Vintage Lionel Train 2360 Pennsylvania Railroad Post War O Gauge GG-1

Description: Initially released in 1956 as part of the Congressional Set; this Vintage Lionel Train 2360 Pennsylvania Railroad Post War O Gauge is the last remaining vestige of my childhood. It ran under our Christmas tree every year, until my dad passed, and then spent several decades boxed on the top shelf of our linen closet. For those who might remember, it had provision for installing a D-cell battery that was problematic at best. We replaced it annually, as the carbon-zinc batteries of the day never lasted very long. They were also prone to leaking their corrosive contents...which is exactly what happened over those decades of storage. The term "train wreck" aptly describes the resulting damage, I have included a picture here of the condition that required stripping the body to bare metal for repair and refinishing. This was far more time consuming that anticipated. Mostly because of my own struggle with the esthetic objective of the restoration. You see, I worked at a train station during college and got to see this model of locomotive live and up close. My first impression was "they are huge". I mean, like a two-story office building on wheels huge. My second impression was how filthy, rusty, and battered they looked in person. Actually, they more resembled my battery acid damaged wreck l than the baked enamel finish of Lionel's interpretation. I couldn't make mine look huge, so decided instead to shoot for a weathered more distressed look. Think rat rod meets railroad reality. If you're looking for a cherry never left its original box 2360, this is NOT the one for you. Repainted the original Tuscan Red enamel over grey primer, I added charcoal shadows and rust-copper highlights. Some areas are wet sanded to expose bare metal or primer, others are textured to simulate the erosion from years of sand and salt. We had a lot of that on trains in the rust belt. Decals are new, as are all the red corner marker lights. Several coats of clear satin lacquer were then applied to seal the finish. I've replaced those always burning out GE53 lamps with modern warm white LEDs, so you'll never have to replace those again. I've included a hot-wired pic so you can see them lit up...pretty cool. (If you'd like to display this on a shelf, or use it as the ultimate night light, just attach 12 VDC to the little blue wire and use the chassis as ground.) Because I no longer have my track or power supply, I cannot confirm functionality beyond that. I do know it was running fine on our last Christmas as a family, and that the motor/gears/wheels still rotate freely. Oh, and I did NOT install that damn D cell. The hardware and wiring remain intact, however, should you choose to play MacGyver. Whether you love or hate the esthetic results, it's as close as I could come to integrating my early childhood memories with the massive rumbling reality of my later adult experience. I hope it finds a good home, and maybe becomes a part of your family's holiday tradition.

Price: 350 USD

Location: Jasper, Georgia

End Time: 2024-10-26T21:01:54.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD