O gauge Conventional Classics Berkshire passenger set from Lionel

The latest entry in Lionel’s popular Conventional Classics series of postwar reissues is the magnificent no. 2146WS steam passenger set. That train, originally fielded in the 1948 and 1949 catalogs, was powered by Lionel’s mightiest steam locomotive of the time – the no. 726 2-8-4 Berkshire – and included a trio of Irvington-series heavyweight passenger cars.

The original outfit came with a loop of O gauge track that featured an uncoupling section. Also packed in the set box were a bottle of smoke pellets and some lubricant for smooth smoking and running.

The no. 38308 Conventional Classics set is slightly stripped down from the postwar classic (no track or smoke pellets), but otherwise it’s about as close to the original outfit as you can get. The key elements here are nostalgia and running trains! The folks at Sommerfeld’s Trains in Butler, Wis., kindly lent us this set for a test drive.

This is the first time we’ve run a postwar-style Lionel 2-8-4 since the “Last American-Made” locomotive review appeared in the December 2001 issue of Classic Toy Trains. Naturally, we were interested to see this new package.

Opening the box
Nobody presses the nostalgia button like Lionel in the re-creations of vintage packaging. From the external carton to the product box, and even the Lionel wrapping paper, all the right moves were made. There are some minor variations from the postwar originals, such as the master box being secured with Velcro and foam pieces being used to protect the models, but you can still get a full-bore Christmas morning rush while unpacking the pieces.  

The Berkshire is exactly what you’d expect (and hope for). It is large and heavy and looks like it is the hands-down winner of the title, “King of the Layout.”

Sitting on a loop of three-rail track, this model has the look of the total package of toy train steam power. The jet-black body contrasting with the silver colors of the handrails, wheel rims, and handrails had me thinking “Wow!” and this isn’t the first Berkshire that I’ve seen, either.

While the model may lack 21st-century expectations of scale detailing, it gets the look of the locomotive right on target. The pilot has cast-in detailing for the “cow catcher,” front coupler, and brake lines.

Steps rise up both sides of the pilot to the running boards that extend the length of the boiler. Five stanchions support the handrails along each side of the boiler.

The boiler has a nice level of cast-in detailing, representing key points, such as boiler bands, piping, rivets, and sand lines. Boiler bands and sand lines running down from the sand dome can be found and are deep enough for you to touch.

Below the running boards, the cast-in detail is pretty standard and well executed. The star of the show, however, is the running gear. While not the most elaborate on a steam locomotive, the long eccentric rod mating with the third drive-wheel set looks awesome and is captivating eye candy when rotating while under way.

There is also seam and latch detailing, especially on the cab roof, and just in front of the cab, above the firebox.

The only negative comment I have about this model is the same one I had in 2001. In an attempt to hide the motor from being seen in the cab, Lionel created an intricately detailed firebox backhead to act as a curtain. The only problem? It pretty much fills the cab. If you tried to place 1:48 scale people in the cab, they’d have to stand and hang on for dear life because they’d have about 12 scale inches or less deck plate to stand on.

What looked dopey in 2001 still looks dopey in 2013. The saving grace is that when the train is in motion, eyes are on the locomotive and cars and not the inside of the cab.

The 2-8-4 Berkshire had at least three tenders during the postwar years. The nos. 2426W die-cast metal model with six wheels, 2046W plastic model with four wheels, and 2671WX plastic model with six wheels. The reissue included with the Conventional Classics set is the more elaborate 2426W, and the effect is stunning.

The tender has a detailed cast-in coal load as well as grab irons, additional handrails on the inside of the tender front, and grab irons running along three quarters of the rear deck. There is a nice level of rivet and seam detail as well.

I looked back at the product review I wrote in 2001 in which I noted the tooling looked a bit worse for wear. Nothing similar stood out during my inspection this time, and the model seemed smooth. The paint job was free of errors.

The passenger cars are terrific. I love the postwar heavyweight design. Of course, this might be because my first ride in a passenger train was sometime in 1960 or ’61 aboard a Santa Special on the Baltimore & Ohio in Hamilton, Ohio. So the virtues of the non-air-conditioned heavyweight car may have been somewhat exaggerated by my being on a train with Santa Claus. First impressions and all that.

The O gauge maroon cars are solidly built of heavy plastic. They have die-cast metal trucks and operating couplers. Power pickups collect Mr. Electricity to power internal lighting. The window panes are frosted, which obscures the fact that there is no interior decoration. But remember, we’re going for “build ’em like they used to,” and that is fine by me. Unless your cars have jumbo windows, there isn’t much to observe from a distance anyway.

The paint job was smooth, and the application of the magical “Lionel Lines” and the car names and numbers was clean and crisp.

The cars were smooth rolling, and they looked terrific running in a lighted room or with the lights off.

On the test track
Motor operation was fairly smooth in all speed ranges. The syncopation of the running gear provides a good little show to watch at any speed.

The 2-8-4 gets rolling at a high low speed. Our low-speed average was 34.4 scale miles per hour, while the high-speed average was 93.5 scale miles per hour.

I checked the performance numbers from the “Last made in America” Berk reviewed in 2001 and found the low-speed number was 52.5 and the high-speed number was 211. I’d say that the speeds of the new model are noticeable improvements over those of the earlier version.

Drawbar pull was 1 pound, 9 ounces, while in 2001 it was 1 pound, 8 ounces.

There was a bit of noise when running that I suspect would be eliminated with an enthusiastic oiling of the running gear. (Since this set was a “loaner” we thought we’d let the owner goop it up.)

The whistle sound wasn’t bad at all. It was a whistle, and I was expecting some sort of electronic horn bleat.

With my one reservation about the cab, this is still an impressive set. You get the finest postwar-style 2-8-4 Lionel can offer and a passenger set designed in a truly classic style. Conventional operators, guys or gals who missed this set back in the day, or newbies who want a new train in the vintage style may want to experience this baby!

Price: $459.99 (no. 38308)
Features: O-31 operation, die-cast metal steam locomotive with Pullmor motor, electronic whistle and bell, smoke unit; three passenger cars with interior illumination