Up for auction is a vintage Lionel 2-6-2 Type Steam Locomotive, model year 1948-49. This locomotive features a black color, 2-4-2- wheel configuration, and is a replica of the Prairie Locomotive. It also has a smoke unit, light function, and tender. This item is in very good condition, with a C-6 grade, and is ready to go, pre-built and assembled. The locomotive weighs 4.5 pounds and runs on AC power with an analog control system. It comes with a Lionel Lines corporate roadname and was manufactured in the United States during the 1948-1949 time period. This item is perfect for model railroad enthusiasts and collectors.

A locomotive with a headlight & smoke unit pulling 5-6 cars on a layout puts a lot of strain on any 50-watt transformer.   Really do recommend running with an 80-watt Lionel transformer; perhaps even a 100-watt American Flyer transformer to run this train.  The whistle needs at minimum 50-Watts to trip the solenoid, let alone whistle for its dinner.

The 2026 was classified by Lionel as a Prairie-type steam engine. It's a mid-size steam engine and was sold as an 027 gauge item. The early 2026 is a fancier locomotive compared to the later version. In addition, the 2026 shares its boiler casting with other Lionel locomotives such as the 637, 2016, 2018, 2029 and 2037 steamers: however the internal workings are different.

The 2026 was Lionel's preferred powerhouse locomotive for their mid-level sets between 1948 and 1953. It was the lead locomotive for eight sets in the five years of production. Interestingly, the first 2026 set in 1948 was a passenger set -- while the remaining seven sets were all freight sets.

Lionel used the same catalogue number (2026) for two independent production runs.  This 2026 steam locomotive was from the first production in 1948 and 1949.     Although Lionel used the same catalogue number (2026), the second production from 1951 to 1953 in most cases parts are not interchangable between the early and later versions.

  • The first version consisted of a 2-6-2-wheel arrangement with detailed driving wheel hardware, the Lionel three-position E-unit, smoke, Baldwin disk drive wheels, die-cast trailing truck with a single wheelset, sliding shoe contacts plus an ornamental bell and whistle and illuminated headlight.  The whistling tender was numbered 6466WX.

  • Externally, the later model looks very similar to the earlier model. Internally, there are numerous differences. The later model has a 2-6-4 wheel arrangement with scaled-down driving wheel hardware, three-position E-unit, smoke, relatively plain spoked drive wheels, sheet metal two-wheelset trailing truck plus an ornamental bell and illuminated headlight.   The number of the tender was either 6466W, 6466T or 6066T. The 6466W tender included a whistle while the other tenders did not include a whistle.