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This Identification Guide for Lionel Electric Trains covers the "Post-war Era" only from 1945 until 1969. |
LIONEL TRAINS BOX CARS |
6014 SERIES BOX CARS 2454 SERIES BOX CARS |
6454 SERIES BOX CARS 6464 SERIES BOX CARS |
AUTOMOBILE CARS |
At the bottom of this page are indexed those box cars that we’ve researched listed in Numerical order. THE 6014 SERIES BOX CARS |
These 8-1/2 Inch Box Cars car are characterized not only by their length but by the fact that their doors were not operational. They were part of the body casting and were cast in a closed position. Often these cars are referred to as "Plug-door Box Cars" but that is inaccurate. Lionel’s predilection to assigning production runs as suffixes to their car numbers confuses proper identification of these cars. We’ve listed these cars in the table below with the suffix number that lionel used on the ends of the box. |
There would be two sub-types of the Type II body. Type IIa: has a solid catwalk. Type IIb: Has two plug marks that resulted from the change in the die that was needed to accomodate the No. 3357. |
The first of these cars that were issued was the No. X1004 "Baby Ruth." In 1948 and 1949 it came with the lettering outlined. The No. X1004(D) version issued only in 1948 would come only in an uncataloged set with a No. 1101 locomotive.
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THE 2454 SERIES BOX CARS |
These 9-1/4 Inch Box Cars all have the car number designation of X2454. Produced in 1946 and 1947, Lionel would use these cars to perfect the manufacturing techniques that would be used on the 6454 cars starting in 1948.
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THE 6454 SERIES BOX CARS |
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These 9-1/4 Inch Box Cars all have the car number designation of "X6454." Produced from 1948 until 1952, Lionel would use these cars to perfect the manufacturing techniques that would be used on the 6464 cars starting in 1953. With new injected plastic molds for the bodies and doors on later editions, Lionel would install Type 3b and Type 4 Staple-end trucks on most of the variations. |
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THE LIONEL TRAINS 6464 SERIES BOX CARS |
The 6464 Series Box Cars would like to welcome you to your worst collecting nightmare! |
Collectors have identified over several hundred variations on these cars from different door types and rivet patterns on the sides, to the color of the paint and plastic that Lionel used in their manufacture. It is beyond the scope this identification guide to picture all of these variations. We will, however, show you most of the major ones, along with a few of the production errors that occurred along with references to the vairious body types shown below, so you’ll have an idea of what you’re getting into should you decide to collect these variations. |
Readers who need more information are respectively urged to seek outside sources. Beginning in 1953, Lionel would offer one or more of these 10-1/2 inch cars up until the last year of the post-war period in 1969. See the Numerical Index for additional details about the individual box cars in this series. |
6464 SERIES DOOR TYPES |
All of the very early 6464 cars came with Single-block doors. However, in 1955 to accommodate the paint scheme of the new No. 6464-275 State of Maine car, Lionel developed the Multi-block door. |
Because the doors are easily interchangeable collectors place no extra value in any of these cars because of the door type. |
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6464 SERIES BODY TYPES |
The first three columns are incomplete at the top. Column is also broken at the bottom. |
First seen in 1954. Columns and are broken near the top as in Type I. Column has three rivets at the top and two at the bottom. All of the rivets in Column have been removed. There are two versions of Type II which have to do with lines on the roof. See below for sub-types. |
Production started on this type sometime in late 1958. Four rivets down from the top in Column there is a break. In Column has there are only three rivets at the top and two at the bottom. Column has a break near the top. There are only two rivets at the top and the bottom in Column . Type III has visible interior roof ribs. |
This type was produced starting in 1960. Same as Type III, but Column has only three rivets at top and two at the bottom. Type IV also has interior roof ribs. |
AUTOMOBILE CARS |
There were two different types of automobile box cars issued by Lionel during the Post War Era. The first smaller 9-1/2 inch cars were a carryover from the pre-war period. |
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9-1/2 INCH AUTOMOBILE CARS |
These box cars were carried over from pre-war production with the substitution of post-war trucks. |
No. X2954 Pennsylvania Automobile Boxcar is a Pre-war car that is made out of Bakelite and painted tuscan. Never made during the post-war era, it is most likely that dealers or individuals have removed the pre-war trucks and substituted them with post-war. |
10-1/2 INCH AUTOMOBILE CARS |
These cars originated with the mold that was used to create the 6464 cars that was modified to accomodate a second door. They began production in 1953 with the DARK BLUE Baltimore & Ohio No. 6468 and ended in 1958 with the No. 6468-25 New Haven. Even during this short period of time there were many variations that included one of the rarest of the post war cars. |
638-2361 Van Camp’s Pork & Beans 6014 Bosco 6014 Chun King 6014-60 (6014) Frisco 6014-85 (6014) Frisco 6014-85F (6014) Frisco 6014-100 (6014) Airex 6014-150 (6014) Wix Filters 6014-335 (6014) Frisco 6024 RCA Whirlpool 6024 Shredded Wheat 6044 Airex 6044-1X McCall’s Nestle’s Promotional 6050 Libby’s Tomato Juice 6050 Lionel Savings Bank 6050 Swift Refrigerator 6428 United States Mail 6445 Fort Knox Gold Reserve 6464-1 Western Pacific 6464-25 Great Northern 6464-50 Minneapolis & St. Louis 6464-75 Green Rock Island 6464-100 Western Pacific Feather |
6464-125 New York Central Pacemaker 6464-150 Missouri Pacific Eagle 6464-175 Silver Rock Island 6464-200 Pennsylvania 6464-225 Southern Pacific Overnight 6464-250 Western Pacific Feather 6464-275 State of Maine 6464-300 Rutland 6464-325 Baltimore & Ohio Sentinel 6464-350 M-K-T Katy 6464-375 Central of Georgia 6464-400 Baltimore & Ohio Timesaver 6464-425 New Haven 6464-450 Great Northern 6464-475 Boston & Maine 6464-500 Timken 6464-510 NYC Pacemaker 6464-515 M-K-T Katy 6464-525 M & St. L 6464-650 Rio Grande 6464-700 Santa Fe 6464-725 New Haven |
6464-825 Alaska Railroad 6464-900 New York Central 6464-1965 TCA 1965 Convention 6464-1967 TCA 1967 Convention 6468 Baltimore & Ohio Automobile 6468-25 New Haven Automobile 6530 Fire Figthing Insuctrution Car X1004 Baby Ruth X2454 Baby Ruth X2454 Pennsylvania X2458 Pennsylvania Automobile X2758 Pennsylvania Automobile X4454 Baby Ruth X6004 Baby Ruth X6014 Baby Ruth X6034 Baby Ruth X6454 A.T. & S.F. X6454 Baby Ruth X6454 Erie X6454 New York Central X6454 Pennsylvania X6454 Southern Pacific |
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