LIONEL TRAINS OPERATING CARS IDENTIFICATION GUIDE

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This Identification Guide for Lionel Electric Trains covers the "Post-war Era" only from 1945 until 1969.

LIONEL TRAINS OPERATING CARS

Lionel Trains Operating Bosco Milk Car No. 3627

Lionel Trains Operating Bosco Milk Car Platform No. 3627

Operating Cars were always among the most exciting features of Lionel Trains during the Post-war period. Designed by the creative people in Lionel’s design department they were sure to bring a smile to every kid who had these cars. Sometimes working in conjunction with their accessories, these cars unloaded logs, coal, cattle, horses, culverts and many other miniature payloads. As Lionel entered the "Space Race" in the late 1950’s, helicopters, rockets and satellites were also launched from these cars. We’ve listed these cars on the Military & Space Cars page.

The cars are listed in numerical order by Lionel’s production numbers which is usually shown on the side of the car. If the car has no number refer to our No Number listing below.

Readers who need more information are respectfully urged to seek outside sources.


2460 Bucyrus Erie Crane Car 2560 Lionel Lines Crane Car 3356 Horse Cattle Car 3357 Cop and Hobo Car 3359 (335955) Twin Dump Coal Car 3361 (336155) Log Unloading Car 3362 Helium Tank Dump Car 3364 Log Dump Car 3366 Operating Horse Circus Car 3370 Sheriff & Outlaw Cattle Car 3376 Bronx Zoo Cattle Car 3386 Bronx Zoo Cattle Car 3424 Operating Brakeman Box Car 3428 United States Mail Car 3434 Poultry Dispatch Cattle Car 3435 Traveling Aquarium Car 3444 Animated Gondola Car 3451 Log Unloading Flat Car 3454 Automatic Merchandise Car 3456 (22000) Unloading Hopper Car	3459 Coal Unloading Car 3461 Log Unloading Car 3462 Automatic Milk Refrigerator Car 3464 (63132) A T & S F Box Car 3464 (159000) NYC Box Car 3469 Coal Unloading Car 3472 Automatic Milk Refrigerator Car 3474 Western Pacific Box Car 3482 Automatic Milk Refrigerator Car 3484 Pennsylvania Box Car 3484-25 A T & S F Box Car 3494-1 New York Central Box Car 3494-150 Missouri Pacific Box Car 3494-275 State of Maine Box Car 3494-550 Monon Box Car 3494-625 Soo Line Box Car 3520 Seachlight Car 3530 Mobile Generator Car 3545 TV Monitor Car 3559 Coal Dump Car	3562-1 (35621) Barrel Unloading Car 3562-25 (356225) Barrel Unloading Car 3562-50 (356250) Barrel Unloading Car 3562-75 (356275) Barrel Unloading Car 3620 Seachlight Car 3650 Extension Searchlight Car 3656 Cattle Car 3662 (36621) Automatic Milk Car 3672 Bosco Milk Refrigerator Car 3854 Automatic Merchandise Car 5459 Coal Unloading Car (Electronic) 6342 Culvert Gondola Car 6352 (63521) Pacific Fruit Express Car 6460 Bucyrus Erie Crane Car 6473 Horse Transport Cattle Car 6520 Seachlight Car 6560 Bucyrus Erie Crane Car 6560-25 Bucyrus Erie Crane Car 6805 Atomic Waste Disposal Car 6822 Seachlight Car

We’ve listed these unnumbered cars by their color, type, and the load that they carried. They are listed in alphabetical order by the type of loads that they originally had. The types listed are:

Plastic Unloading: defines cars that are derived from the No. 3361 mold.

GREEN Plastic Unloading Helium Tank Car No. 3362

Painted RED Cab BLACK frame Crane Car No. 6560 Variation B

RED Cab BLACK frame Crane Car No. 6560 Variation F