Lionel produced four main types of caboose during the Post War years. With the exception of the Bay Window Type, all of these cabooses experienced some kind of degradation as far as the details that were used on these cars as the Post War period progressed.

Lionel printed their production numbers on the side of these cars. We’ve listed these cars by this number in order within the various types. In some cases, especially with the Porthole Type, this production number was different than the number that was printed on the car. In such instances, we’ve listed the actual number that is on the car in parenthesis in the numerical listing. We’ve listed these cars in the following sub-types:

The SP Type Caboose are the most prolific of the cabooses produced by Lionel during the Post War period. This caboose is based on a prototype that was used by the Southern Pacific railroad and first appeared in 1947. A wide variety of these cabooses were available, from elaborately detailed versions with ladders and tool boxes, to stripped down versions, some of which towards the end of the post war era were not even lettered.

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

The N5C Porthole Caboose began to be available in 1953. It is based upon a prototype that was used by the Pennsylvania Railroad. Lionel would produce this caboose with the Lionel Lines, Lehigh Valley and Virginian road names applied to this caboose, even though the Pennsylvania Railroad was the only prototype railroad that used this style of caboose.

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

The Bay Window Caboose was first available in 1955 with the "Lionel Lines" designation on the side. It was equipped with deluxe passenger die-cast metal trucks and they had couplers at both ends. All of these cabooses are highly prised by collectors.

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

The Work Caboose followed the same pattern as the other cabooses that Lionel produced over the Post War period. Initially produced on a die-cast flat car frame with tool boxes and a roof ladder, these cabooses would, toward the end of the post war period, have a stamped sheet metal frame, no ladder, and in most cases a single bin instead of tool boxes.

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