Lionel 2026 O-gauge disassembly & repair

[@Rex-ou3dk]

First, thank you for the video. I just got a second, 1951-1953, production run 2026 from my son-in-law. And it has been neglected and abused over the years. Spent 4 hours last night, after watching several videos on the 2026, and got it running. A lesson I learned and did, I photoed both sides, the top, and the bottom of the 2026 and printed them out. I placed the parts on those photos relationally for placement and alignment during the reassembly process. Now the 2026 has joined my 1950s Lionel EMD F-7 in Illinois Central colors and my pretty new Hogwarts Express as running mates.

[@LongologoProductions]

@Rex A Schildhouse: excellent idea!

[@w.rustylane5650]

I've got one of those 027 Lionel 2026 with the whistling tender. I run mine on DC and have to unhook the E-unit as direction is controlled by the controller. My 2026 does not have a smoker unit. If you remove the plate over the armature you can clean the commutator and oil the bearings/bushings. You should also oil the plunger for the flapper which makes it "puff" smoke. I always thought that the 2-6-4 was an unusual wheel arrangement as it's called an Adriatic engine, just reverse of a Pacific 4-6-2. 027 gauge (see bottom of locomotive) is actually 1/64th scale so it's the same as American Flyer. O gauge is 1/48th. The 027 by Lionel came out as cheaper in cost than true O gauge. Cheers from eastern TN

[@fredman1085]

I have an old set I got in 1967 when I was eight, complete set (cars and the box they came in) (less tracks which rusted) but the engine hasn't worked since the early eighties. Now that I'm retired and just found out today that Lionel has 'snap track', I think I'd like to get my train set running again. I'm inspired.

[@LongologoProductions]

@fredman1085: Cool story and thanks very much! Good luck getting it running again!

[@Barbarra63297]

My brother had that engine and the Union Pacific diesel too. We had many, many happy hours with those trains.

[@LongologoProductions]

@Barb Chester: Nice!

[@stevenspaziani9159]

Nice video. I just finished rebuilding one that I bought at a second hand store for $30.00. All rods were rusted and peeling chrome was peeling, the paint was in horrible condition and it was missing the lead truck and it didn't run. Sanded and painted the side rods black, sanded and painted the body a nice epoxy gloss black, painted the front boiler section silver to give it a snazzy look, ordered a new front truck and cleaned and lubricated the drive train also installed a new LED headlight and it runs like a champ and pulls a good train, thankfully the number was in good shape and I was able to tape it off and save it. Only thing I will say is that the screw on the side rods are 1/4 inch on mine, your could be different. They are a great running engine and I buy them whenever I see one at a decent price or possibly one that just needs some love.

[@chicagolandrailroader]

Thanks. This helped me get my 2026 back on the rails

[@LongologoProductions]

@Chicagoland Railroader: Thanks for commenting and happy it helped!

[@nickluzzi8767]

I like your process . l always learn something from watching . thanks

[@isaacdever4169]

Just used this to service a 2016 given to me. Train runs like new. Thanks.

[@LongologoProductions]

@Isaac Dever: Great news - happy to hear it helped!

[@20thcentlimited]

Very nice video, thanks for taking your time to post.

[@MrPitbull357]

Great video. Wish I had the guts to try this. Learned a lot.. Thanks again

[@RenaissancePeopleNYC]

A loose e unit lever is easily repaired. Add several drops of super glue to the rivet and washer and move the lever back and forth to ensure it soaks in really good. Mover the lever back and forth every 30 seconds or so as it dries so it doesn't dry in place. If still loose, add more glue and repeat. Just keep the lever moving, It may take 5 to 10 minutes to dry fully so keep it moving as it dries. I fixed an e unit lever that was flopping all over the place with this method. It will be as still as a brand new one if not better!

[@poconotrainman]

Excellent video, I'm working on my third 2026. Great tip from Renaissance People NYC, I will be using it soon.

[@CurlyCade74]

Nice I need to fix my grandpa’s old train that he gave me so I hope it will go well 👌👌🤞🤞🤞

[@kensmith9334]

Excellent video!! If i can do this without dropping or losing a part it will be a miracle!! lol....

[@LongologoProductions]

@Ken Smith: Thank you!

[@Petemonster62]

Ken - keep a small magnet handy, since most of the screws & nuts are steel.

[@tony8074]

FYI 2037 uses a 1/4 socket. Thanks for the tutorial.

[@dbtech7914]

Nice job. I'm working on a #2016.

[@GeoffreysTube]

Love the ashtrays!

[@LongologoProductions]

@Kitbash Federation: Ha! I don’t smoke, but they’re quite useful for these types of things! 😁

[@kensmith9334]

Nice detailed video! Can anyone tell me what size screws are used on the 1666 2- 6- 2, and the 2026 2-6-4 Post War Locomotives? They are both 027 Guage.

[@JJosephS1]

Excellent. I have that very same locomotive. The body on your's is in better shape, but thank you for the explanation.

[@LongologoProductions]

@Michael12: Thanks!

[@cathrynm]

I was digging around train stuff at our house, and we also have exactly this same locomotive. I think these might have been pretty common?

[@LongologoProductions]

@Cathryn Mataga: Yeah, from what I understand they were quite common.

[@cathrynm]

@@LongologoProductions Your video is useful. Ours runs, but not really smoothly, and I do smell kind of an electrical smell when it's going. I think maybe I should open it up, clean it up in there.

[@peterszar]

This fella has alot of ashtrays, ha ha. I had an engine just like that and I loved it. After watching more of this vid, I don't think I had this particular model. The direction of travel was activated by the controller. This one appears to have a manual switch. Must be an older version.

[@LongologoProductions]

@Peter Szarow: Ha! They come in handy to hold screws for a nonsmoker like me. Also, you can change the direction of travel for this engine with the controller - or by the switch.

[@Petemonster62]

Peter - The switch can be used to turn off the switching device ( commonly referred to as an " E - Unit " or " Reversing Relay ", so the locomotive can be locked in Forward, Reverse, or Neutral.

[@dolfmeister-r5i]

Your piston rod on the left hand side is upside down. The little "nipple" ought to be facing the top, like it does on the right hand side.

[@timnewman1172]

I saw that, too...

[@LongologoProductions]

Thanks. I’ll take a look …

[@BeerMoneyLive]

I have a 2018, it is similar, it makes a grinding noise sometimes i wonder what it could be

[@LongologoProductions]

@Ben: something in the gears or poor lubrication?

[@BeerMoneyLive]

@@LongologoProductions well, I'll be honest: i bought it off a man who had it on display on a shelf for decades in his office. It does have signs that it was run before, mostly smoke residue around the stack. I plan on looking into it and seeing what I can clean up inside. When pulling a train it never slips but it does make that strange sound on occasion

[@LongologoProductions]

@@BeerMoneyLive : yeah definitely look into that. Your intuition is telling you that sound isn’t normal, which means there’s likely an issue there. But you won’t know until you clean and lube it up. Good luck!

[@BeerMoneyLive]

@@LongologoProductions i also have another loco, the Army Switcher no. 41- it ran great for awhile but now it runs slow and seems to get really hot. I dont wanna wreck these things theyre so old but i do want to run them

[@jamesscarborough9545]

The armature needs oiled

[@jameshessersr6435]

Your video now have my inspiration Back into All my trans 💛 I just lost 😕 in these. I HAVE a list 1. Hundred &40 and need to get back in them Thank you 😊 And my trains Thank you Ps I'm 78 years older

[@LongologoProductions]

@James hesser SR: thank you!

[@inscoredbz]

So to me it looks identical to a 2018 other than the cab number. Are they the same?

[@fiddlerpin]

I need that smoke plunger for my 2018. Do you know who sells them?

[@LongologoProductions]

@fiddlerpin: No idea. Try eBay?

[@robertboreman7672]

look for a lionel repair shop on the internet.

[@billharvey9836]

I have the same problem with my 2026 it doesn't run at all

[@ronaldsims1152]

What type tweezers are you using

[@LongologoProductions]

@Ronald Sims: I don’t remember if they have a specific name. I bought them in Japan several years ago and use them on all sorts of projects.

[@ronaldsims1152]

@@LongologoProductions I would imagine. I have tried to match them without success so far.

[@bensambell5862]

I have a 1948 675 engine. Nothing appears to be wrong with it internally but one of the small driving rods(the one that rotates around main rod) on the right side appears to not be connected currently. It doesn’t rotate and currently just sits in place. Is the fix for this the same for the 675? I’ve heard the intervals of the 675 are different but the externals are pretty much the same.

[@LongologoProductions]

I am not sure because I do not have a 675 engine. But there are definitely differences. Compare these two links: www.tandem-associates.com/lionel/lionel_trains_2026_loco.htm and www.tandem-associates.com/lionel/lionel_trains_675_loco.htm

[@pheehzero]

...and thanks very much for the video!

[@pheehzero]

My 2026 has a single pair truck in the back, and no truck in the front? Will it work okay without the front one? Thanks!

[@LongologoProductions]

@Bob Villa: Maybe - could be a challenge on curved tracks?

[@buzzytrains9037]

wasn't this the same lionel loco used in the addams family?

[@LongologoProductions]

@Buzzy Trains: Wow I had to go read up on that. Similar trains but not the 2026.

[@butler64]

Good vi thanks .Smoke much?

[@LongologoProductions]

@butler colorado: me or the train? 😏

[@LongologoProductions]

Actually I never smoked. Those ashtrays are antiques from grandparents back in the day, and they are perfect for holding screws and other small parts and pieces!

[@mr.shadestrains6033]

A lady recently gave me one it’s Awsum “:-)”🚂

[@davidgreep7897]

Hey,guys replaced the E unit on my. Lionel 2026.only moves when I touch the brush holder than goes like a bat out of Hell. Can help me don't know what to do.Thanks

[@Petemonster62]

David - I wonder if the wire that runs to that brush holder has a bad connection.

[@ronalddevine9587]

I hope you put a gasket on top of the smoke unit. Otherwise you will end up with a mess inside of the engine.

[@barrydillon584]

Is nobody gonna mention the fact this dude sounds just like Kurt Cobain?

[@payfone]

Jesus Christ, you're right.

[@LongologoProductions]

You never know....

[@highrevryan2288]

Smells Like Train Repair

[@railfansammy4974]

Nice

[@nerfreak01]

I have this exact locomotive.

[@Mizzinno]

I've got one for you, I'm currently restoring a 1688e that had one of these motors installed backwards.

[@marshallm967]

Are you a dentist? nice work!

[@LongologoProductions]

@Michael Marshall: No, but good eyes for noticing that detail! That dental tool is older than me-something my father picked up (pardon the pun) many years ago-and has been one of the most handy tools for small-scale work!

[@marshallm967]

@@LongologoProductions I am old enough to remember the Dentist lurching over and going in for the nerve test with one of those...working on my late fathers NYC 221 grey....having a bunch of issues with shorts..train cleaned up great and is smooth and quiet, rebuilt e unit and now having shorts circuits galore? Also working on 3462... also trying rewiring everything. Gonna take a year. I build guitar amp and refurb vintage stereos, but these trains are definitely a different animal and a lot to learn I

[@Barb5001]

That is not an "O" gauge loco . It is Lionel's "027" gauge which is "S" gauge rolling stock on "O"gauge track. It even says "027" on the plate on the underside of the loco.. This was Lionel's gauge mainly marketed for children. That exact loco was included in thousands of train sets in the 1950s . It is a Lionel classic and was built like the proverbial brick out house... it could withstand a lot of abuse from a small child

[@LongologoProductions]

@Barb5001: Forgive me for using the terminology of O gauge loosely. Yes, the 2026 has "O27" on the bottom as can be seen in the video. The 2026 can run on both O27 gauge track and O gauge track. There's a ton of information out there for those who wish to learn more about these nuances. For example, this article: dfarq.homeip.net/o-gauge-vs-o27/ provides a good explanation without getting too into the weeds.

[@Barb5001]

@@LongologoProductions From your link... "A full 1:48 scale O scale train requires a circle of track 72 inches in diameter to work reliably. No parent in the 1930s was going to buy a toy for their kids that required a minimum of 36 square feet to set up a boring circle. So companies like Lionel, American Flyer, Ives, Marx, and others compromised. They did some selective compression and eliminated detail so their trains could run on a much smaller circle of track. In the United States, the two most common diameters of track ended up being 27 inches for smaller, less expensive trains and 31 inches for slightly larger, more expensive trains" That explains why Lionel called it "027 gauge " ...... O gauge track whose curve sections make a 27 inch circle. I never knew why......... BTW, that is exactly why the flange was eliminated from the middle drive wheel

[@riggziestrains8082]

love my 2020!!!!!!!

[@ItsCheetahTV]

Just bought one off eBay here we go…..

[@fiddlerpin]

I would have replaced the whole light wire. It’s been spliced too many times!

[@jamesscarborough9545]

I was thinking the same thing, I even have cloth coated wire like what was used years ago.

[@zdenekvogl8236]

🌟🌟🖤🚂🖤🌟🌟

[@larryarcher4502]

, no I'm good I knew that picks trains kept a magnet around for putting all those little screws on they stay magnetized just long enough to get them put in place go to Harbor Freight they have those magnetized trays I wouldn't work on trains without him anymore they're cheap

[@fiddlerpin]

That washer on the pilot truck isn’t original.

[@stephenandre8580]

The soldering gun is way too big,50 watt is plenty. Also,no mention of the grease in the gearbox.

[@jackheinyjr.2356]

Does not show how to connect pick up plate wire to engine. Incomplete video