I recently came into possession of a Lionel 224E locomotive, 2224W whistling tender, and 2 Pullman 2640 passenger cars and 1 Observation passenger car. I have the controller and the 12 foot metal track but I don't know what power source I need to power the train so that I can see if it runs. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Lorosco, that's a nice little engine, manufactured between 1939-1941. Because it is O gauge, it should run on any O gauge track.
I suspect that you bought it "as is," and the seller already knows that it doesn't run--otherwise, he would have said so and charged a higher price.
At the time, Lionel had a well-deserved reputation for manufacturing high-quality products, but eighty years will take its toll. An expert might get it running again by installing new parts. For what it will cost, you might be better off purchasing a similar locomotive.
Lorosco, you'll be glad to know that your whistling tender is a collectors' item. Manufactured from 1950-1959, it is a replica of a 1940 tender. A variety of whistle types were installed in them, and some owners report that they work, but they don't work well.
One recently sold for $82 US on eBay. Another one was on sale for $50 US. Unless you paid a fortune for these cars, you did well with this one alone.