Lionel 2020-1946-2TURBINE

1946 6-8-6 PRR S2 STEAM TURBINE

 

This version of the 2020 was built in 1946 only. It was a radical new design, based on a radical new engine - the PRR's S2 Turbine.
  • There was only one prototype S2 on the Pennsylvania Railroad. #6200 was designed in a collaborative effort between the PRR in-house engineers and those at Westinghouse and Baldwin. It was delivered, ready to run, in 1944. It was revolutionary because it used a steam-powered turbine (like the ones found in steam-driven ships a nd power plants) to propel gears connected to the drivers instead of the conventional piston method on all other steam locos. It had a second, smaller turbine for reversing up to 22 mph. It surmised that this new system would distribute the power to the drivers more evenly and with more fuel efficiency. In reality, World War II was the designs undoing. Originally intended to be a 4-8-4, a shortage of premium metals due to war rationing meant that heavier materials had to be used. The 6-8-6 wheel arrangement had to be used instead to support the heavier engine. But all of the extra weight killed the fuel efficiency, especially at lower speeds. The clear advantages of diesels began to manifest themselves once World War II ended (especially considering the coal shortage caused by government price freezes intended to combat Postwar inflation), and #6200 was withdrawn from service in 1949.
  • Using all-new tooling, the O27 2020 and the O Gauge 671 were the first engines to have smoke units. The number 6200 was stamped on top of a PRR keystone on the front of the boiler. Rather than the traditional E-Unit switch - which normally stuck out of a slot in the boiler - the E-Unit was controlled through a plug and socket arrangement in the cab. Only a single side-rod connected all four wheels on each side. The wheels has nickel rims. Wire handrails ran the length of the boiler on both sides. The number was rubber-stamped in silver beneath the cab windows. The smoke unit utilized a special bulb - commonly referred to as a "smoke bulb" - that was flattened on one side, creating a dimple where the smoke pellet could be placed. Lionel offered a conversion kit to the later, heater-type smoke unit, so finding one with the "smoke bulb" became rarer. It came with a 2466W square whistle tender.

    • To Research Other Postwar Items in Our Research Library,
    Click Your Browser's Back Button

    Return to the Train-Station.com Home Page