uring the post-war period Lionel moved from all metal tin plate car production into using injected moulded plastic for these cars. During this transition Lionel settled on three main body types for their box cars. Many are under valued today because of lack of demand and others are over priced because of intense demand.

Below we’ve listed these cars by their series type:

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.

See the Numerical Index for additional details about the individual box cars in this series.

Available in many "Scout" and "O27" sets beginning in 1948, there would be four different body styles, and many cars that Lionel would put a slot in the roof. These cars would be available up until the final year of the post-war era in 1969.

Over the years that Lionel manufactured these cars they eliminated rows of rivets so that they were truncated close to the bottom and the top of the car.

Lionel eliminated these rows of rivets to ease the process of accommodating the graphics and lettering that were going to be printed on the sides of these box cars.

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.

Issued again in 1951 and 1952 these cars would have the solid blue "Baby Ruth" lettering.

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.

With new injected plastic molds for the bodies Lionel would install metal doors left over from pre-war production. See the Numerical Index for additional details about the individual box cars in this series.

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.

On all but the first "Baby Ruth" car Lionel would print out a large number on the sides which is often mistaken as their production number. We’ve indicated the large numbers that they stamped on the sides below in the chart under the column "CAR NUMBER."

The production numbers on all of these cars was "X6454" with various suffixes to designate each individual car. These suffixes are listed the "VAR." column below. Thus, the production number for a "Southern Pacific" car that has the "broken outer circle" would be "X6454(F)."

See the Numerical Index for additional details about the individual box cars in this series.

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.

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.

Single block doors would continue be seen on these cars through 1957 as Lionel used up existing stock. Multi-block doors would then be used on these cars for the remainder of the post-war period.

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.

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.

The second and larger car was a mold change in the 6464 cars that would allow for a second side door. These began production in 1953. We’ve listed details about both types below and look in Numerical Index for additional details about the individual box cars in this series.

These box cars were carried over from pre-war production with the substitution of post-war trucks.

They had a stamped-metal body with die-cast ends and a black metal ladder attached to the each side. Underbody details consisted of an air brake cylinder and reservoir, along with a triple air control valve.

See the Numerical Index for additional details about the individual box cars in this series.

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.

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.

See the Numerical Index for additional details about the individual box cars in this series.