Tuned-up Turbine in action
By Angela Cotey | July 16, 2012
| Last updated on February 11, 2021
The author's restored 682 is underway in this video taken on his O gauge 4 x 8-foot Retro Railroad, which was featured in the September 2011 issue.
Pretty cool, I don't know if the milkman was all that successful in throwing out the cans. Got a chuckle out of that in remembering some of my old layout visits.
Beautfully done making that turbine come to life again and the layout is a gem right out off the fifties. I was there. I followed your instruction on tune up of the turbine in the sept. issue and it was right on. These are the kind of articles.that keep the hobbys blood flowing. Good work Terry.
That was a great article. Leaving the chip in the paint by the cab road number gives the engine character. If it were my engine and I'd done all of the touch-up work I'd have tackled touching up by the number as I'm pretty good with that (I used to custom paint Lionel trains years ago). In any event, the engine looks great and a fine job was done on her.
As for the manly art of toy train maintenance….I get no greater satisfaction than maintaining my fleet. It's relaxing and rewarding. To quote a line from an old commercial, "Made for a man, buy I like it too."
-Janis
I found that the 6200'S are probably the easiest premium locos to work on. I've taken apart mostly every postwar steamer that Lionel made. The real bonus here is that you don't have to fuss with the complex side rods. You picked a great starting point. It was the first engine I serviced, and of course, it was the first engine I introduced my son to the manly art of Toy Train maintenance.
The turbine certainly is a good runner. I'm a Pennsy fan and I sure appreciate
how Lionel captured one of PRR's attempts to continue to keep steam operating over the "Standard Railroad of the World". Alas, EMD quickly won the battle and the S-2 was, in real life, only a tiny footnote in the history of the Pennsy. But along the Lionel Lines rail empire, the turbine was a big success.
I was never a big fan of the turbine; until now!
Nice steamer, Wheres the smoke? I have a 681. its my favorite engine. it also billows smoke like a steel plant. uses lionel smoke fluid. if you want heavy smoke output like mine just open up that small hole in the bottom of the smoke unit. put two fiber pads in it and then the heater element. i also put a spring on top of the plunger so it always travels all the way down when the lever retracts. it makes tons O smoke! Don't open that hole too much or you'll just make a mess.
My three turbins; '47 671, '47 2020, and a '50 681, are great runners. Their throaty growel, and the clanking of the smoker puffing mechanism are familiar sounds on my Season Central layout. Great article on a truely great part of LIONEL trains.
very good article on the lionel turbine
MAKES ME WANT TO GO OUT AND BUY A TURBINE. I have a 2065 baby hudson that I bought back in the 1970's it is still running strong. I love watching the trains running and activating the different accessories from the postwar era. Keep bringing these videos to the newsletter. Thank you
Love that Retro railroad !
I much appreciated the article on the steam Lionel Turbine. I received mine Christmas 1946 and it still runs just great despite the dives off of my 4×8 table.
Great!
Very nice, it makes me wish I would have stay with the classic instead of going scale. I have an old 661 myself, should try your restoration steps in my lastest CTT issue.
WHY did I sell my 671 AND 2020 for $25.00 each at my family's garage sale in the 1970's?? AAARRRGGGHHH!!!
Hi guys, just received my September issue of CCT in the mail. Wow talk about being pack with information. But what really caught my attention was the article about tuning up the mighty Lionel Turbine. I have a 661 myself and though she runs fine I'm sure a good cleaning would make her better. I know my Lionel 400 RDC Locomotive runs as if it was brand new after I followed your article on "How to tune a postwar Lionel Diesel" back in July 2010. Great work guys keep it coming. Now excuse me I have my new issue of CCT to get back to.
Excellent