# Newest aquistition, and next project



## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

After reading so many posts on this forum with regard to 1688, 1688E, etal, I had to acquire one to work on. But it isn't an ordinary 1688E......It is the version with the cab forward windows, which came out in 1936 as a first issue. An article in CTT magazine highlighted this particular engine, and they don't know exactly how many were made, before the mold got changed. I instigated TJ knowing his fondness of 1681 1688 torpedo engines. SO, now it is part of my collection. The first two photos are the body alone, second is the motor with e-unit removed, and the last photo is what was listed on Ebay. The e-unit needs a serious rebuild, but the motor is a screamer, otherwise. EAT YOUR HEART OUT TJ....

Updated photos below.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Congrats, Jerry! That's a rare loco. I suspected that this lost puppy just might show up at your doorstep. It's in caring hands. Enjoy the companionship!

Some bug with your pic links ... Not showing up on my tablet.

TJ

(Thread moved to O section.)


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## servoguy (Jul 10, 2010)

Pictures don't work


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

Here are scaled down photos:















The shell was removed for paint removal, and the motor was taken apart, after initial attempt to see if it ran. The armature was filthy, and brushes needed replacing, and found the culprit with the E-unit. The E-unit will be getting a new set of fingers (Bottom plate had one bent contact). Added a few jumpers to motor, and she runs like a champ. It will be fun, to put it back together.


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

Here is the shell all stripped and ready for some primer and paint. Just have to repair the E-unit.


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## rrbill (Mar 11, 2012)

After all these years, the shell still looks futuristic. Great swooping lines there.


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

I have to blame it in TJ, for me acquiring this gem. I read most, if not all the posts with the 1688, 1688E, 1681, & the ways to identify the versions, and different tips on rebuilds. The style just started to appeal to me. I saw an article in CTT magazine about a sort of rare version of the shell, which has open forward cab windows. This is that exact loco, from that article, and no one really has a possible number of this RUN, before the mold deleted the open window. I have a S2 2020 that will get finished first, before this gets done. 

Thanks for the comments.

TJ, the linkage may be a problem on this one......the hole for attachment is very small, and I'm thinking it may be the rivet version. Any thoughts???


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

As Doc said: FORWARD CAB WINDOWS ... very rare.

Glad the motor fired up OK. Wheels good, too, I assume?

Here's a history question for you, jerry. I know I've chatted about this before, but my memory is fuzzy ...

I thought that the 6-drive-wheel 1668 preceeded the 1688? With the 1688 tooling being derived from the 1688 tooling. If so, did Lionel add these cab windows to the 1688, only, and never back to the 1668 shell?


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

I'm not home right now, & won't be til Sunday night, but I will have to scour the books when I get home. Luckily I have wifi where I'm at, but stuck using iPad for weekend.


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

Here are some updated photos after a primer coat of my 1688E Forward Cab Window shell. Next step will be the final Gunmetal coat, and then reassembly.

























The process of stripping, pre-paint prep work, and the paint (Krylon), are in my other thread "Latest Project-2020", for anyone that wants to know what I went through, to get these results.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

It cleaned up really nice. :thumbsup:


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

Thanks John....Just waiting for parts that were ordered yesterday. I put this ahead of the 2020 Steamer that is also in stages of rebuild/paint, etc.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Looks great!

I see you removed the dome and safety valves, etc. Good call, in my opinion.


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## Chuck Singer (Jan 9, 2014)

Hi 
I have a suggestion for Teledoc, for a final finish coat, Try a product called Trim Black made by a company named SEM, it was devoloped to paint chrome and aluminum car parts can be used with or without primer it has an acid in it to stick to bare aluminum matches the black trim and mirrors on your car ,mostly american cars , biggest use is on the door post mldgs and trim around glass, dries to a semi flat black matches lionel engines great, can be purcahsed in just about any auto parts store
Just thought you might like some info
Chuck


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

Chuck, I appreciate the tip, and will probably check it out on a future restoral. This 1688E was gun metal gray, and not satin black. It is actually the very first run with open forward cab windows, where all the later productions had the mold altered and NO forward cab windows. The open window version came out in 1936, and there isn't an actual number of how many were made, so it's considered rare. I want to put it back to it's original condition. Take a close look at this cab, versus later versions, and you should see the difference.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Jerry, where are you getting your Gunmetal paint? I've looked in the Krylon line, but they don't have a good Gunmetal match.

There are model train suppliers who offer true color-matched Gunmetal. Are you using one of those?

If so, who? And I'd be curious if the paint works OK on top of the Krlyon primer.

Leading questions on my part ... I have a few gunmetal projects on my bench!

TJ


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

TJ, In answer to your question about the Gun Metal paint, I haven't chosen a paint yet. That is the one thing that I want to research some more. The primer I used was Krylon UltraMaxx grey primer. I went to the Krylon site, and did a little research, and that primer is said to be cleaned up using Lacquer thinner. So with that info, it may be possible to use a lacquer based paint, over the primer, with no ill effects. I am thinking of buying a small spray can of "Duplicolor touch up paint", and experiment on my latest acquisition. Having the 1688E in the stable now, I spent a whole $12 on a 2689 tender, which is the same as a 1689 tender body style. I just got done stripping the paint, and will be giving it a coat of primer later today. You should love the condition I received it in. Photo attached, and I will give an update when it is done. It was gorgeous when I got it..........LOL

















Below is after stripping, sanding, and primer coat.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Have you considered the Collector Color Paint from Hennings?


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

GRJ, Yes, Hennings is my back up plan, as I know that I can buy a can of the paint, to use with an airbrush. I am just weighing my other options, and it struck me after reading that the clean up for the primer is lacquer thinner, so it must be compatible for spraying lacquer over this primer. I definitely want to get as close to the original color.

How about I match the color from my F-150.......LOL (can't because it is metallic!!!)


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Jerry,

I'm waiting for you to be the guinea pig!

I believe you can buy color-matched Lionel prewar paint already in a spray can from:

www.hobbyhorseproducts.com

16 oz. spray cans.

Go for it ... I'm watching! 

TJ


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

Here is an update on the addition to my 1688E locomotive. This is the tender that I want to mate up with the 1688E. It went through a process, but isn't 100% complete yet, before it finally gets put together. The progression from arrival, to almost finished product. The original color was BLACK, and now is Gun Metal Gray.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Looks like a new tender!


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

OK, Doc ...

Tender looks GREAT, but ...

Gunmetal paint from where???? Clue me in!

TJ


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

TJ, I was doing some research on the 1688E, more specifically on the one that I bought. I noticed something unique with the cab forward window version, and what appear to be the EARLY 1936 castings, versus the later issues. I am attaching photos of my 1688E, with the unique characteristics. On the roof of the cab, it looks like a "hatch" was molded into the casting, which you don't find on the later versions, it was apparently removed from the original mold for 1937 to later. The most unique thing is just under the smoke dome, there is an indentation into the casting that would have held a "Lionel Lines" nameplate. The same nameplate you will find on the 238E. This indentation doesn't appear on the 1937 to later versions. The other thing that was interesting was the first issues of the 1688E, all used "Lionel Jr. motors", whereas the later ones used "Lionel 027 motors", not Jr. motors. I went thru the current and completed sales on eBay, and looked at everyone that had enough photos,to verify what I was looking for. Curious what your thoughts are.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

One of my 1688s (with NO cab front windows) has the cab roof hatch. It disappeared later in production.

If I recall correctly, Lionel used 3 different motors on the 1688:

Lionel Jr, 8 spoked wheels, drive rods peened to wheel studs

Lionel O27 motor, 12 spoke wheels, drive rods attached with screws

(The above two motors are essentially the same, and generally interchangeable.)

Lionel Bakelite-bottom motor. Note that this motor had the e-unit positioned in a different spot, so that the corresponding 1688 shells have the e-unit slot in a different slot!

The motors were mounted in different ways, too. Some with verticals screws (left and right) through the loco side walkways. Others with a long horizontal screw through the loco sidewall and through the motor.

I have a thread here somewhere where I compared several features/details of the various 1688's. See here:

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=3726

TJ


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Update ...

I just looked at two of my 1688s.

The (older) one with the hatch on the cab roof does have the badge recess just above the loco nose. The motor mounts with left/right vertical screws. Also, the cab is open on the inside ... no front wall.

My later 1688 has no roof hatch, no badge recess, a long horizontal screw to mount the motor, and a cab front wall inside the shell.

Cheers,

TJ


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

This 1688E is the first mold that was used in 1936, and later modified for the 1937 and later runs of this shell. As noted by TJcruiser, some of the shells have an open cab, where the motor is visible. Later issues had a closed cab added, and the motor wasn't visible. The other differences were the motors used in the various versions. I have found that the earliest runs, the motor was the "Lionel Jr., 8 spoke wheel" and then it went to the "Lionel 027, 12 spoked wheel, and the last run used a 4 wheel motor with a Bakelite pickup assembly. So, there are any number of variations of a 1688/1688E from the motors used, and the different body castings. The one that I have, was unique in the fact that it is the earliest version with "Open Forward Cab Window, Lionel Nameplate casting under the smoke dome". This version was written about, in Classic Toy Trains about this version, and that no one actually knows for sure, how many were made, before the casting got modified. I was lucky enough to find one on eBay, and HAD TO have it. It still needs a few detail parts, before it can be re-assembled, but I will be happy when it is done. Here are photos of the stripped shell, and the painted shell. ***photos were edited to remove shadows! and are actually darker in person***


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

It still needs side rods, plus screws for the front truck, and I have been toying with the idea of putting a whistle into the tender, which will require some parts, to adapt the whistle. Here is what it looks like at it's present stage. The top photo is how I received this project, before all of the restoration.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

What paint did you use? It came out awesome. I used spray paint from Napa on mine. You paint looks almost the same. Nice restore doc! Great job, now how does it run?!?!


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

sjm9911, I stripped the shell with "Castrol Super Clean-purple bottle", which took about 2 hours to strip. I primed it using Krylon SuperMaxx grey primer. I went to Autozone, and picked the lighter of the two shades of "Gun Metal" by Duplicolor. That is basically all it took to get these results. It runs perfectly, and cycles the E-unit fine. Thanks for the compliment. 

I'm pleased with the results ,so far.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

"Tj , I did not even think about removing the shinny bits. The paint is from napa auto parts. brand: dupli.color engine enamel. The color: de1651 cast coat iron. It can be applied every 10 minutes in thin coats for the first hour. Makes it easy to finish. Can handle in three hours. The only negative is that if you dont finish in an hour you need to wait 7 days for it to cure. My other rig is sitting waiting for its second color."from a previous post by me, is that the color?


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

Sjm, The sand dome & 2 safety valves were removed by grinding the underside and punched out, on TJ's suggestion, to make the painting easier. We both used a Dremel to do the removal. Putting them back is a little tricky, and takes patience. The paint I used was Duplicolor BGM0344, & the darker shade is BGM0564.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Doc, the 1688 and tender look WONDERFUL! A new lease on life. Excellent work ... that's one very, very happy loco!

TJ


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

And it's all your fault!!!!!!!!!!!


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Uh ohh ... busted!!!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Looks super, nice restoration!


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

Thanks John, It was a labor of love.....I just need to get a few more minor parts (linkage, a few screws, and toying with adding a whistle to tender. Then it will be complete. It started with all the 1688/1688E posts, with TJ's collection, and then reading about this rare version in CTT, with the open cab forward windows. I now know it is a RARE one, for sure. I nudged TJ about it, but he couldn't bid, so I nabbed it, and wanted to restore it.

Thanks for the compliment.


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