Lionel Trains' Vintage O Gauge K4 Steamers: From 675 to 2035 and Beyond!

In 1947, Lionel redesigned one classic steam locomotive to create another, the story of the Lionel K4 steamer, on this episode of Toy Train Tips and Tricks. Hello again, this is Mike with another episode of Toy Train Tips and Tricks, and this is a Lionel number 2035 steamer from 1950 It is an updated version of the twin number 675 and number 2025 steamers first introduced by Lionel in 1947. These models are Lionel's interpretation of one of the most ubiquitous steam locomotives in the northeastern United States of the first half of the 20th century, the Pennsylvania Railroad Class K4 Pacific. When toy train production resumed at the end of World War II, Lionel's first locomotive offerings for 1945 were carryover designs from before the war, but Lionel's designers quickly set about creating new locomotives for the post-war market. For 1947, Lionel's team went all out on new designs and showed some more love to the Pennsylvania Railroad with the introduction of the number 2332GG1 electric locomotive and the number 675 Pennsylvania K4 and its twin the number 2025. Ironically, Lionel's interpretation of the Pennsylvania K4 stole from an earlier design based on the Penzies arch rival. The pre-war Lionel number 225 was a scaled down version of the classic New York Central J1 Hudson. It proved to be an excellent runner and its drive was borrowed for the number 675 and 2025. Likewise, Lionel designers simply made a few tweaks to the existing boiler design giving the NYC inspired steamer a new Penzi-esque smoke box and a bulging bell pair firebox to represent the K4 design, essentially creating a classic central steamer in a Penzi costume. The original number 675 and 2025 K4s came with a 2-6-2 wheel arrangement as opposed to the 4-6-2 arrangement of a real Pacific locomotive, but it was close enough for three rails. The model also featured a headlight, smoke, and a whistling tender. One essential detail on Penzi steam locomotives is the keystone logo on the smoke box, which is cast into the details on the model. In early 1947 models, the keystone was undecorated except for the catalog number 675 or 2025 printed in silver. Later in the year, the keystone was decorated in a more appropriate red with gold trim with the number 5690 on it, or on some 1948 models with PRR lettering replacing the number. Oddly, with over 400 correct numbers from which to choose, Lionel's choice of number 5690 was incorrect, as the real number 5690 was a B1 electric locomotive. Number 5698 was a Penzi-class K5 steamer, kind of close, one of the two experimental locomotives designed to replace the K4, a project that was ultimately abandoned. Another unique feature for 1947 models was an unpainted aluminum smokestack. For 1948, the smokestack was smaller and painted. Also, the locomotive pilot was changed to include a new cast-in representation of a front coupler. A major change came in 1950 with the addition of magnetraction. This necessitated a change for the drivers, which had previously been nickel-rimmed Baldwin types, but were now solid centered iron. The locomotive also received a new four-wheel trailing truck, creating a 264 design, the opposite of a 462 Pacific. These changes necessitated a new catalog number, 2035, and the number 675 was dropped. There were no obvious appearance changes for 1951, but material shortages caused by the Korean War in 1952 meant the removal of magnetraction. The catalog number was changed back to 2025, but the appearance of the engine, from the new trailing truck to the iron drivers, remained. Therefore, there are original number 2025 steamers with both 262 and 264 wheel arrangements, but the original 2035s would always be 264s. I picked up this number 2035 at a local train show last weekend. It runs very well, but I'm going to clean it up a bit cosmetically. First, I'm using some mother's mag polish and cotton swabs to put a little shine back on the side rods. There, not bad for 15 minutes of effort. The next time I need to disassemble the model for servicing, I will completely remove and clean the rods, but this looks okay for now. Next, I'm cleaning up some of these paint chips with a black paint marker. In a previous video, I tried a method I saw on another channel using a sharpie and motor oil, but I was not satisfied with the results. I'm using a paint marker instead of a brush because I feel I have better fine control with the marker. After touching up all the chips, I set the model aside to dry overnight. Now, I'm cleaning the finish and adding a bit of protection to my 75-year-old paint with this mother's automotive finish cleaner. Just about any automotive cleaner and wax should work. As you can see, I already tested the process on the firebox, and now I will do the rest of the model. First, I apply a liberal coating with a cloth. I get it good and wet, and I let it settle for a few minutes. Then, I buff it in with a microfiber cloth and reapply if necessary. The end result is a clean and somewhat shinier surface. The process evens out the differences between the faded original finish and the new touch-up paint. It's difficult to see where the touch-ups were applied. Next, I know that my headlight bulb is loose. To access the headlight, the smokebox is spring-loaded, so I simply pull it out, and there's the bulb. The bulb is indeed loose, so I simply tighten it back into place. Also, some insulation is missing from the power wire. I'm using some bullfrog snot, a product generally used to make traction tires for locomotives, as a liquid electrical tape. After applying the bullfrog snot, I set it aside to dry before reassembly. Finally, I follow the advice on the plaque at the bottom of the Lionel steamer and add lubrication. I use Label or Excel oil on the ends of the drivers, ends of the rollers, and especially on each end of the motor armature. Then, a light coating of grease, I'm using a plastic state lithium-based grease, on all of the gears. This is not the correct tender for this model, but it's what came with it when I purchased it. I also oil the rollers and the center whistle shaft, and it's important to oil each of the wheel axles on these post-war metal trucks. Lastly, I applied a light coating of the mother's auto finish cleaner with a cloth to remove the dust and dirt and to add a layer of protection to the finish. And we're clean, lubed, and ready to roll. Back in Lionel land, after 1952, post-war protection of the K4 suddenly ended. But why? Some might say that the steam era was Lionel was beginning to purge its steam locomotives. But Lionel instead began adding new steam locomotive models, such as the 2055, to its line. The main reason is likely cost. With its fully detailed running gear, the number 2035 was too complicated and expensive to assemble to be a mid-range priced model, but not large enough to be a top-end model. Therefore, new easier to assemble models like the number 2055 took over as the mid-range steamer in the Lionel catalog. In the real world, Penzey K4s built between 1914 and 1928 likely held on longer than the Penzey would have liked, but the railroad was unable to find a suitable replacement design for its passenger and express train workforce. The T1 duplex successfully replaced the K4 on trains west of Crestline, Ohio, but the model's size made it impractical, or even impossible, for use on most of the eastern lines. Meanwhile, the completion of electrification east of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and the successful GG1 and other electrics meant that many K4s were available, and it was easy to add a second or even a third to longer, heavier trains, despite the additional cost of crews. It eventually took dieselization to retire Penzey's fleet of more than 400 K4s for good, and today only two examples remain, number 3750 on display in Strasburg, Pennsylvania, and the number 1361, which was once on display on Horseshoe Curve, and is currently being rebuilt with the hope of someday running again in excursion service. In Lionelville, the K4 design made a brief return in 1980 in the form of two DC-powered models, one decorated for Nickel Plate and the other for New Haven. Then the model seemed to be forgotten once again until a reappearance in the 2024 catalog as a 262. But that's not the entire Lionel K4 story, as the number 675 and 2025 were not the first Lionel models of a K4 prototype. In 1936, famed industrial designer Raymond Lowy was tasked with designing a streamlined shroud for the K4, and the result was locomotive number 3768, nicknamed the Torpedo, which was then frequently assigned to the Broadway Limited. The design captured the attention of the press and the public, so Lionel rushed to develop not one, but three versions of the Torpedo for 1936. The number 238 or 238E-442 for Ogage Track, the 1688 or 1688E for the 027 line, and even the number 1588 on mechanical clockwork 040. In 1937, Lionel added an 027-262, the number 1668 and 1668E, which remained in the catalog until 1941, and was one of the more popular Lionel locomotives in the late pre-war era. Four other Penzi K4s were streamlined with a different design in 1941, but they failed to achieve the notoriety of the original number 3768, which even starred in its own Hollywood feature film, The Broadway Limited, in 1941. Streamlining was removed from all five of the K4s by 1950. And here's my finished number 2035 K4, cleaned, lubed, and ready for years of service. As always, I hope you enjoyed this video as much as I enjoyed making it, and if so, please like the video, share it with your friends, and subscribe to the channel so that YouTube can find us. Tell your friends and neighbors, and of course, keep the trains running, and we'll catch you next time with more toy train tips and tricks.