These pages are best viewed at 1024 x 768 x 32 bit monitor resolution |
This Identification Guide for Lionel Electric Trains covers the "Post-war Era" only from 1945 until 1969. |
PASSENGER CARS |
We’ve listed these by type in chronological numerical order: |
WESTERN & ATLANTIC CARS 2400 SERIES CARS MADISON COACH CARS |
2000 SERIES SHEET METAL CARS 2500 SERIES CARS 6000 SERIES SHEET METAL CARS |
THE WESTERN & ATLANTIC COACH AND BAGGAGE CARS |
The Western & Atlantic Coach and Baggage Cars were produced for the General Sets beginning in 1959 and continuing until 1962. These cars had their production number painted on the sides. The No. 1865 and 1866 were produced for "O27" sets and the No. 1875, 1875W, and 1876 for "O" Gauge sets respectively. The No. 1875W came with a whistle unit installed as is indicated by the "W" suffix to this production number. |
THE 2000 SERIES SHEET METAL PASSENGER CARS |
The Sheet Metal Cars would carry the pre-war likeness of Lionel’s passenger cars into the early post-war years. These cars were available from 1946 until 1949, by which time Lionel had switched over to injected moulded plastic that would be used on all of their subsequent small passenger cars. With the exception of the 6000 Series cars, all of the sheet-metal cars came with coil couplers. |
See the Numerical Index for additional details about the individual cars in this class. |
|
THE 2400 SERIES PASSENGER CARS |
|
Many of the early cars were improperly assembled with the roof on backwards to mate with the interior metal inserts that held the roof to the body. This resulted in many of the interior bulkheads cracking due to the stress placed upon them. The majority of these cars were produced for O27 sets, and were designed to run on this track. |
|
THE 2500 SERIES PASSENGER CARS |
This would later be replaced with the more common plate. The name plates on the side would originally be held on by hexagon screws. These screws would later be replaced with small and then larger rivets. Later these plates would be glued on. |
|
FLAT CHANNEL CARS |
NOTE: Collectors should be aware of the fact that very good reproductions exist of the stripes and these are virtually indistinguishable from the originals. |
The best way to tell if the stripes are original is to look for excessive glue that Lionel used to adhere the stripes to the body. In the years that all of the flat channeled cars were in production Lionel used a form of carbon tetrachloride (a known carcinogen) to activate a dry adhesive on the stripes. When this happened it usually (but not always) squeezed out along the edge of the stripe. Brown in color, the evidence of the presence of this adhesive is the best indication that the stripe is original. |
At the bottom of this page we’ve listed these cars by their number in the Numerical Index below. |
|
THE MADISON COACH CARS |
|
Collectors have designated these the MADISON cars to distinguish them from their pre-war predecessors. In 1947 Lionel would offer three different names, but they all would bear the No. 2625. |
Starting in 1948, Lionel would assign the No. 2627 to the MADISON car, and No. 2628 to the MANHATTAN car. |
As with the majority of the prototype equipment, Lionel equipped these cars with six wheel trucks. The center axle on each truck has the wheel flanges removed to negotiate their tight 31 inch diameter curved O Gauge track. |
In their last year of production in 1950, Lionel would install window inserts with people silhouettes. These cars became more desirable than the earlier cars with plain inserts. Reproductions of people silhouetted inserts have been available for many years and collectors have retro-fitted many of the earlier cars with these window inserts. |
What ever window inserts are in these cars, those that have excellent or better paint are highly sought after by collectors today. |
|
THE 6000 SERIES SHEET METAL PASSENGER CARS |
The 6000 Series Sheet Metal Cars would be the last of these cars that were issued in 1948 and 1949. Basically, they are the same as the 2000 Series with the exception that they have magnetic instead of electronic coil couplers. |
See the Numerical Index for additional details about the individual cars in this class. |
1865 Western & Atlantic Coach 1866 Western & Atlantic Baggage 1875 Western & Atlantic Coach 1875W Western & Atlantic Coach 1876 Western & Atlantic Baggage 1885 Western & Atlantic Coach 2400 Maplewood Pullman 2401 Hillside Observation 2402 Chatham Pullman 2404 Santa Fe Vista-Dome 2405 Santa Fe Pullman 2406 Santa Fe Observation 2408 Santa Fe Vista-Dome 2409 Santa Fe Pullman 2410 Santa Fe Observation 2412 Santa Fe Vista-Dome 2414 Santa Fe Pullman 2416 Santa Fe Observation 2421 Maplewood Pullman 2422 Chatham Pullman 2423 Hillside Observation 2429 Livingston Pullman 2430 Pullman |
2431 Observation 2432 Clifton Vista-Dome 2434 Newark Pullman 2435 Elizabeth Pullman 2436 Mooseheart Observation 2436 Summit Observation 2440 Pullman 2441 Observation 2442 Pullman 2442 Clifton Vista-Dome 2443 Observation 2444 Newark Pullman 2445 Elizabeth Pullman 2446 Summit Observation 2481 Plainfield Pullman 2482 Westfield Pullman 2483 Livingston Observation 2521 President McKinley Observ. 2522 President Harrison Vista 2523 President Garfield Pullman 2530 Railway Express Baggage 2531 Silver Dawn Observation 2532 Silver Range Vista-Dome |
2533 Silver Cloud Pullman 2534 Silver Bluff Pullman 2541 PRR Alexander Hamilton Observation 2542 PRR Betsy Ross Vista-Dome 2543 PRR William Penn Pullman 2544 PRR Molly Pitcher Pullman 2550 Budd RDC Baggage/Mail 2551 Canadian Pacific Banff Park Observation 2552 Canadian Pacific Skyline 500 Vista-Dome 2553 Canadian Pacific Blair Manor Pullman 2554 Canadian Pacific Craig Manor Pullman 2559 Budd RDC Coach 2561 Santa Fe Vista Valley Observation 2562 Santa Fe Regal Pass Vista-Dome 2563 Santa Fe Indian Falls Pullman 2625 Irvington Coach 2627 Madison Coach 2628 Manhattan Coach 6440 Pullman 6441 Observation 6442 Pullman 6443 Observation |