At 29, I am a new Lionel train user. I've used simple H/o style trains as an early teenager, and decided to get back into it.

I bought a set at auction for $150 that looks to be a set from between 1952-54. It was either a whole set or pieced together to look like a set. I just want to know what I have.

The auction included:
2026 steam engine with 6466w whistle tender (what throws me off is that it's a 2-6-2, but it looks as if the front 2 were put in to replace the original front 4) the wear on the front isn't the same as the rest.
X6014 looks to be variation D
6465 looks to be type 7 frame and variation D (the word tank hasn't been replaced with 6465 and still has wire handrails)
6462 9 9/16 gondola looks to be variation J type 2a body and 2 lines of data 6 stained barrels
6457 looks to be variation b, chocolate brown diecast stack lighted caboose

All cars have bar ends.