{"product_id":"lionel-626-vintage-o-baltimore-ohio-44-ton-diesel-switcher-locomotive-vg","title":"Lionel 626 Vintage O Baltimore \u0026 Ohio 44 Ton Diesel Switcher Locomotive VG","description":"Here is a Lionel 626 Vintage O Baltimore \u0026amp; 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 \u0026amp; 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis item has been graded per TCA standards C-6: Very Good. The shell is loose and will come off easily off of one side. This locomotive shows scratches and paint loss throughout various sections of the shell and chassis. This locomotive shows rust on the chassis and trucks. The instruction manual is not included. The original box is not included. Please check the photos for a detailed look at this item. Overall condition is Very Good.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Very Good (\u003ca href=\"#\" title=\"C-6: Minor scratches and paint nicks, minor surface rust, no dents. Minor parts replaced. Standards for all toy train related accessory items apply to the visual appearance of the item and do not consider the operating functionality of the equipment. Condition and Grading Standards are subjective, at best, and are intended to act as a guide.\"\u003eC-6\u003c\/a\u003e)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOperational Status:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"#\" title=\"This item has been tested and operates as expected.\"\u003eFunctional\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOriginal Box:\u003c\/strong\u003e No\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eManufacturer:\u003c\/strong\u003e Lionel\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eModel Number:\u003c\/strong\u003e 626\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYears Manufactured:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1956 - 1956\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRoad Name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Baltimore \u0026amp; Ohio (B\u0026amp;O)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eScale\/Era:\u003c\/strong\u003e O Postwar\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eModel Type:\u003c\/strong\u003e Diesel Loco\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Trainz SKU for this item is 6186378. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 6px !important; color: #d3d3d3 !important; line-height: 8px !important;\"\u003eTrainz Product Id: 11401294\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Lionel","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44134546997370,"sku":"6186378","price":168.29,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1260\/4747\/files\/20260608-085210-C5-Trainz-6186378-01.jpg?v=1781035845","url":"https:\/\/www.trainz.com\/products\/lionel-626-vintage-o-baltimore-ohio-44-ton-diesel-switcher-locomotive-vg","provider":"Trainz","version":"1.0","type":"link"}