You would have to take 2 1700 power cars, place them back-to back like AA F-units, connect with a vestibule. The motors would have be connected to a single E-unit and a coupler installed on the pilot of the rear unit, then you could pull freight cars. Marx did this with their tin litho M-10005 brown/yellow UP units. The rear unit is a dummy with a pilot coupler and pair are connected with a dogbone connector.
The Lionel 1700 AA units is a good idea, if you have some spare power units around.
You could also make a push-pull train, like American Flyer's Comet, with a power car both ends of a train with articulated coaches between.