The Automatic Gateman No. 45/45N is a pre-war carry over into the Post War Period. This automatic gateman accessory had an unprecedented run of over 30 years from 1936, to its later version, the No. 145, in 1966.

This very popular accessory would, upon activation, open the door and the gateman would come out swinging his clear RED lantern. A RED screw-in No. L1449R light in the base would illuminate the lantern.

To understand why the gateman is so out of scale it is necessary to explain the reasons for this accessory’s initial manufacture in 1936.

It was originally produced for both Standard Gauge (No. 45) and for O Gauge (No. 045). Even though both of these were sized the same, they each came with a different gauge straight track section that had an insulated third rail to activate the gateman who was appropriately sized for Standard Gauge. By 1937, Lionel began using the No. 41 track activator with this accessory and inclusion of the track sections were no longer necessary. It was at this point that Lionel changed the number to "45N" to indicate that it could be used with either gauge of track. This contact was replaced by the No. 153C Contactor in the post war period.

Following the second World War, Lionel only cataloged this accessory with the "N" suffix in 1945, although the bottom stamp on these units continued to indicate the number as "45N."

The main differences between the Pre-War and Post War versions of this accessory, while not inclusive, that are generally believed to be consistent are:

1. The chimney has been removed from the house in the Post War versions.

2. Use of the RED colored No. L1449(R) light bulb in the base allowed the removal of the RED acetate filter that was used in the Pre-War versions. 3. The tool box cover is blank on the Post War versions. 4. The finial on the sign is nickel plated on the Post War versions. 5. The door on the house is always RED in color on the Post War versions.

With the introduction of the No. 153 Block Signal and the No. 154 Crossing Signal in 1940, the block signal and cross buck posts that were used for these accessories mounted the signal head and the cross buck in different postilions. Use of these different posts are probably responsible for the different heights of the cross buck that are seen in the No. 45/45N. These variations in height can be as little as 1/2 inch to as much as 1-1/2 inches below the finial at the top of these posts.

This disparity accounts for most of the five variations:

Variation A: Cross buck in high position. 1945-46 production.

Variation B: Cross buck in middle position. 1947 production.

Variation C: Base is painted a DARKER GREEN than previous variations. Cross buck in middle position. 1948 production.

Variation D: Identical to Variation C except a thinner pole is used and the cross buck is in a lower position. 1949 production.

Variation E: Identical to Variation D except the gateman’s shack is CREAM in color. Found with different cross buck height posts. Came with an early classic ORANGE and BLUE box. 1949 production.

Today, a premium is paid for this accessory that has unblemished original paint.

Dimensions: 7 inches long, 5-1/4 inches wide, 6-1/4 inches high