Lionel 626 Vintage O Baltimore & Ohio 44 Ton Diesel Switcher Locomotive EX

Here is a Lionel 626 Vintage O Baltimore & Ohio 44 Ton Diesel Switcher Locomotive. This a rather scarce uncatalogued Lionel 626 Baltimore and Ohio 44-Ton Switcher from 1957. This switcher features die-cast trucks, metal wheels, headlights. A little history about the 44-tonners by Lionel (information gathered from Greenberg's guide). Lionel offered three cataloged and one uncatalogued O-27 gauge models of this General Electric center-cab diesel in 1956. GE developed what became known as the diminutive 44-tonner in response to a labor agreement in 1937 that mandated the presence of a fireman on any locomotive weighing at least 90,000 pounds. The 44-tonner fell just below that threshold. Approximately 350 of these switchers were produced between 1940 and 1956 and sold to railroads throughout the United States. Somewhat ironically, Lionel's nos. 626 Baltimore & Ohio (uncatalogued), 627 Lehigh Valley, 628 Northern Pacific, and 629 Burlington made their debut in 1956, which was the final year that General Electric manufactured its 44-tonner. These four mid-sized engines joined two other models of GE locomotives - the no. 520 80-ton box cab electric and the no. 2350 EP-5 - also introduced by Lionel in 1956. The Lionel 44-tonner is a parts-bin creation, sharing many components with the early and later versions of Lionel's NW2 switchers. It's grossly oversized - in reality, the 44-tonner should be dimensionally closer to the no. 50 gang car or the no. 41 Army switcher and its kin. It has a sheet-metal frame, single vertical motor, and Magne-Traction on one axle. The mechanical reverse unit barely fits into the cab of the locomotive, and its lever pokes downward through the frame. All models except the no. 625 use operating couplers at both ends, and all but the no. 627 have an operating headlight. None has an operating horn.

This item has been graded per TCA standards C-7: Excellent based on visual appearance. There are light nicks, scratches, and paint chips on the surface of the shell and chassis. The overall appearance of this item may be improved with a gentle and thorough cleaning. The original box is not included. The instruction manual is not included. Please check the photos for a detailed look at this item. Overall condition is Excellent.

Condition: Excellent (C-7)
Operational Status: Functional
Original Box: No

Manufacturer: Lionel
Model Number: 626
Years Manufactured: 1956 - 1956
Road Name: Baltimore & Ohio (B&O)

Scale/Era: O Postwar
Model Type: Diesel Loco


The Trainz SKU for this item is 6142149.

Trainz Product Id: 11401294