know if there's an "official" name for the specific motor style, but I've tossed around the "Lionel Jr" tag a lot, and it's sort of stuck here at MTF.

Cheers,

TJ


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