Won't Whistle? Let's Fix it!! Lionel 6466W

[@StephenCarlBaldwin]

Love your HO restorations but it's super-great to see you tackling these elderly classic Lionels. Very entertaining and informative -- bring on the basket case!

[@classicmodeltrains]

Glad you like them!

[@jonpowell-ov3yh]

Another masterpiece production - I laughed, I cried.....I just sneezed and shot milk out my nose. Looking forward to the next video...

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thanks so much :-)

[@mikeyanello3664]

Really enjoy your videos !!!!!

[@classicmodeltrains]

Glad you like them!

[@SantaFeBob]

You have an amazing gift for getting into these units and making them run again. Thank you for the great demonstration.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thank you Bob!! Thanks for watching and commenting :-)

[@jagc1969]

As interesting as usual. These videos are like a kind of therapy for me. Thanks for sharing.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Therapy? Well glad to be helping any way I can. Thanks for supporting my channel :-)

[@joemug4079]

Love that whistle sound..

[@classicmodeltrains]

Brings back the rememberries

[@paulburns3788]

Hello Ron how are you doing you make me laugh in your videos..also I like your Shelf with all the locomotives on it looks cool

[@classicmodeltrains]

Greetings Paul! Thanks for watching and commenting :-)

[@maindip]

Hi Ron, awesome restoration. The mechanism looks factory fresh. Keep up the great work.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thanks, will do!

[@yogistanu55]

Amazing work Ron and "There's Nothing Like a Lionel"! I have found more Locomotives, Tenders, Operating Cars in Junk Stores and Barns that just need a good cleaning and some TLC to get them back on track. Keep at it Brother and Great Job!!

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thank you!

[@johnbanicki7232]

Love this restoration. I actually have a tender that needs the whistle reinstalled in it. After watching this video I know what my next project will be. Thanks for sharing.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thanks for watching John :-)

[@stephenrickjr.7519]

I have this tender. Never took it apart because it works. But it's nice to know how to repair it, thanks 😊👍.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thanks for watching!

[@BriansModelTrains]

Ron; you really are a joy to watch.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thank you so much :-)

[@avidlisner8748]

Great post!!! LIONEL stuff must be intentionally "ENGINEered" for those who are even both slightly mechanical-minded and also for those who have more ADVANCED skills such as yourself. Your videos are beyond informative and such a pleasure to watch! Thank you sir.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thank you once again for your kind words!!

[@regisbraga3833]

Amazing job Ron! Your skills are really impressive! These old things can resist to an atomic blast! They’ve been made to last forever.

[@classicmodeltrains]

I'm actually surprised when they don't work when I hook them up to power for the test run.

[@regisbraga3833]

TLC is the answer, as you always do.

[@williamkaczmarek3996]

Great video Ron. I really like the Lionel stuff.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thanks William!

[@TomzTrainzandAccessories]

Great video tutorial again Ron! It was fun to watch this poor broken down tender come back to life again! With that bottom armature bearing that has the impeller pressed on, I find to oil it that if you take a small flashlight, aim it at the point the armature shaft goes through the bearing, and manually spin the armature slowly with your fingers, and you’ll get a sneak peak of the shaft going into the bearing. That’s where I use my needle oiler, and give the bearing a little drop of oil. It works perfectly , and it gives me satisfaction that I completely oiled both sides of the motor shafts. Some of the older armature brush plates actually have an oil wick inside them too. Your beautiful model this week is Linda Henning from Petticoat Junction.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thanks Twissmann for the information. I guess I didnt look hard enough or close enough to find the access hole. It did seem weird they would make it impossible to oil that bushing. You are correct on the model. A lot of Fellers did not get this one.

[@KarnageKamikaze]

Can’t wait to see the 2026 video, love the Lionel restorations!

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thank you!

[@genemanno1533]

I attach ground wires between both the trucks and the ground mounting of the whistle too. The electrical path is just as important on the ground side as it is on the positive side. The steel frame, trucks, axles, wheels, and the moving pins it swivels on all add up to inhibit conductivity. A wire direct between the two end points reduces resistance.

[@classicmodeltrains]

You have a good idea there. That's why I cleaned up the trucks, bolster pins, and frame mount and used that conductive grease, to combat against resistance. Thanks for watching and Commenting :-)

[@rogerlee3941]

Hi Ron, Great video! Nothing says nostalgia like the sound of a prewar Lionel whistle. For future wiring jobs such as this, you might want to pick up some "super-flex" 18 gauge wire sold by many Lionel parts suppliers. It's inexpensive and allows the trucks to swivel easily to avoid derailments. Happy Railroading!

[@greglivo]

It also won't fatigue and break nearly as fast.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thanks! I agree I need a nicer quality of wire. I shall look some up and get it ordered.

[@classicmodeltrains]

I agree :-)

[@elsdp-4560]

Thank you for sharing. Nice repair.👍

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thanks 👍

[@franktino6676]

I guess, Ron, the same might apply to Lionel's Whistling Shed accessory for fix up and repair ?

[@classicmodeltrains]

I would assume it's probably the same kind of mechanism. Ive never ran across a whistling shed

[@franktino6676]

@@classicmodeltrains Thanks Ron. I will give it the "ole College try"; and I am fairly certain it is the same type of mechanism since it sounds exactly the same as the air whistle in the tenders.

[@cleophusA]

Your model is the lovely Linda Henning! She played Betty Jo Bradley on Petticoat Junction back in the '60's. I remember always wanting to be a bird so I could fly over the top of that water tank when they'd go skinny dipping at the beginning of every show! My favorite was the first Billie Jo, (she was replaced after the first or second season), played by Jeannine Riley. She really made my little 10 year old heart skip a beat!

[@classicmodeltrains]

I just seen the P.C. Movie for the first time. about an hour and half long. Them 3 sisters were definitely some slender lookers, I can see how they could invade the minds of young Fellers back in the day

[@w.rustylane5650]

I've got several old Lionel tank cars and had to take each one apart and do corrosion control (sanding & pssst) on the chassis. Cheers from eastern TN

[@classicmodeltrains]

Pssst - Pssst is always a good thing for corrosion control!

[@ecidaho]

I was stumped on this weeks classic model/actress. You got me this week Paul (Ron) Harvey! Another cool video. I need to service those American Flyer locos but need to find the track or get more. Cheers!

[@classicmodeltrains]

Can believe I stumped you on this one. Do have to admit the picture I found of her doesn't really look like her in the TV show Petticoat Junction.

[@nickluzzi8767]

Good job . I just result a 2026 runs like new. Love your videos and attidude.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thank you very much Nick! Glad you had success with your 2026W :-)

[@lynnmccurdythehdmmrc2561]

Another enjoyable video, Thanks Ron. (I haven't forgotten, maybe you have. Getting together a box of all sorts of "stuff").

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thanks Lynn :-)

[@P61guy61]

I ordered cloth flexible wire from EBay that closely resembles the original Lionel wire. Worked great.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Sounds like a good idea to me, thanks for the info. I'm going to look some up :-)

[@jaystuckey4920]

Look at a Lionel whistle tender whereby the whistle mechanism lays down(2671w,2046w) and tenders where the whisle mechanism stands up. I found a slight wiring difference, but it can be done.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Right on!

[@NeedtoSpeak]

Good Job!

[@classicmodeltrains]

Thank you

[@MygrandpasTrain]

That was a cool video. I've never seen one of those whistling tenders before. Only heard them at train shows :-) Linda Kay Henning? Really? I didn't recognize her by that picture. That's probably the only person I would know, since I do enjoy watching Petticoat Junction.

[@classicmodeltrains]

I just watched the hour and a half movie of P.J. just a few days ago. Thats how I found out about Linda. I never watched the show as a kid. This is my first whistling tender. Yeah, I only heard them on the Model railroad video's from time to time

[@rickdee67]

I’ve only one time had an issue with an Ebay purchase in 15 years! JS Grounds, fields 😂😂😂

[@classicmodeltrains]

Good track record!

[@driverman8615]

LOL king pin retired trucker never gave it a second thought lol I called it that too.

[@classicmodeltrains]

:-)

[@SleeperBBQ]

TY

[@classicmodeltrains]

:-)

[@DinsdalePiranha67]

Thought the Classic Model was Dawn Wells, for some reason. But I looked her up, and it turns out that she and I have the same birthday!

[@classicmodeltrains]

Dawn wells from Gilligans island?

[@DinsdalePiranha67]

@@classicmodeltrains Yes, that Dawn Wells.

[@PerryBobKelly]

It’s cool that you got it working but it sounded like the fan blades were hitting on something is it something that can be fixed or just the nature of the beast?

[@classicmodeltrains]

The impeller was not hitting on anything. I guess that's just the way they sound. It does make a growling sound from the A.C. juice flowing thru it and the D.C. electromagnet buzzing. Old technology I guess :-)

[@matchboxcustomsandrestos]

One of the other guys train channel I was watching, he said, Ebays is like a box of chocolates...you never know what you are going to get! Well, he modified the line from Forrest Gump. But, still right on the point. Sellers really should know what they are selling. Know everything is there. Imagine going to a carlot and a salesman comes out and you start asking questions. So what do you know about this car? Its a 94 Chevrolet Camaro. What engine? I dont know. Auto or manual? I dont know. Come with a warranty? I dont know. Ebay. Where some sellers are clueless.

[@classicmodeltrains]

I hear you loud and clear. A lot of Vintage shops sell stuff on eBay. They truly don't know things about what they are selling. At least this seller made it right with me on this purchase.

[@dougvalmore1450]

Ron: I believe you were correct calling the truck attachment point a :kingpin". Bolster pin also seems correct. BTW, to go with "kingpin", older (mostly 19th century) wooden cars had "queen posts" that supported the truss rods (with turnbuckles between each set of queen posts for keeping the rods tight) which kept the car floors from sagging. I, too, prefer the older equipment. The older & more rickety looking the better for me. Harkens back to the glory days of railroading when the crew were heroes & many individual engineers could be identified by their use of the steam whistle (which IS a whistle - I hear diesel horns referred to as "whistle" & it drives me nuts. Nobody would call a car horn a whistle, nor should they when referring to diesel horns!). PS: It often freaks people out when I tell them that the trucks are commonly not bolted to the car bodies, which is why many train wreck photos show the car over here & the trucks somewhere else. This practice makes it easier to replace a faulty truck (hot box, for example, like what famously happened on the Ohio/Penn border recently). They say "I'm never riding a train again" - guess they just don't trust gravity!!!

[@classicmodeltrains]

I use the word kingpin from my days as a truck mechanic. The trailer had the kingpin and the truck had the 5th wheel. I never use a script when I'm filming the repair portions, I'm just talking along and sometimes call things wrong. Thanks for the cool information on the 19th century stuff. Now I'm one more smarter :-) It is interesting about the trucks on cars. I figured they were not bolted on. Thanks for Commenting Doug!!

[@stephendollahan425]

The pin that holds the truck to the frame is called a bolster pin.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Yup! I remembered the correct work a few minutes later. Figured I would just leave the Faux Pa in the final edit :-)

[@marklinzeit]

Hi Classic Model Trains, was As soon as I saw the name of the classic model at the end of the show, I knew it was a lady from Petticoat Junction. Paul Henning was the creator and a writer of the show. I didn't know which one she was. I looked it up on the Wikipedia, and it said that her name in the credits was just Linda Kay, so that is why I never made the connection while watching the show (I did watch it a lot - the trains, the girls, the humor). She was Betty Jo. Now a quiz for you. The lady that played her mother Kate was soooper famous in Hollywood for something....do you know what it is?

[@classicmodeltrains]

Good afternoon Mark. Nice job on Linda Hennings. I had to google machine her as well. Nice job on quizzing me. This is an interesting way to learn stuff about the past. After doing some goggling I come up with Bea Benaderet. I read her Bio on the wiki page and found out she did a lot of voice acting in animations. she played a lot of bit roles on early TV before landing the mom spot in P.C. Perhaps the one part that stood out was she was the voice for Betty Rubble on "the Flintstones"? She was almost cast for Granny on "the Beverly Hillbillies". She has a Hollywood walk of fame star. She was a very busy Gal back in the day. Did I hit on the right part?

[@marklinzeit]

@@classicmodeltrains You hit that nail right on the head! - and even missed your thumb - well done! Betty Rubble - the Flintstones character I most wanted to meet. Ok Sure, I know that is not possible. I learned about it when I was watching KZbin videos a while back of cartoon character voices, after I found out the voice of the Haunted Mansion at Disney did lots of cartoon voices....while watching KZbin videos of Disney rides. Hmmm, there seems to be a lot of time spent on KZbin. Is that a bad thing? No, no, no, can't be. At only 6 foot 5 inches I will always be in your shadow, but will just enjoy your videos a heap. Thanks! I will try to keep commenting now as I just found out that comments help as much as thumbs-ups. Hmmm, wonder where I learned that?

[@mikeychris1989]

I feel your pain re: seller's not representing what they are selling and/or not knowing how to ship them without damage. I have had several very disappointing experiences when I finally found a piece that I was searching for, only to receive it damaged. That said, I have acquired many pieces I would have never found without online sellers! So I guess ya' gotta take the bad with the good, huh? Love you videos.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Yup. In this instance it came from a antique store. They seller did not know there was not the whistle mechanism inside. The part number of the tender said it's a whistler. They were very accommodating and made the deal right. A definite bonus. Seems online is the only way to get some odd stuff. No train shows up here in my neck of the woods. Thanks for your support of my Channel :-)

[@JEPCRGAMING]

Do you know what i can use for lionel 239 w whistle tender for a transformer. I have everything except the transformer

[@classicmodeltrains]

Transformer provides variable power to the tracks. I'm not sure what your asking here?

[@JEPCRGAMING]

@@classicmodeltrains i have a lionel model 239 with the whistle. I am trying to find out what transformer i can use as i dont have one. The transformer is missing 😞

[@classicmodeltrains]

@@JEPCRGAMING look for a transformer with 2 levers on it. One is used to regulate the speed and the other would be for direction / whistle control. Many post war transformers out there to choose from.

[@JEPCRGAMING]

@@classicmodeltrains thank you for the info !!

[@titodalessandro1909]

I have a whistle tender that’s not working the same one as your repairing. I still can’t get the wiring right there must be something wrong here. Very frustrated.

[@classicmodeltrains]

It needs a good ground path. clean wheels and trucks, good connection to the frame. No rust or corrosion anywhere. Also could be the relay is burned out. try closing the relay by hand and see if it works. Remember the relay closes with DC power down the tracks. You need a Lionel transformer with a whistle lever function.

[@carltesh9612]

Like your pick up truck, what year?

[@classicmodeltrains]

1972 3/4 ton 4X4

[@Antonio-j1g]

why when i use the whistle in my tender, the locomotive slow down?

[@classicmodeltrains]

the whistle motor is using up some of the available voltage to spin it.

[@Antonio-j1g]

thanks

[@carltesh9612]

Bobby Joe, from petty coat junction.

[@classicmodeltrains]

I believe your right!

[@doublenickelbob]

As my teacher said, what kind of juice? Orange, grapefruit, grape..........?

[@classicmodeltrains]

Too Funny!! :-)

[@robertschmidt6383]

Is it Suppose to buzz that loud? Doesn't sound right over here.

[@78rangerxlt75]

My whistling tenders sound like that, so I suppose its normal.

[@classicmodeltrains]

I did jack up the audio on that part a bit so the sound could be heard. It's not really that loud and the sound is normally covered up by all the noise the loco is making while it's runnin the rails

[@petepanayi1726]

That's Jennifer O'Neil model actress she shot herself in the stomach Petey Pie

[@classicmodeltrains]

Didnt know that

[@bradwb6192]

Who's Clyde? Wouldn't be a certain orangutan that I know of, would it? He's certainly stepped up his skill set since way back when...

[@classicmodeltrains]

You got it Mr Brad. Moved up from scraping Caddy's to running a projector :-)

[@kba3039]

Classic Model is Pee Wee Herman.

[@classicmodeltrains]

Close.