This was in bad shape! Restoration of a Lionel

After purchasing an old 1948 Lionel toy train that had been abandoned for years, it was time to do, get my hands dirty, and bring it back to life!
If you want to see a full step-by-step disassembly and cleaning of the #2026, check out Warren Muzak"s video here: • How to Fix a Postwar L...
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[@67gt500snakebite]

Pretty Amazing that you restored the poor abused Lionel Locomotive.

[@scpvrr]

Good job. The 2026 is worth restoring, and there is no better personal “victory dance” that comes from restoring a total basket case. Keep up the good work.

[@ronalddevine9587]

They are great running engines. Some of the best smoke output from any Lionel engines. I have two of them. You got a great deal.

[@johnknippenberg-LandmarkYards]

That poor Prairie! Looks awesome now!

[@markshogan2642]

I’ve restored several locomotives like this one. I actually had a 2026. Lionel made their locomotives to run for a century or more. Lionel did have some special tools in order to service these locomotives.

[@MITSI1991]

I love restoring these locomotives! Ive found many beaten and worn locos and brought them back to working condition just like this. Its very rewarding!

[@TLS6723]

This is the kind of stuff I like to do. All my life it seems the most enjoyment I have is bringing something back from the dead. The only thing I think I would have done differently from what you did is, I probably would have tossed it in the ultra sonic cleaner. Minus the shell. Great job on it!

[@TwistedMacGyversTrains]

Fantastic job on restoring the

[@joshuacampbell9990]

Great job bringing it back to life. I did a 2025 a few years back for a friend that was locked up and just as rusty (if not worse) than yours. After some thought I pulled the shell off, removed the e-unit, all the wiring, and fiberboards (brush holder and collector) then proceeded to throw the motor in a container of mineral spirits. I let it soak for a few hours pulling it out and working the wheels and once I got it freed up (although not completely free) I let it soak a day or two.

[@craigjones2162]

And nice use of FasTrack

[@raysrails2164]

Wonderful job !

[@Lando452]

Great work, love bringing these locomotives back to life

[@gmaneis]

You really did beautiful work on this one. I had a 1953 2026 back in that year, and loved it. Wish I still had it. Thanks for sharing.

[@longviewkelsolinesRR644]

Great job on bringing it back to life.

[@johnandrus3901]

Great job. I just subscribed and I'm catching up on videos from all of my subscriptions. I'm a big fan of PB Blaster. It does a great job on rust and other shmuts on metal. I've never liked taking apart that series of engines, as it is always kind of a hassle, with the way they are put together. Other engines, like the 2055, you can take the shell off and not have to disconnect any of the running gear. Either way, that is a nice job of repairing and getting that old 2026 back on the tracks. They are my favorite Lionel steam engines and I have a few of them. I also buy 6466WX tenders whenever I find them a shows. It is a great style of tender, plenty of weight and goes with almost any Lionel steam locomotive. An excellent video, for sure.

[@Machia52612]

Beautiful restoration.

[@rwheatley0206]

Nice repair. New subscriber here.

[@dbtech7914]

Good job. I've made those contact plate boards on the 3D printer.

[@SmallGardenRailroad]

Great work and very interesting video. Always nice to see these junked engines getting back to life. Thanks for sharing.

[@rogerlee3941]

Great job!! I wonder how many 77 year old toys from 2023 will still be repairable and operational in 2100? Jus' sayin'....