The Lionel Caboose No. 6257 was one step up from the No. 6017 and was available from 1948 until 1956 and was again in production in 1963 and 1964. What distinguishes this caboose is the addition of one brake wheel. However, Lionel was not consistent in its production of the frames that were used on this caboose, and early productions would have two brake wheels, while some that were made in the mid-50’s and the 1960’s had no brake wheels at all. This caboose was not lighted, nor did have an interior window shell. There were no ladders and it usually came without a smoke stack and battery boxes.

Due to its long production span, classification of this caboose is broken up into four types that are based on the lettering that was heat-stamped on the sides:

Lettered Lionel SP under cupola. Produced from 1948 until 1952 with WHITE heat-stamped lettering. Early examples have a painted frame that usually came with two brake wheels, while later productions have a chemically blackened frame that had only one brake wheel. Prior to 1952, it was produced with staple-end trucks, while those that were produced in 1952 have bar-end trucks. All of the variations have one magnetic coupler.

There are four variations of this type:

Variation A: DARK TILE RED Die 1 body with matching plastic smoke stack, staple-end trucks, and it usually came with battery boxes. This variation is scarce.

Variation B: with RED Die 1 body with staple-end trucks, Die 1a body with staple-end trucks, or Die 2 body equipped with staple-end or bar-end trucks.

Variation C: with ORANGE RED Die 1 body and staple-end trucks.

Variation D: with TILE RED Die 3a body equipped with bar-end trucks.

Lettered Lionel Circled L under cupola that is usually found on a Die 3a body. Produced from 1953 until 1955 with WHITE heat-stamped lettering. Came with a chemically blackened frame that usually has one brake wheel. Note: the variation pictured above has no brake wheel. Produced with bar-end trucks with one magnetic coupler, it came in a box that is numbered 6257-25.

There are four variations of this type:

Variation A: with painted RED body.

Variation B: with painted DARK RED body.

Variation C: with painted TILE RED body.

Variation D: with RED Die 3 body that is not painted and came with bar-end trucks.

Lettered Lionel with no imprint under cupola. Produced in 1956 with WHITE heat-stamped lettering that used only one die and is found with reversible lettering on both sides. Came with a chemically blackened frame that usually has one brake wheel. Produced with bar-end trucks with one magnetic tabbed coupler. Came in a box that is numbered 6257-50.

There are two variations of this type:

Variation A: with the number 6257 to the left on a Die 3 body with bar-end trucks.

Variation B: with the number 6257 to the right on a Die 3 body with bar-end trucks.

Lettered Lionel Lines with no imprint under cupola on a Die 4 body. Produced in 1963 and 1964 with WHITE heat-stamped lettering that used only one die and is found with reversible lettering on both sides. In the above illustrations this is indicated by the fact that the number is always to the right. Came with a chemically blackened frame that does not have a brake wheel and is held to the body with tabs. Produced with AAR trucks that have one disc coupler. Shown in the consumer catalogs as No. 6257-100. Aside from Type 1A Variation, this is the only variation that has a smoke stack, however, this type has a die-cast smoke stack. There are no variations of this type.