No. 3530 Operating Generator Car

The picture above shows a #3530 Operating Generator Car (manufactured from 1956-1958). The car is a replica of a General Motors Electro Motive Division generator car. It is made of blue plastic with a white stripe painted on its side. Mine has the stripe going through the ladder at the end - other versions have the stripe ending at the ladder. The car has double sliding doors on each side. The left-hand door on the side shown above has a contact switch that when opened, turns on an internal light and starts a vibrator motor driven simulated fan. Inside is also an orange generator that is the same as on the No. 3520 searchlight car I have. Note that I have the original box for this car.The picture below shows the doors open and the light on inside.

No. 3530 Operating Generator Car with Light On Inside

The top of the car has ventilation holes through which you can see the light and the simulated fan turning. The picture below shows the top of the car with the interior light shining through.

No. 3530 Operating Generator Car Top View with Light On Inside

My generator car has blue fuel tanks below the doors. Other versions have black fuel tanks. The car originally came with a telephone pole/transformer and a searchlight that can be connected to the top of the car and the searchlight illuminates when the door is opened. The telephone pole/transformer and searchlight could also be purchased separately as Lionel # 3530-30. The generator car with the telephone pole/transformer and searchlight connected are shown in the picture below.

No. 3530 Operating Generator Car With Telephone Pole, Transformer and Searchlight

The picture below shows the setup with the searchlight illuminated as powered by the generator car.

No. 3530 Operating Generator Car With Telephone Pole, Transformer and Searchlight Illuminated

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No. 6362 Railway Truck Car

The picture above shows a Lionel #6362 Railway Truck Car (manufactured 1955-1957). This car has an unpainted orange plastic body mounted on a blued steel chassis. The car has bar-end metal trucks and magnetic couplers. The cargo load for this car are three 479-1 bar end metal trucks.

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No. 6511 Pipe Car

The picture above shows a Lionel #6511 Pipe Car (manufactured 1953-1956). The car is red with heat-stamped "Lionel 6511" lettering on both sides. The car has bar-end metal trucks with magnetic couplers. Five silver-gray plasic pipes is the load carried by the car. Thirteen spring steel posts hold the pipes in place. This car has heavy die-cast plates on the underside of each end to which the trucks are attached. As such, this car was manufacgtured in 1953.

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No. 6464-1 Western Pacific Box Car

The picture above shows a Lionel #6464-1 Western Pacific box car (manufactured from 1953-1954). This box car was the first car in the 6464 series of box cars. I understand the 6464-1 Western Pacific is a fairly common car. It was included in sets as well as being available for separate sale. The 6464-1 Western Pacific includes a silver painted shell with blue lettering, type I body style, single block sliding doors, bar-end trucks with two operating couplers, and a single brakewheel. The silver paint on this car tends to fade with age but the silver paint on mine is reasonably bright. The blue lettering on mine in in good shape also.

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No. 6464-25 Great Northern Box Car

The picture above shows a Lionel #6464-25 Great Northern Box Car (manufactured from 1953-1954). The body of this car is painted flat orange with white heat-stamped lettering including the Great Northern herald.

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No. 6464-50 Minneapolis & St. Louis Box Cars

The picture above shows two identical Lionel #6464-50 Minneapolis & St. Louis Box Cars (manufactured from 1953-1956). The car has white heat-stamped lettering including the "M & ST. L THE PEORIA GATEWAY" logo. The single tack board doors are painted the same brown color as the body. The car has bar-end trucks with magnetic couplers. Based on the rivet pattern to the left of the door, both of these cars are some of the earliest of these cars produced.

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No. 6464-75 Rock Island Box Car

The picture above shows a #6464-75 Rock Island Box Car (manufactured from 1953-1954). The body of this car is painted green with gold heat-stamped lettering. The doors are also painted green. The complete 6464-75 number was not painted on the car - only "6464" was painted on the car.

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Lionel No. 6464-150 Missouri Packfic Eagle Box Car

The picture above shows a Lionel No. 6464-150 Missouri Packfic Eagle box car. The car has bar end trucks and the "Eagle" logo is to the left of the door.

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No. 6464-275 State of Maine Box Car

The picture above shows a Lionel #6464-275 State of Maine Box Car (manufactured from 1955-1959). This is a colorful box car with red, white, and blue horizontal stripes. On my car, the body is molded blue plastic and the white and red colors are painted on. My car has bar-end trucks indicating it is of the early production. It also has tab couplers.

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No. 6464-375 Central of Georgia Box Car

The picture above shows a Lionel #6464-375 Central of Georgia Box Car (manufactured from 1956-1957). This car has a maroon-colored body with a silver oval painted on the side. The roof is also painted silver. The lettering outside the oval is heat stamped. The Central of Georgia herald is a decal. My car has bar end trucks, one of which has a tab coupler - the other coupler does not have the tab.

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Lionel No. 6464-400 Baltimore & Ohio Box Car

The picture above shows a Lionel No. 6464-400 Baltimore & Ohio Box Car. This example features bar end trucks and has a built date of 5-54 on the side.

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Lionel No. 6468 Baltimore & Ohio Automobile Transport Box Car

The picture above shows a Lionel No. 6468 Baltimore & Ohio Automobile Transport Car (manufactured from 1953-1955). This is a double-door boxcar and actual boxcars of this type were used to transport automobiles before the auto-loader and auto-rack railroad cars became popular. Note that the doors are not in the center of the car (horizontally). My car is in fairly good shape but there are some rust stains to the right of the doors below the upper door rail and on the other side near the bottom. My car is the more common blue car.

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No. X3464 N.Y.C. Box Car and No. 6464-425 New Haven Box Car

The picture above shows a No. X3464 New York Central Box Car (manufactured from 1949-1952) and a No. 6464-425 New Haven Boxcar (manufactured 1956-1958) on a track in front of my No. 256 freight station. The X3464 is an operating boxcar. When the car is over an UCS remote control track section and the "uncouple" button is pressed, the door will slide open and the man inside will move toward the door as shown in the photo. My car is an older version as it has the staple-end trucks. Note that I have the original box and instruction sheet for this car. The New Haven boxcar is highly sought after for its contrasting colors. Mine has the unpainted black body and the "N" has the full Serif type font.

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No. 3454 Automatic Merchandise Car

The picture above shows a #3454 Automatic Merchandise Car (manufactured from 1946 - 1947) that I have. This is one of the first operating cars produced after WWII. This 9 1/4-inch long car is painted silver and the PRR logo is blue. The car has opening die-cast doors. This car has cubes of brown plastic "crates" engraved with "Baby Ruth" that are ejected by the remote control track section after the door is first opened by remote control. Repeated remote control action ejects all of the crates, one at a time, and then the last remote control action closes the door. The crates are reloaded via roof hatch.

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No. 3472 Operating Milk Car & No. 3462P Milk Car Platform

The picture above shows a #3472 Operating Milk Car (manufactured from 1949 - 1953) that I have. Five milk cans came with the car (the original set had 7 cans). I have the #3462P milk car platform, and the original box for this set. This set is probably Lionel's most popular accessory. This car is a reliable accessory and only occasionally needs cleaning and alignment. I had the platform with my original train set I received from my cousin, but later I purchased the car with the 5 cans and box. The #3472 Operating Milk Car is listed on page 28 of the 1952 catalog as shown below.

No. 3472 Operating Milk Car in 1952 Lionel Consumer Catalog

After I received the car, I rewired the car to replace the old wiring that was brittle and had cracked insulation. I adjusted and oiled the mechanism and now the car works well. Below are some pictures showing how the car works.

No. 3472 Operating Milk Car with Man Placing Milk Cans on Platform

The picture above shows the man inside the car placing a milk can on the platform. Although in this picture you can see through the door and out the door on the opposite side, the car has doors on both sides. I removed the door on the opposite side to manually activate the mechanism for taking this picture. Below are pictures showing the internal mechanism.



Internal Mechanism of No. 3472 Operating Milk Car

As shown above, the mechanism is fairly simple being driven by a single solenoid activated by a special track section that is used to unload my log and coal cars. The special track section also decouples cars. The milk cans are loaded into the car through a door in the top of the car. The cans roll down an inclined trough starting at the top left and ending just to the left of the milk man. You can see the solenoid in the left foreground. When activated, the solenoid plunger moves inward. Below is a picture of the other side of the car.


Internal Mechanism of No. 3472 Operating Milk Car Showing Milk Can to be Captured

The picture above shows the solenoid activated the initial time after loading. At that time, a milk can falls out of the trough and is uprighted ready for the milk man to capture it. You can see the can just to the right of the man and partially obscured by the mechanism. The next time the solenoid is activated, the can is captured by the man as shown below.

Internal Mechanism of No. 3472 Operating Milk Car Milk Can Captured by Man

In the picture above, you can see the man has the can is ready to move it out of the car. The picture below shows the man placing the can on the platform.

Man in No. 3472 Operating Milk Car Placing Milk Can on Platform

In the picture above, the solenoid is fully activated and the man would be outside the car placing the can on the platform. The milk cans have a tiny magnet on the bottom to hold them on the mechanism. The platform deck is supposed to be steel so the cans will "stick" to it. I lost my original platform deck and I made a replacement from aluminum, but the cans do not "stick" to aluminum and skid significantly on the deck.

I acquired spare milk cans for the milk car. The spare milk can set is shown below in its original box. Lionel sold the #3462-70 milk can set as a replacement item or for use as extra detailing in a train layout. Note the box is lettered "For use with No. 3462 and No. 3472 Milk Cars." This lettering suggests it was manufactured between 1950 and 1957.

No. 3462-70 Additional Milk Cans

No train layout would be complete without a method to deliver the milk once the train transported the milk to its destination. Therefore, I acquired a diecast replication of the once famous 1950 DIVCO (Detroit Industrial Vehicle Company) milk delivery truck. This truck is shown below.

Diecast Model of a 1950 DIVCO Milk Delivery Truck

This diecast model is a Lionel Licensed Product manufactured in 2002 by Road Champs. It is a 1:43 scale model. It has written on the side "Lionelville Farms." Beside the truck are three crates containing milk bottles. This model has not ever been removed from its plastic case. The plastic bag surrounding the case is still sealed with the original tape.

Lionel No. 3562 AT &SF Barrel Unloading Car

The picture above shows a Lionel Lionel No. 3562 AT &SF Barrel Unloading Car. The car contains an internal vibrator motor mechanism that when activated moves the barrels up the sloping metal trough to where the rubber workman "unloads" the barrels.

Lionel No. 6352 Pacific Fruit Express Refrigerator Car

The picture above shows a Lionel No. 6352 Pacific Fruit Express refrigerator car (manufactured from 1955-1957). This car was originally built to accompany the Lionel No. 352 Icing Station. The car has an unpainted orange body with black heat-stamped lettering. The number on the car is actually 63521. A special sliding roof panel allows the plastic ice cubes to be loaded from the icing station platform. There is a compartment inside to collect the ice cubes and a special door on the side (to the right of the brown door) allows access to the compartment to remove the cubes.

Lionel No. 6376 Circus Car

The picture above shows a Lionel No. 6376 circus car (manufactured from 1956-1957). This car is a large bi-level stock car. The body is unpainted white plastic with red markings heat-stamped in red. The roof walk is also painted red. The car has split doors with one for each level on each side. The car has bar-end trucks. Lionel No. 6800 Flat Car with Airplane

This unpainted car includes a miniature Beachcraft Bonanza airplane with folded wings. This example has metal bar-end trucks and magnetic couplers and is the first version manufactured in 1957. The aircraft is molded in yellow and black plastic. This example has yellow on the upper surfaces and sports a yellow propeller. Note that I have the original box for this car.

As shown below, the bottom of the airplane bears the markings "No. 6800-60 AIRPLANE THE LIONEL CORPORATION NEW YORK, NY. MADE IN U.S. OF AMERICA."

Lionel No. 6800-60 Airplane Bottom

The airplane wings will fold out and lock in place and the landing gear in the wings will support the plane sitting on the ground.

Lionel No. 6801 Boat Hauling Car

The picture above shows a Lionel No. 6801 Boat Hauling Car (manufactured from 1957 through 1960). This car features an unpainted red flat car carrying a boat in an unpainted gray cradle. An elastic band holds the boat in place. The example is an early version, manufactured in 1957 as it has bar end trucks and the boat is white with a brown deck.

Lionel No. 3419 Operating Helicopter Car

The picture above shows a Lionel No. 3419 Operating Helicopter Car (manufactured from 1959 through 1965). This blue-plastic car has AAR-type trucks with operating couplers. A wind-up mechanism is mounted under the car and a spindle on tpo engages the bottom of the helicopter that mounted to the spindle. The tail of the helicopter is captured in a cradle at the end of the car. The mechanism is manually wound and the helicoper launched manually or via remote-control track section. This example is the later version car with the bright-plated mechanism and the translucent tail on the helicopter. This example has the original box, although not in pristine condition.

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Lionel No. 3474 Western Pacific Operating Box Car

The picture above shows a Lionel No. 3474 Western Pacific Operating Box car (manufactured 1952-1953). This box car is the most colorful of the 9 1/4 inch operating box cars. Its body is painted silver and a large Western Pacific yellow-orange feather decal stretches most of the car's length. It also has a smaller decal with the Western Pacific "Rides Like a Feather" slogan in the upper right corner. The box car has an operating mechanism inside on which rides a blue rubber man. When the car is over the decoupling track section and the decouple button is pressed, the plunger on the bottom of the car is activated, the door slides open, and the man moves toward the door as shown in the lower photograph. I do not have the box for this car. My car works well.

Lionel No. 6672 Refrigerator Car

The picture above shows a Lionel No. 6672 Refrigerator Car (manufactured from 1954 - 1956). This car has the Santa Fe markings (SFRD) and is a model of a mechancal refrigerator car. The car has no "ice hatches" like other refrigerator ("reefer") cars (such as the No. 3472 car above) because the car is "cooled" by mechanical temperature control (a refrigeration system). The car is longer than older "reefer" cars as this car is 10 1/8 incles long. The sides and floor of the car are molded a a single piece of unpainted white plastic and the roof and ends are molded as a single piece of unpainted brown plastic. The doors on either sides are molded of unapinted brown plastic and when in position over the door opening, a leaf spring in the door guide pushes them down into place. You have to pull the door outward slightly to open the door. Note there is an aluminum refrigeration control panel on the lower left. When you slide the panel to the left, controls are revealed and the manufacturer name Carrier is revealed. The picture below shows the panel opened.

Lionel No. 6672 Refregerator Car with Refrigerator Control Door Open

The car has bar end metal trucks with tab couplers. My car is in good shape; however, there is some rust on the door guides. Note that I have the original box for this car. The box is in good shape with 397 marked on it. I presume that marking indicated the sale price; however, in the 1954 Lionel catalog, the factory recommended price for this car was $5.95. My car is the later version as there are 2 lines of data to the right of the door.

Lionel No. 6346 "Alcoa" Car

The picture above is a Lionel No. 6346 Alcoa Aluminum hopper car (manufactured 1956 only). This is one of the few covered hopper cars manufactured by Lionel. This car has a silver painted body, blue lettering, bar end trucks, one brakewheel, and a stick-on Alcoa Aluminum emblem on both sides. The actual number painted on the side is "643656." The car is long measuring 10 3/4 inches, not including the couplers on each end.

The cover has 12 hatches; however, mine has 2 hatches missing as the hatches are fragile and the hinges easily broken. Replacements can be obtained for the missing hatches. Note that I have the original box for this car. One of box end flaps is detached, but present, and the other is missing.

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Lionel X6014 Baby Ruth Scout-Type Boxcar

The picture above shows a Baby Ruth Scout-type boxcar (manufactured 1951-1956). The doors on this inexpensive boxcar do not open and the brakewheel is molded into the plastic.

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Passenger Cars

Below are pictures of the passenger cars that I have.


Lionel No. 2400 Maplewood Passenger Car

The picture above shows a Lionel No. 2400 passenger car (manufactured from 1948-1949). This car is one of three similar attractive passenger cars in the 2400 series. These plastic streamlined cars had bodies painted green with yellow stripes and yellow window outlines. The lettering on this Pullman was heat-stamped in white and the roof was dark gray. This car is illuminated with plain frosted window inserts. Maplewood is a town in New Jersey near the former Lionel manufacturing plant.

Lionel No. 2401 Hillside Passenger Car

The picture above shows a Lionel No. 2401 passenger car (manufactured from 1948-1949). This car is the observation car offered to accompany the 2400 and 2402 passenger cars. Its paint and markings is the same as the 2400 and 2402 cars. Hillside, New Jersey was the home of the Lionel manufacturing plant when this car was manufactured.

Lionel No. 2402 Chatham Passenger Car

The picture above shows a Lionel No. 2402 passenger car (manufactured from 1948-1949). The second Pullman car offered in 1948-1949 was the 2402 Chatham car. Its paint and markings is the same as the 2400 and 2401 cars. Chatham is a community in New Jersey near the former Lionel manufacturing plant.

Below is a picture showing all three passenger cars in a train and illuminated.

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Motorized Units

Below are pictures of the motorized units that I have.


Lionel No. 41 Switcher

The picture above shows a Lionel No. 41 Switcher (manufactured from 1955-1958) that I have. This unit is modeled after the experimental gas turbine switching engine built by the Davenport Locomotive works for the US Army Transportation Corps. The prototype switcher is powered by two Boeing gas turbines. The top speed of the Davenport locomotive is only 35 mph and Lionel designed its version to also be considerably slower than their other road locomotives. The actual twin Boeing turbine-powered locomotive is preserved at the National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, MO.

Both the real and Lionel versions are intended for light yard work and should not be expected to pull no more than 3-4 freight cars.

The Lionel No. 41 has a ornamental horn, three position E-unit, and operating couplers on the front and rear. My unit is made of black plastic. Note that I have the the original box and the attendant operating instructions. On the box, the price is written as $11.50. It is worth considerably more than that now. My unit works well both forward and reverse. All wondow struts are present; however two on one side are cracked. These struts are easily broken with your thumb when picking up the engine.

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Lionel No. 51 Switcher

The picture above shows a Lionel No. 51 Switcher (manufactured from 1956-1957) that I have. This 2-4-2 unit is a replica of a 30-ton switcher built by the Vulcan Iron works of Wilkes-Bare, PA. The unit has white heat-stamped lettering applied to an unpainted blue plastic body. The body has blued-steel handrails and an ornamintal horn. It also has a three-position E-unit. The window struts are often missing on these units. Mine has both window struts, but both are cracked.

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Lionel No. 53 Rio Grande Snow Plow

The picture above shows a Lionel No. 53 Rio Grande snow plow (manufacured 1957-1960) I have. This motorized unit unit is based on the Vulcan 2-4-2 switcher. The cab is painted yellow and the remainder is unpainted black plastic. There is an unpainted yellow snowplow blade on the front and an operating coupler on the rear. It has an E-unit internal that changes direction with power interruptions similar to my Santa Fe locomotive. Notice the window strut is broken but all of it is still there. The one on the other side is also broken. This is a common problem with these units as the struts are thin and is in the perfect place for your thumb to press it in when you pick the unit up.

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Lionel No. 58 Great Northern Rotary Snow Plow

The picture above shows a Lionel No. 58 Great Northern rotary snow plow (manufacured 1959-1961) I have. This motorized unit unit is based on the Vulcan 2-4-2 switcher, but it is heavily modified to include a rotary snow blower on the front. The blower actually turns as the unit moves down the track. It has an internal E-unit that changes direction with power interruptions. It has a operating coupler on the rear so the unit can pull small loads. The body is unpainted green plastic with white cab sides and heat-stamped lettering.

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Lionel No. 60 Trolley With Black Lettering

The picture above shows a Lionel No. 60 trolley (manufactured from 1955-1958). This unit is based on the Birney design and has a reversing mechanism similar to the No. 50 gang car. It has an unpainted yellow body and an unpainted red roof. The lettering was applied with heat-stamping. The lettering on this unit is black indicating it is a unit produced early in the production. This unit does not have the motormen that were included in the very first units.

The unit has a trolley pole on the top (that in a real trolley collected power from an overhead wire). The pole swings around in the opposite direction when the trolley strikes an obstruction. This unit has the two part spring-type bumpers on the front and rear that make the car reverse when it strikes an obstruction.

The inside of the car is illuminated and there are silhouettes of passengers printed on the frosted windows.

When I received this item, I had to perform some repairs: resolder the 2 field coils wires, replace the motor ball bearing, repair one motor brush, take the car apart and oil and regrease it, replace the interior lamp, clean the entire car. The result of this work produced a gool-looking car that runs very well.

Click on the picture below and you can see a short movie of the car in action. The continuous "buzz" you hear is the vibrotor of the No. 155 Ringing Signal next to the train station. The bell of the ringing signal is difficult to hear in this video.



I also have a Lionel No. 60 trolley with blue lettering with its original box as shown below.

Lionel No. 60 Trolley With Blue Lettering and Original Box

This unit is identical to the Lionel No. 60 Trolley with black lettering shown above except the lettering is blue. This blue lettering trolley also has the two-part spring bumpers. When I received this unit, I had to perform some minor repairs: repair the tabs inside the car that held one end of the roof in place, clean and grease the motor armature, and re-attach the metal pinion gear to the trolley pole shaft. Apparently, when someone tried to remove the trolley pole, it was stuck to the shaft and pulling hard, pulled the pinion gear off the shaft. Fortunately, the pinion gear remained in the car.

Note the price for the trolley as seen on the tag on the box was $8.50.

Below is a picture of both trolleys.

Lionel No. 60 Trolleys, One With Black Lettering and the Other With Blue Lettering

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Lionel No. 68 Executive Inspection Car

The picture above is a Lionel No. 68 Executive Inspection Car (manufactured 1958 - 1961). This motorized unit resembled a 1958 DeSoto station wagon equipped with a Hy-Rail device allowing it to operate on railways. The unit has a 2-position E-unit that is turned off an on by a switch, the knob of which is vaguely disguied as a warning beacon on top of the car. The E-unit does not have a center neutral. The car goes either forward or backward as the track power is cycled off and on.

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Lionel No. 69 Maintenance Car

The picture above is a Lionel No. 69 Maintenance Car (manufactured 1960 - 1962). The design of this car is based on the Lionel No. 50 Gang Car. The motor brushplate was molded in dark gray plastic. The modified gand car body was unpainted black plastic wih white heat stamped markings. A light gray plastic platform was mounted above the body. On one end of the platform was a red plastic sign with "Safety First" on one side and "Danger" on the other side. The sign rotates when the car reverses direction after the bumpers hit an obstruction. A rubber man was stationed on the other end of the platform.

Lionel No. 69 Maintenance Car

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Lionel No. 3360 Burro Crane

The picture above shows a Lioenl No. 3360 crane (manufactured from 1956-1957). This self-propelled crane is a replica of the small crane manufactured by Cullen-Friestedt of Chicago for railroads. The body of the Lionel crane is molded in yellow and has red heat-stamped lettering. The crane can go backwards and forward with the direction controlled by a lever on the side shown that could be moved by a track-side activator. A lever on the opposite top side controls whether the crane moves or the cab rotates - the direction depending on the position of the lever on the side. That lever can also place the crane in "neutral" (middle position) so it does not move. The lever on the back of the cab disables cab rotation and allows the operator to raise and lower the block and tackle - the direction up or down depending on the position of the lever on the side. The crane has a non-operating coupler on each end to allow it to pull light loads. I have the original box with the insert for this crane. Note the price when purchased new is on the box and the price was $15.95.

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Model 2002 Handcar Manufactured by Louis Marx & Co.

The picture above shows a two-person handcar (Model 2002) manufactured by Louis Marx & CO, Inc. The car was the second version of this model and was manufactured from 1955 to 1956. This car is electrically powered and controlled with the transformer like a locomotive. For a long time the two railroad workers on each end of the arm were missing. I found a source of repair parts and replaced them as shown above. The car supposed to have one blue and one gray man. As the car goes down the track, the men appear to pump the arm up and down.

I understand this red version is relatively hard to find. The previous version was also red but the two men were yellow. The subsequent version was brown with blue and gray men. My car does have some damage - there are two short bumpers broken off one end and part of the top of the car is also broken on one side. One of the handles for one of men is also broken. These defects do not significantly detract from the car.

I also have acquired the brown version. Below are pictures of the brown version with the blue and gray men and the original box.

Model 2002 Brown Handcar Manufactured by Louis Marx & Co.

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Lionel No. 50 Section Gang Car

The picture above shows a Lionel No. 50 Gang Car (manufactured from 1954-1964). This was the first of the series of motorized units that Lionel manufactured. This car is self-propelled and has 3 men, two blue and one olive-colored. The car has an unpainted orange body and brushplate and an ornamental horn. The car has two blue rubber bumpers on either end and when one of the bumpers strikes an obstruction, the car reverses direction and the olive-colored man rotates to the other side of the car. This car was relatively inexpensive and is small.

I believe my car was manufactured between 1955 and 1959 because the bumper bracket is U-shaped. Later versions were L-shaped. Note that I have the original box with the operating instructions. The box also contains the carboard insert. This car runs very well.

The No. 50 Section Gang Car as shown on page 8 of the 1959 Lionel Consumer Catalog is shown below. Note the price was only $7.95.

No. 50 Section Gang Car as Shown on Page 8 of the 1959 Lionel Consumer Catalog

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Lionel No. 54 Ballast Tamper

The picture above shows a Lionel No. 54 Ballast Tamper (manufactured from 1958-1961). This unit moves only in the forward direction. On the front of the unit is the gray housing for the tamper bars. Activation of the tampers is controlled by a railside trip that when the unit passes by, it slows down by about 50% and the tampers alternately go up and down until it passes by another railside trip and then the tampers stop, and the unit resumes nornal speed.

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Lionel No. 55 Tie Jector Car

The picture above shows a Lionel No. 55 Tie Jector Car (manufactured from 1957-1961). The unit carries wooden crossties and when it passes by a trackside trip, it dispenses the crossties at intervals along the trackside until it passes by another trackside trip at which time the dispensing stops.

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Lionel No. 260E Tinplate Steam Locomotive (1930s)

Lionel No. 260E Steam Engine & No. 260T Tender

The picture above shows Lionel's 260E locomoive and 260T tender. This locomotive was introduced in 1930 and at that time was Lionel's top of the line locomotive. This example is the early version built in 1930 with the cream stripe painted on the side of the running board. The running board is part of the die cast frame. This example has a pendulum-type two-position E-unit and when cycled by track power, it changes from forward to reverse. There is no neutral positon in the E unit. The example above does not have the "chugger" mechanism as was included in later units, but it does have an operational white headlight and a red light beneath the cab to simulate the hot firebox.

The 8-wheel tender above is not the tender that originally came with the locomotive. The original tender has a cream stripe along the side and a black base. The tender above does not have the stripe and the base is green. Otherwise, the tenders are the same.

When I received the engine, it needed some work but it did run. The rear trailer truck was missing and the cotter pin and cotter pin post were missing from the locomotive frame. Both crank rods and screws to hold them on were missing. One of the two fiber intermediate gears and pinion had missing teeth. And the wires and washers for the two lamps were missing as well as the lamps. The lens for the headlight was also missing. I was able to purchase replacement parts for all of them and now the locomotive runs quite well. The picture below shows the underside of the engine. You can see the cotter pin post I made at the left in the picture. Instead of a cotter pin, I used a screw and a nut to hold the truck in place.

Lionel No. 260E Steam Engine Underside

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Lionel No. 262 Tinplate Steam Locomotive (1930s)

Lionel No. 262 Steam Engine & No. 262T Tender

The picture above shows Lionel's 262 locomoive and 262T tender.This locomotive has a 2-4-2 wheel configuration and was manufactured from 1931 to 1932 and at that time was Lionel's "mid-level" locomotive. Also shown is the attendant 262T tender. This unit does not have an electronic reversing unit. Instead, there is a lever inside the cab where one can manually switch direction from forward to reverse. Up is forward and down is reverse. Once can place the lever midway between and the locomotive is in "neutral."

The locomotive has copper and brass trim. When I received the locomotive, the front sand dome and ornamental bell were missing. In addition, the screws on both sides that form "hinges" for the boiler front to open for lamp bulb replacement were missing. But the locomotive did run and the lamp was good. I acquired a brass sand dome and painted it copper. I also acquired a copper ornamental bell for replacement. And I acquired two screws for the boiler front. After replacing some internal wiring, the insulation of which has rotted, cleaning the motor commutator and brushes, and adjusting the collector to press harder on the center track rail, the locomotive runs as good a new. I also washed the locomotive with mild soap and water and used car wax to clean it up. It looks almost as good a new considering its age.

Below are some other pictures of the locomotive; one picture shows the headlight on.

Lionel No. 262 Steam Engine Headlight On

Lionel No. 262 Steam Engine Underside

Lionel No. 262 Steam Engine & No. 262T Tender

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Lionel No. 258 Tinplate Steam Locomotive (1930s)

Lionel No. 258 Steam Engine & No. 257T Tender

The picture above shows a Lionel tinplate steam engine and associated tender. This engine and tender were manufactured in 1930 shortly after Lionel acquired sole ownership of Ives Manufacuring Company. The 258 is identical to the Lionel 257 engine except the 258 has a manual reverse lever. The 258 engine is interesting as it has brass and copper trim with orange-red stripes painted on. This example has the origial paint as it is somewhat pitted and scratched off in several places. But the engine runs well. I believe the 4 drive wheels are replacement because the red-painted spokes are not dull. But the front pilot wheels are original, I believe. Below is a picture of the engine with power applied to the track and the headlight on.

No. 258 Steam Engine with Headlight On & No. 257T Tender

Below is a picture of the side of the engine.

No. 258 Steam Engine

Below is a picture of the bottom of the engine. Note both power pickup rollers are original and in tact. Often, one of the rollers are broken or the roller assembly has been replaced. This example has the original roller assembly with the Lionel name.

No. 258 Steam Engine Pickup Roller Assembly

The tender is also in good shape. The paint on it is also pitted. The tender is missing the brass handrail on the top rear, but it has the brass ladder on the rear. Below is a picture of the tender. The tender has the coal pile that is often missing.

No. 257T Tender

The picture below is a picture of the engine and tender seen from the rear. The lever in the engine cab is the manual direction control. This engine does not have the "E-unit" used to remotely change direction of the train. When the lever is placed in the center position (level) the train is in "neutral".

No. 258 Steam Engine & No. 257T Tender

No. 258 Steam Engine & No. 257T Tender

Below is a picture of the 258 engine and 257T tender pulling four cars.

No. 258 Steam Engine, No. 257T Tender, No. 805 Boxcar, No. 831 Lumber Car, No. 803 Hopper Car, & No.807 Caboose

As shown below, I have a Lionel No. 805 Boxcar (manufactured around 1931). This car has a a dark pea-green body with an orange roof. It has copper journal boxes on the wheel axles. The doors on both sides open. The car has brass ladders on each end along with brass brake wheels and column shafts.

No. 805 Boxcar

Shown below, I have a Lionel No. 831 Lumber (Flat) Car (manufactured in 1935). This car is painted pale green with nickel posts, brekewheels and stands, and nickel journal boxes on the wheel axles. Note that I have the original box for this car and most of the original lumber load.

No. 831 Lumber (Flat) Car

Shown below, I have a No. 803 Hopper Car (manufactured from 1931 to 1934). This car is painted peacock and has brass ladders, nameplates, and brake wheels and shafts. The car has copper journal boxes on the wheel axles. The wheel on the lower side open and closes the hatches on the bottom center of the car.

No. 803 Hopper Car

Shown below I have a Lionel No. 807 caboose (manufactured from 1929-1930) The car is painted red with peacock window inserts and roof. The end railing is brass. The caboose has nickel journal boxes over the wheel axles.

No. 807 Caboose

Shown below I have a Lionel No. 810 derrick car (this example manufactured from 1932-1934) The derrick derrick cab is painted terra cotta with brass window inserts and brass nameplates. The derrick has copper-finished journal boxes over the wheel axles.The three control knobs have a nickel finish. The three control knobs raise/lower the boom, raise the balland hook, and rotate the derrick cab and arm. When I received this car, several teeth on the sector gear that raised and lowered the boom were stripped and the cam that raised the ball/hook was broken and one coupler was missing. Replacement parts are available and I replaced those parts and it works well now. Replacing the sector gear required me to bend tabs on the pieces that hold the boom sides together in order to get the gear between the two sides of the boom. This was a little tricky, but I was able to do it without destroying the car.

Lionel No. 810 Derrick Car

Shown below is a Lionel No.816 Hopper Car with brass name and number plates and nickel journal boxes. This car was manufactured in 1935.

Lionel No. 816 Hopper Car

Lionel No. 820 Dual Searchlight Car

Shown above is a Lionel No. 820 dual searchlight car (manufactured (1931 - 1934). This car has a black body with a subfloor mounted on to to which two searchlights are mounted. The searchlights can be manually pointed in any direction horizontally and in elevation up to about 40 degrees. This production version car has a terrra-cotta subfloor and brass searchlights with glass lenses. The journals on the trucks are copper. Each truck has latch couplers.

In the center of the subfloor is a slide switch that turns the searchlights off, right on, left on, and both on. The pictures below show the three operational modes of the searchlights.







I also have a Lionel tinplate caboose that I believe was manufactured from 1940-1942. This caboose is a No. 2657. Its coupler is compatible with the 257T tender, so the 258/257T will pull this caboose. The caboose is shown below attached to the 257T tender.

Lionel No. 2657 Caboose

Below is a picture of the rear of the No. 2657 caboose attached to the 257T tender.

Lionel No. 2657 Caboose

Lionel No. 607 Pullman Cars and No. 608 Observation Car

The picture above shows two Lionel No. 607 Pullman cars and a Lionel No. 608 Observation car. These 7.5 in. long cars painted peacock green with orange trim and nickel journal boxes were manufactured from 1926 through 1930. These cars are illuminated and one of the trucks on each car has a roller collector to provide power to the single bulb in each car. The picture below shows the cars illuminated.

Lionel No. 607 Pullman Cars and No. 608 Observation Car Illuminated

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Lionel No. 1656 Switcher and 6403B Bell Ringer Tender

Lionel No. 1656 Steam Engine Switcher & No. 6403B Bell Ringer Tender

The picture above is a Lionel No. 1656 steam engine 0-4-0 switcher and its No. 6403B Bell Ringer Tender (manufactured from 1948 through 1949). The engine has an E-unit, the lever of which protrudes through the top of the boiler. The engine has an ornimental bell, sheet metal front step, and wire handrails.

There are operating coil couplers on the front of the engine and at the rear of the die-cast tender. An electrically-operated bell is housed inside the tender that automatically rings ("dings") periodically as long as power is applied to the track. The engine and the tender have operating headlights, with the tender headlight pointing rearward. This tender is the later version with the coal pile molded as part of the tender body casting.

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Lionel No. 1668 Steam Locomotive (1938)

Lionel No. 1668 Steam Engine & No. 1689T Tender

The picture above is a Lionel No. 1668 steam engine based on the Pensylvania streamlined boiler and cab. This example is a gunmetal color with nickel number plates and probably manufactured around 1938. Below is another pictuer of the locomotive and tender.

Lionel No. 1668 Steam Engine & No. 1689T Tender

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2026 "Prairie" Steam Locomotive (1948 - 1949)

No. 2026 "Prairie" Steam Engine

The picture above is a Lionel model 2026 steam locomotive (manufactured from 1948-1949) that I acquired in 2005. Lionel called this engine a "Prairie-type" locomotive and sold it as an "O27" gauge item. It will run on my "O" gauge track. This locomotive is the older version with a 2-6-2 wheel arrangement and detailed driving wheel hardware. Note the headlight in the center of the boiler and the two green running lamps (actually a translucent "rhinestone") on the top sides of the boiler.

Lionel did not pattern this locomotive on any specific real engine. They combined the features of several popular locomotives to create this model. The locomotive is powered by a transverse motor with a gear ratio of approximately 9 to 1. It operates on 10 -12 Vac with a normal car load. It is equipped with a # 226E-35 reversing E-unit and a # 2026-8 smoke generator synchronized with the motion of the wheels by means of a cam on the interior of the front geared driver wheel and a cam follower on the smoke lever.

The picture below shows two bottles of Lionel Smoke Pellets that are used in the No. 2026 engine. Both bottles are about 75% full.

Lionel SP Smoke Pellets


No. 2026 "Prairie" Steam Engine & No. 6466W Whistling Tender

The locomotive 3-position "E-unit" is similar to my Santa Fe diesel so it will go forward, pause, reverse, pause and then repeats when power is cycled on and off. This steam locomotive has an ornamental bell and whistle and a smoke chamber that actually puffs smoke as it chugs around the track. It also has an illuminated headlight.
I also have the tender (coal car) that was originally sold with this locomotive. It is a model 6466WX and includes a whistling unit inside. The pictures below show the whistling unit inside the tender.

Internal Mechanism of No. 6466W Whistling Tender

The whistling unit comprises a motor that turns a miniature impeller that forces air into a plastic chamber and through an orifice similar to an actual whistle that you blow with your mouth. You can see the motor on the picture on the left. The picture on the right shows the impeller in the middle of the pink-colored chamber. The air exits the chamber on the top. The whistle sounds like a actual train whistle. It is not a shrill sounding whistle, but it sounds realistic. The whistling unit is activated by a lever on the transformer. When the lever is turned, a dc voltage is applied to the track, a dc relay closes and the ac motor begins to turn and the whistle whistles.

Hear the Whistle Blow

I recorded the whistle and you can hear the sound of the whistle by clicking here. In addition to the whistle, you can here the motor running that turns the impeller. The motor noise is not so noticeable with the train running.

I have the original boxes for this locomotive and its tender. They are shown below with the locomotive, tender, and my Timken box car.

No. 2026 "Prairie" Steam Engine & No. 6466W Whistling Tender & Their Original Boxes

Lionel #1426WS Outfit (1948 - 1949)

I have purchased three train cars that were sold with the 2026 locomotive and tender when they were sold as a complete outfit. The #1426WS outfit comprised the 2026 locomotive, the 6646WX whistling tender, two #6440 Pullman passenger cars, and one #6441 Observation car. I also purchased a model 1033 transformer similar to the model 1032 transformer that was included in the outfit. This outfit is shown below. Note that I have the original boxes for the engine, tender, and transformer.

No. 1426WS Outfit

No. 1426WS Outfit

Below is a picture from the Lionel 1948 catalog showing the #1426WS Outfit. Note the price of this outfit in 1948 was $42.75, quite expensive in those days.

No. 1426WS Outfit shown on Pages 6 -7 of the 1948 Consumer Catalog

One #6440 Pullman passenger car (manufactured from 1948-1949) is shown below.

No. 6440 Pullman Car

This "tinplate" passenger car was a continuation of the #2440 passenger car manufactured in 1946 and 1947. The #6440 possesses the updated magnetic couplers in place of the older style coil couplers. The #6440 car is of all metal construction. The body is green with cream-colored windows and doors and plastic frosted window panes. The roof is a darker tint. The car is illuminated.

The #6441 Observation car (manufactured from 1948-1949) is shown below.

No. 6441 Observation Car

This "tinplate" car was a continuation of the #2441 passenger car manufactured in 1946 and 1947. The #6441 possesses the updated magnetic couplers in place of the older style coil couplers. The #6441 car is of all metal construction. The body is green with cream-colored windows and doors and plastic frosted window panes. The roof is a darker tint. The car is illuminated.

The #6441 Observation car is always at the end of the train. The car has no coupler at is rear so no other cars can be attached behind it. The rear of the car has a "porch" where people can stand. The porch reminds me of the "campaign trains" of long ago where candidates stood and waved to their constituents. The rear of the #6441 Observation car is shown. Note the two "rhinestones" above the porch that simulate lanterns.

Rear of No. 6441 Observation Car

Below is a picture of my 2026 locomotive and 6466WX tender with one of my #6440 Pullman cars and the #6441 Observation car. I have the track power on and you can see the cars illuminated.

Nos. 2026, 6466WX, 6440, and 6441 Train

Nos. 2026, 6466WX, 6440, and 6441 Train

Click on the picture below to see a short video clip of the train running around a short oval loop.

No. 3559 Coal Dumping Car

The picture above shows a Lionel #3559 Coal Dumping Car (manufactured from 1946 - 1948). This is a primitive-looking coal car that is a carryover design from earlier Lionel coal car designs such as the #3659 car manufactured from 1938 to 1942. The #3559 car is a predecessor to the #3469 automatic dumping ore car I have and shown earlier.
The features of the #3559 car include a painted red metal dumping hopper, painted black sheet metal frame and a bakelite housing covering the operating mechanism. There is a metal footstep on each corner of the frame and the item number #3559 is stamped in silver on the bottom of the frame. My car is the later version with staple-end trucks and coil couplers.
Note that I have the original box and box insert for this car. The box has no end flaps but it is in good shape otherwise. I also have a #207 bag of coal and the #160 bakelite bin that the coal is dumped into; both came with the car. The car looks like new with hardly a scratch anywhere on it. It evidently was never used, or used only a few times. The car couplers and dumping hopper work well.

Below are pages 24 -25 of the 1948 Lionel Consumer Catalog showing the No. 3559 "Operating Dumping Car" as the catalog describes it. Note the car was priced at $5.50 in 1948.

Pages 24-25 of the 1948 Lionel Consumer Catalog showing the No. 3559 Coal Dumping Car



No. X2454 Baby Ruth Box Car

The picture above shows a Lionel X2454 Baby Ruth boxcar. This boxcar is shorter than the other boxcars I have being only 9 1/4 inches long. This car was introduced by Lionel in 1946 and discontinued in 1947. It is painted orange with Baby Ruth and PRR logos in black. The doors are die-cast metal and painted brown. The boxcar has staple-end trucks and the older style coil couplers.

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1872 "General" Steam Engine (1959-1962)

No. 1872LT "General" Steam Engine Train

The picture above is an #1872 steam engine with its #1862T tender. Lionel classified this engine as a "General" or Civil War style engine. It is a good representation of an actual American locomotive of the mid to late 1800s and was patterned after the "General" civil war engine.

Below are pages 20 and 21 from the 1959 Lionel Consumer catalog that introduced the "5-Star General Train outfit for the first year it was sold.

No. 1872 "5-Star General" Steam Engine Train from page 21 of Lionel Consumer Catalog

The actual "General" locomotive was made famous by James J. Andrews and a group of Union spies who stole the engine in 1862 to use it for burning bridges and tunnels between Chattanooga, TN and Atlanta, GA. This locomotive was further made famous by the Walt Disney movie entitled "The Great Locomotive Chase" starring Fess Parker that was released in 1956. Lionel wanted to capitalize on the popularity of this movie and therefore released the #1862 locomotive (an O27 gauge) and the 1872 (a Super O gauge). Lionel did not replicate the "Texas" locomotive nor two other locomotives used in pursuit of the "General" locomotive.

The actual "General" locomotive is on display at the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History in Kennesaw, GA which is northwest of Atlanta, GA. You can see pictures of the original "General" by clicking here.

The 1872 "General" features a 4-4-0 wheel arrangement, gray painted plastic boiler, a red cab with gold lettering, a 3-position E unit, wire handrails, "Magnetraction" (magnetized wheels), an internal weight for added traction, a gold ornamental bell, a black ornamental whistle (mine has the whistle exit broken off but I have purchased 2 replacements), a smoke unit, and a functional headlight.

I also have three cars of the "General" train set. The cars I have include the #1866 Western & Atlantic mail car, the #1865 Western & Atlantic passenger car, and the #1877 horse car that is not shown here. The cars are good representations of actual railroad cars of that type in the 1800s. Below is a side view of my "General" train.

No. 1872 "General" Steam Engine Train

Below is page 43 of the 1959 Lionel Consumer Catalog showing the cars of the General train set for separate sell.

Page 43 of the 1959 Lionel Consumer Catalog


Below is a picture of my General train outfit.

No 1872 "General" Train Outfit

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Lionel No. 624 Chesapeake & Ohio EMD NW2 Switcher

Lionel No. 624 Chesapeake & Ohio EMD NW2 Switcher

The picture above shows a Lionel No. 624 Chesapeake & Ohio EMD NW2 Switcher produced around 1952-1954. The engine is quite colorful with a blue body, yellow smoke stacks and black antenna and bell. The engine has a die cast frame with a yellow stripe painted on. It has wire handrails and a silver sumulted horn on the front of the cab.It has an internal light bulb to illumninate the head and marker lights. It also has a three-position E-unit with its control lever pointed down. It has operating coil couplers on both ends. It also has Magentraction on two axles. It has a single motor.

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Southern GP-38 6-28843 Diesel Switcher Engine (2004)

No. 6-28843 Southern GP-38 Diesel Switcher Engine

The picture above is my newest Lionel item. This is a Southern Railway GP-38 switcher engine made in 2004. This engine is new in the box and has never been used. The number on the side of the engine reads 2730. This engine features dual maintenance free motors, metal frame, a diesel horn, and is illuminated. It is transformer operated and will operate on my 50-year old transformers that I have. However, the engine is modernized with a solid-state E-unit for direction control and the diesel horn is electronically synthesized. There is a speaker on the underside of the engine to produce the diesel horn sound. The engine is not American made - it is made in China.

This engine was part of a Southern Diesel Freight set that had 4 cars. I do not have the other cars, but I do have the original box for this engine, the owner's manual for the set, a Lionel Model Railroading booklet, and an Instruction Video that came with the engine. These items are shown below with the engine and a Southern Woodside caboose I also have.

No. 6-28843 Southern GP-38 Diesel Switcher Engine

I have two Southern Railway cabooses. These cabooses are shown below.

Nos. X9259 & 6-17601 Southern Cabooses

The picture above shows two relatively modern Southern Railway cabooses that I have. The one on the left is a #X9259 bay window lighted caboose (manufactured 1-1988). This caboose has a emblem on the right for the city of Cincinnati, Ohio. The car on the right is a Lionel #6-17601 Southern Standard "O" Woodside Lighted Caboose (manufactured in 1986). Notice the Southern Railway emblem in the center. The emblem says "The Southern Serves the South."

No. 6-28843 Southern GP-38 Diesel Switcher Engine & No. 6-17601 Caboose

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Train Accessories

Below are pictures of numerous railroad accessories I have.





Lionel No. 119 Tunnel

The picture above shows a Lionel No. 119 tunnel I have (manufactured 1924 - 1942). This item is possibly the illuminated version of the metal Lionel 119 tunnel as there are two screw terminals on one lower edge of one portal (not shown above) and there is a bracket inside that could hold a lamp socket. This example does not have a lamp socket installed nor is the wiring from the screw terminals to the lamp socket bracket installed. It is possible Lionel made all 119 tunnels with lighting provisions and installed the wiring and lamp sockets in only the lighted (119L) version (manufactured 1927 - 1933).

This tunnel can be used with either Standard or O gauge trains. The tunnel interior is made of steel and the exterior is made of brass. Both ends of the tunnel is embossed to simulate stone portals. The item is hand-painted. A white two-story house and a "bridge" are on the mountain on both sides.

Lionel No. 48W Whistle Station

The picture above shows a Lionel No.48W Whistle Station manufactured from 1937 through 1942. This lithographed steel station has a standard Lionel air whistle inside as seen in the picture below. The whistle is activated by a momentary contact installed in one end of the building as shown above. On the opposite end of the building, two terminal posts are installed on the base for electrical connection to the transformer. The word "LIONEL" is lithographed on each end of the building.





Lionel No. 30 Water Tower

The pictures above show a Lionel No. 30 water tower I have (manufactured around 1950). The tower has a dark gray die-cast base and a water spout lowered by a solenoid. The picture on the right above shows the spout lowered to "fill" the tender of the steam engine. The tank is amber plastic that is translucent. The tank is lined with thin paper. The simulated wooden supporting structure is brown.

I also have the box for this item as shown below.



Lionel No. 132 Illuminated Station

The picture above shows a Lionel No. 132 Illuminated Station I have (manufactured 1949-1955. In addition to a light inside, this station has a bimetallic operating mechanism inside that when operated with an insulated track section, stops the train for a short time (adjustable) and then allows the train to proceed as if it stopped to pick up passengers. The accessory is a replica of a suburban train station. The building is white with green trim and a green roof mounted on a maroon base. The chimney is painted red. Note I have the original box and instructions for this accessory.

Lionel No. 175 Rocket Launcher

The picture above shows a Lionel No. 175 rocket launcher (manufactured 1958-1960). The gantry with a rocket suspended on the cable (attached by a magnet) will advance to the launch pad via remote control. After the rocket is manually placed on the launch pad, the gantry will move back away from the launch pad. The spring in the launch pad is manually cocked. The operator then sets the launch countdown timer, and when the timer reaches zero, the operator pushes the launch button the the rocket is launched upward.

Also shown in the picture above is the Lionel No. 6175 flat car that carries the rocket shown attached to the launcher cable.

The picture below shows the remote controller.

Lionel No. 175 Rocket Launcher Controller

The picture below shows the remote controller with the countdown timer activated and ready to start the countdown.

Lionel No. 175 Rocket Launcher Controller




Lionel No. 145 Gateman & No. 256 Freight Station

The picture above shows on the far left a #145 operating gateman and his building (1950-1966). When the train comes by, the man opens the door and comes out swinging a lantern which is missing on mine in this picture. Also there used to be a railroad crossing "crossbuck" sign that has been broken off. The #145 operating gateman is called a #145 Automatic Crossing Watchman in the Lionel 1952 catalog as shown below. I also have the #252 Crossing Gate shown in the image.

No. 145 Automatic Crossing Watchman & No. 252 Crossing Gate in 1952 Lionel Consumer Catalog

As shown in the photograh above, I also have a #256 illuminated freight station (manufactured between 1950-1953) similar to model #356. Note the advertising signs. You might recognize some popular products. This freight station does not have the baggage handlers pulling their carts around the station like the model 356 does. The Lionel 1952 catalog calls the #256 illiminated freight station a #256 Wayside Station on page 33 as shown below

No. 256 Wayside Station on Page 33 of 1952 Lionel Consumer Catalog

The pictures below show the #145 operating gateman in operation. Note that I have replaced the "crossbuck" sign, replaced the lantern, and replaced the frosted window pane in the door.

No. 145 Gateman in Operation

The picture on the left shows the gateman in the building with its internal light on waiting for a train to approach. The picture on the right shows the gateman with the door open and out of the building. Note the red lantern he is holding. This lantern had been missing from my gateman for a long time, but I was able to replace the lantern. The crossbuck sign on the right was also missing for a long time, but I was able to find a replacement for that also.

The operating gateman was a very popular accessory for Lionel trains in the 1950s. I understand thousands were produced. Everyone likes to see the gateman come out of his building when the train approaches. The building has a maroon-colored roof and the toolbox attached to the side of the building has a red-colored top. This combination of colors indicates this accessory was probably manufactured in 1951. The gateman uses a #145C contactor for activation.

Water Tower and Rotating Beacon Made By Louis Marx & Co.

The picture above shows a water tower with its original box (manufactured by Loius Marx & Co.,Inc.) and a searchlight beacon (manufactured by Louis Marx & CO, Inc.) that is missing the rotating enclosure and the red and green lenses. The bulb on top of the searchlight tower has a dimple in it. The lightweight rotating enclosure had a pin that fit in the dimple and vanes in the top of the enclosure. Heat from the bulb rising through the vanes made the enclosure rotate. I have both lenses, and have remade the enclosure out of brass.



No. 197 Rotating Radar Antenna

The picture above shows on the far right a Lionel No.#197 airport surveillance radar (cataloged from 1957-1959). Note that I have the original box for the radar. When this picture was made, the reflector for the radar was broken and has several pieces missing.

I have since repaired the reflector and the results are shown below. I also replaced the vertical whip antenna. The radar antenna rotates. There is a vibrator at the base of the antenna that runs on 8-9 Vac. When it vibrates, the radar antenna rotates clockwise.

No. 197 Rotating Radar Antenna


Below is the No. 197 radar as pictured in the 1959 Lionel Consumer Catalog. Note the price was only $5.95 back then. The vintage radar with its box sells much more that that now.

No. 197 Rotating Radar as Pictured on Page 5 of the 1959 Lionel Consumer Catalog

Lionel No. 352 Icing Station


The picture above shows a Lionel No. 352 Icing Station (manufactured from 1955-1957). This accessory simulated a railroad refrigerator car icing platform. This example is the earlier version of as it has a brown platform with a white structure mounted on it. Later versions had a red platform. A blue plastic man with orange arms and paddle pushes the plastic ice cube into the top of the specially-made refrigerator car (Lionel No. 6352) when the accesory is activated. I have 3 ice cubes that came with the car and I purchased two additional ones to made a quantity of 5 that originally came with the unit.

The picture below shows the Lionel No. 6352 refrigerator car beside the icing station.

Lionel No. 352 Icing Station with No. 6532 Refrigerator Car


The pictues below shows the man pushing an ice cube into the car.





Lionel No. 182 Triple Action Magnetic Gantry Crane

The picture above shows a Lionel No. 182 Triple Action Gantry Crane (manufactured from 1946-1949). The unit has a black bakelite base with a silver metal tower structure. A plastic Lionel No. 2460-type crane cab is mounted on top. The cab has a pained gray smoke stack that is not molded as part of the cab. The cab is mounted on a die-cast base that will swivel 360 degrees. An elaborate gear box with clutches allows a single motor to swivel the crane left or right and raise or lower the blodk and tackle. The hook can lift an electromagnet that can be activated to lift metal objects such as the metal culverts of my No. 342 culvert loader. The electromagnet is marked "Cutler Hammer." The unit is controlled by a special rectangular control that has 4 push buttons - 2 for left/right swivel and 2 for up/down of the block and tackle. A rotary knob in the center activates the electromagnetic and when activated, a red light inside the cab illuminates.

No. 455 Operating Oil Derrick and Pump


The picture above shows an impressive and highly sought after accessory. It is the Lionel #455 Oil Derrick (manufactured from 1950-1954). Since Lionel produced so many Sunoco tank cars like my #6415 tank car shown in the picture, it was only natural that Lionel replicated the source of the oil. This accessory is based upon a typical mid-west America oil derrick built in the 1930s-1940s. The derrick is almost 15 inches high and is colorful making it stand out on any train layout.

The derrick has a red-painted metal base, green metal tower, a Sunoco sign, a glass tube used to simulte oil being pumped, a orange plastic simulated generator, and a red pumping beam and pumper. Also included are 4 aluminum oil drums, a black plastic oil drum rack, and a operating crank on the rear that raises and lowers a hook.

The pumping is driven by a solenoid controlled by a bimetallic switch that cycles power on and off to the solenoid. This action makes the pumping arm go up and down simulating the pumping action. The glass tube is illuminated by a light bulb underneath the red base. The bulb heats the "oil" and it bubbles adding to the illusion that oil is being pumped.

In the picture above, I have the derrick in operation. You can see the glass tube illuminated and the bubbles in the "oil". Also the time exposure picture caught the pumping arm in motion.

This particular derrick is the common version with the dark green tower with matching upper platform. Ther earliest version had a red-painted upper platform. Another rare version had a pale green-painted tower.

Typically, the Sunoco sign and the 4 oil drums are missing. That was the case when I purchased mine. But I was able to find a source of replicated parts and I purchased the Sunoco sign, 5 oil drums (the 5th drum is on the left as if being filled with the pipe valve), and the crank for the bobbin that moves the hook up and down. I also replaced the string that winds around the bobbin and goes through the hook and secures to the top of the tower.

This accessory is an on/off accessory and works very well.

The #455 Operating Oil Derrick and Pump is described on page 12 of the 1952 Lionel Consumer Catalog I have. The portion of that page describing the derrick is shown below. Note the sugested retail price is $9.95.

No. 455 Operating Oil Derrick and Pump on Page 12 of the 1952 Lionel Consumer Catalog


Note that the catalog shows the derrick with a red top. That color configuration is the earliest version. Mine is the later version with the top the same dark green color as the lower structure. Another version has a light green painted structure and top.


No. 395 Floodlight Tower, Silver

The picture above shows a Lionel No. 395 Floodlight Tower (manufactured 1949-1956). On the top platform are mounted four die-cast lamp heads and brackets similar to the No. 70 Lamp Post. The 6-Volt #51 bulbs are wired as pairs in series that allow the tower to be powered by 12 Volts. The tower above is a silver-painted steel structure and is one of the two most commonly found versions of the tower. The other common version is painted green.

The most sought after version is the version that is painted yellow as shown below.

No. 395 Floodlight Tower, Yellow


No. 397 Operating Coal Loader


The picture above shows a Lionel #397 Operating Coal Loader (manufactured from 1948-1957) I have. It features a gray metal base, a red plastic bin, rubber conveyor belt, black metal conveyor support structure, and a transparent coal deflector shield on the top of the structure. This accessory is interesting to watch as it is full of action, noise, and excitement. It requires only one track for operation. It has a red receiving bin into which coal is dumped. The receiving bin is activated by a cam and it agitates to vibrate the coal toward the rear of the bin where a rubber conveyor belt lifts the coal up over and drops the coal into the car. The early version of this accessory had a yellow diesel motor housing and a #70 yard light mounted to the gray base. Very early in production the yard light was deleted and the diesel motor housing was painted blue.

Mine is the later version with the blue diesel motor housing. Note that I have the original box showing a price of $14.50. One each #206 and #207 bags of coal were included with my coal loader as shown in the photo. Also shown in the photo is my #3469 Automatic Dumping Ore Car receiving the coal from the coal loader. The rubber conveyor belt rots over time and I had to replace my belt. After replacing the belt and lubricating the motor, it operates well.

The #397 Operating Coal Loader is described on pages 30-31 of the 1952 Lionel Consumer Catalog I have. Portions of these pages are shown below. Note that the suggested retail price is $13.25 which is less than the price on the box of the loader that I have. Also note that the drawing of the coal loader is reversed - the diesel motor in the drawing is on the left; however, on the actual coal loader, the diesel motor is on the right.


No. 397 Diesel-type Operating Coal Loader on Pages 30-31 of the 1952 Lionel Consumer Catalog




No. 445 Operating Switch Tower


The picture above shows a Lionel No. 445 Operating Switch Tower (introduced in 1952). This item represents a trackside tower wher operators inside controlled the interlocking and signaling systems of American railroads. Lionel's device contained two men, one on the balcony, and one on the stairway with the intent of them being a single man who spots a train from the balcony and then runs down the stairs with a lantern. The structure is white with green windows, balcony, and roof. On the roof is a red chimney. Note I have the original box for this accessory. Below are two pictures, one showing the structure lighted and the other picture showing the accessory activated with the man down at the foot of the stairs.

No. 445 Operating Switch Tower, Illuminated

No. 445 Operating Switch Tower, Illuminated and Activted




Homemade Building & No. 450 Operating Signal Bridge

The picture above shows one of the handmade buildings I built long ago. Also shown is a #450 Operating Signal Bridge "traffic light" (manufactured from 1952 to 1958) for the trains. When the train goes under, the lights change from green to red. The signal bridge uses two #153C contactors, one for each light pair. The #450 signal bridge is called a #450 New Operating Signal Bridge on page 22 of the 1952 Lionel catalog as shown below.

No. 450 Operating Signal Bridge on Page 22 of the 1952 Lionel Consumer Catalog


Railroad Crossings

No. 154 Flashing Highway Signal & No. 252 Crossing Gates With Marx No. 0446 Rotating Beacon

The picture above shows several railroad crossings I have.

In the center background you can see a model 154 crossing signal with two red lights. The die-cast metal crossbuck sign on this signal suggests it was manufactured between 1945 and 1949 (later versions used plastic crossbuck signs). The two red lights will alternately illuminate as a train passes by. This crossing signal requires a special contactor (#154C) that attaches on the outer rail of the track and to the center rail. The outer rail contact is actually two separate contacts electrically isolated from the rail. When the train wheels short a contact to the rail, the respective light illuminates. Thus as the wheels traverse the contacts going from one to the other, the lights alternately illuminate. At times, both lights will simultaneously illuminate. You can see the #154C contactor on the far track between the crosssing gates.

The #154 crossing signal is called a #154 Flashing Highway Signal and is listed on page 32 of the 1952 Lionel catalog as shown below. I also have the #153 Automatic Block Signal shown on that same page.

No. 154 Flashing Highway Signal & No. 153 Automatic Block Signal on Page 32 of 1952 Lionel Consumer Catalog

Also in the background of the photograph you can see the beacon tower manufactured by Marx. I have made a housing for the red and green lenses out of brass and you can see the green lens clearly on the left and the red lens on the right.

You can see two model 252 crossing gates (manufactured between 1950 and 1963), one on either side of the two sets of tracks in the photograph. When a train approaches, the gate arms descend and the two red lights on each arm illuminate. The gates rise and the red lights extinguish after the train passes. The crossing gates use a #145C contactor for activation. As noted above, the #252 Crossing Gate is listed on page 30 and 31 of the 1952 Lionel catalog.

In the right background, you can see the model 145 operating gateman building (manufactured 1950-1966) with its internal light on. The gateman is inside waiting for a train to approach.

The pictures below shows views of the railroad crossings with my 2026 steam engine sufficiently near to activate the crossings. In the first picture, the two red lights of the model 154 crossing signal are both illuminated because the train is stopped. Note that the gateman is also out of his building warning that a train is near.

No. 154 Flashing Highway Signal, No. 252 Crossing Gates, & No.145 Gateman in Operation

The picture below is another view. The engine is moved back and only one red light on the model 154 crossing signal is activated.


No. 154 Flashing Highway Signal, No. 252 Crossing Gates, & No.145 Gateman in Operation


Lionel No. 155 Ringing Signal

I have Lionel No. 155 Ringing Signal shown above (manufactured from 1955-1957). This signal was modeled on the flashing warning signals commonly used at railroad grade crossings and combines a ringing bell with two alternately flashing red warning lights. Activation of the signal is usually controlled by a pressure-type No. 155C contactor where the weight of the passing train makes an electrical connection.

The mechanism of the signal is powered by an adaptation of the Lionel "vibrotor". You can see and hear the ringing signal is action by clicking HERE. The noise of the vibrotor almost masks the bell sound, but if you listen closely, you can hear the faint bell sound.

I also have a #140 Banjo Signal (manufactured from 1954-1966). This unique signal is shown below. This signal is used at a road crossing to signal a train is approaching. The view on the left shows the signal when deactivated. Note that I have the original box. A price of $4.95 is marked on one end. I also have the #145C contactor and instruction sheet for this signal. When a train approaches, a red light illuminates and the "stop" sign begins swinging back and forth periodically blocking the light to simulate a flashing light. The view on the right shows the activated signal with the stop sign partially blocking the light.

No. 140 Banjo Signal

The No. 140 Banjo Signal as pictued on page 8 of the 1959 Lionel Consumer Catalog is shown below. Note its price was only $5.95.

No. 140 Banjo Signal as Pictured on Page 8 of the 1959 Lionel Consumer Catalog


I have a Lionel #151 Automatic Semaphore (manufactured from 1947-1969). The semaphore, shown in the center of the picture below features a black painted base, a silver steel pole, a red ladder on the back side, and a functional light and semaphore arm with individual green and red lenses. The semaphore is used to inform approaching trains that it is OK to proceed down the next section of track. It is usually located to the right of the track so the engineer can see it. In the picture below, the yellow semaphore arm is upright and the light is green indicating it is OK to proceed down the next section of track.

No. 151 Automatic Semaphore

The picture below shows the semaphore indicating it is not OK to proceed. Note that the semaphore arm is horizontal and the light is red. I used my 2026 steam locomotive to trip the semaphore and the other crossing accessories previously discussed and shown in picture.

No. 151 Automatic Semaphore Tripped By Train

The #151 Automatic Sempore is listed on page 32 of the 1952 Lionel catalog as shown below.

No. 151 Automatic Semaphore on Page 32 of 1952 Lionel Consumer Catalog


I also have an American Flyer No.728 "Sam The Semaphore Man" accessory. This interesting postwar accessory is shown in the picture below.

American Flyer No. 728 "Sam the Semaphore Man"

This accessory is designed to stop a train when a button is pushed. The accessory is powered from the track and the power (non-common) for an insulated track section is routed through the accessory and when a button is pushed, Sam emerges from the shed, the sempahore arm goes down to the horizontal position, and a low-value resistor is placed in series with the power to the insulated track section. The series resistance is select to stpo the train motors, but still hold in the train "E-unit" so when the button is released, the train goes on its way. The pictures below show the accessory on and when the button is pressed.

American Flyer "Semaphore Man" "On" and Stopping a Train

The accessory is designed for American Flyer locomotives and track; however, it was easy to make it work with Lionel locomotives and track. To make it work with Lionel equipment, I had to reduce the series resistance aproximately 1/2 (I paralled a resistor across the extant resistor) for the accessory to hold the engine E-unit on so the E-unit would not cycle during the temporaty stop and connect the base of the accessory to the center rail of the insulated track section (normally on most accessories, one would not connect the metal base to the non-common center rail).


The video below shows the American Flyer No.728 "Sam the Semaphore Man" in action.

American Flyer No.728 Sam the Semaphore Man


I also have a #153 Automatic Block Signal (manufactured from 1945-1959). The block signal, shown in the center of the picture below, features a green painted base, a silver steel pole, an orange ladder on the back side and a functional red and green light at the top mounted on a black base. The block signal is used to inform an approaching train that it is OK to proceed down the next section of track (i.e. a "block" of track). The block signal uses a #153C contactor for controlling the lights. My block signal uses 12-16 Volt lamps with bayonet mounts indicating this signal was made after 1950. As noted above, the #153 Automatic Block Signal is listed on page 32 of the 1952 Lionel catalog.

The picture below shows the block signal with its green light on. Note that I also have the original box for the signal. I also have the contactor, connecting wires, an instruction leaflet, a #CTC power lockon, fibre pins for "O" and "O27" track, and another instruction leaflet that all came with this block signal. The items that came with this signal provide the capability to run two trains on a single track, activate the signal, and stop the following train when the front train is within a certain block. The instruction leaflets tell how to build this type of track layout.

No. 153 Automatic Block Signal, No. 077 Crossing Gate, 1877 Horse Car, and Homemade Building

Also shown in the picture above is a very old Lionel #077 crosssing gate for "O" gauge track. The gate can be seen in the center foreground to the right of the block signal. I do not know the age of this crossing gate, but a tag on it says it was patented on Sept. 21, 1915 and I understand this gate was made circa 1939. When I received this gate, the wires to the solenoid were disconnected from the terminal posts on the back of the mountng plate. I soldered new wires from the solenoid to the terminal posts and the gate works well after oiling the solenoid plunger. There are no lights on this gate - the white sections and the red circular "stop" sign on the arm are on a paper strip on the inside of the arm. The gate uses the same #145C contactor as the newer Lionel #252 crossing gates I have. When activated, the solenoid pushes upward and the arm lowers. When deactivated the solenoid retracts and the the gate rises by the weights located on the rear of the arm. The #252 crossing gates use this same operating principle.

Also seen in the picture above, is my Lionel #1877 horse car that is part of my #1872 General train outfit described above. It can be seen on the right in front of the train station that I built from scratch.

On the left of the picture above, you can see another building I built from scratch. This building is a train yard building typical of train yards of long ago.

Below is a picture showing the same view above but with the red light of the block signal on.

No. 153 Automatic Block Signal, No. 077 Crossing Gate, and Homemade Building

I also have another version of the #77 crossing gate. This gate is the #77N crossing gate (manufactued from 1936-1939). This gate is shown in the photograph below.

No. 77N Crossing Gate

This gate is very similar to the #77 gate shown earlier. The main difference is that the #77N gate has a red light on the arm that illuminates when the gate lowers as the train approaches. The #77N gate post is painted red rather than black as with the #77 gate. The picture above shows the gate up and down with the red light illuminated. The gate is in mint condition with few scratches. The wiring is also pristine. Note that I have the original box for the gate.

No. 70 Lamp Post

The picture above shows the Lionel No. 70 Lamp Post (manufactured 1949-1950). This lamp post, often refered to as a "yard light," is painted black and is 4 1/2 inches high and has a die-cast tilting head. This lamp also came with early versions of the Lionel No. 397 coal loader. Note that I have the original box for this lamp post.

I have a Lionel No. 93 water tank (manufactured from 1946-1949). It is shown in the picture below.

No. 93 Water Tank

In the picture above, the water tank is shown with my Lionel 2026 locomotive, that was manufactured during the time the water tank was manufactured. The tank was probably intended as an accessory for this engine. This water tank is painted silver with a manually-lowered black spout. It also has a red base. A large "Lionel Trains" decal with red letters outlined in black is applied to the front of the tank. The decal has a thin black border. Note that I have the original box for this accessory. Note the price marked on the box is $1.75.

Below is page 31 from the Lionel 1948 consumer showng the No. 93 water tower. Note the catalog price is indeed $1.75.

No. 64 Street Lamp & No. 93 Water Tank From Page 31 of the 1948 Lionel Consumer Catalog

I have a Lionel No. 193 Industrial Water Tower (manufactured from 1953-1955). This item, shown below, replicated water towers of small towns and industrial facilities. I read that it was possibly based on a water tower next to one of Lionel's plants. Mine has the red metal structure, that is the more common version. The rare version has a black-painted structure. The tank at the top has a lamp inside that blinks on and off. You can see the lamp on in the picture on the right.

Lionel No. 193 Industrial Water Tower



Lionel No. 58 Lamp Post

The picture above shows a Lionel No. 58 Lamp Post I have. This gooseneck lamp post is cream colored indicating it was produced afer 1940. It is 7 3/8 in. high. I have the pear-shaped frosted bulb for this lamp post and as you can see, the bulb and lamp post work. Note I have the original box (and hookup wire) for this lamp post.



I have two Lionel #71 Lamp Posts (manufactured from 1949-1959) and their original boxes. One is shown below.

No. 71 Lamp Post

The lamp post closely resembles lamp posts found in many cities throughout the United States in the 1940's. It features a gray metal post and an off-white globe. These lamp posts were inexpensive (mine has "95" handwritten on it) indicating it sold for 95 cents. The #71 Lamp Post is listed on page 33 of the 1952 catalog as shown below. Note the list price is indeed 95 cents.

No. 71 Lamp Post on Page 33 of 1952 Lionel Consumer Catalog

Because of the low price, this item sold well and is fairly common to locate today. I understand this lamp post is a simplified and cheaper version of the #35 Lamp Post. The globe on the #71 lamp post typically has hairline cracks and is discolored or faded. Mine has no cracks and does not appear to have much discoloration. The lamp post uses a bayonet-mount bulb and is prewired with no wire terminals.

I have 2 of these lamp posts. One is much older than the other as the insulation on the wires of the older one is cracking and the box is more tattered.

I have several No. 64 Highway Lamp Posts, one of which is shown below with one of the buildings I built, a Cararama O-scale die-cast metal and plastic Chevrolet 3100 pickup truck, and three railroad cars in the background. The scene represents an actual railroad building alongside a busy track.

No. 64 Highway Lamp Post

This greeen-painted metal lamp post was produced by Lionel from 1945-1949. It is 6 3/4 inches tall. It uses a special light bulb that is no longer manufactured, but you can buy a near-direct replacement. This accessory is highly sought after - especially if the bulb is good. The bulb in mine has an intermittant filament that will work sometimes at low voltage. Therefore, I do not light this lamp post, but it still looks good even if I do not light it. I have seen several of these without the bulb and they obviously do not look complete without the bulb. Note that I also have the original box for this accessory. As shown earlier in the picture of page 31 of the 1948 Lionel Consumer Catalog, the price of the No. 64 Highway Lamp Post (referred to as Street Lamp in the catalog) sold for $2.25 in 1948.

This is a Lionel #457 6-32991 radio station I have. It is an actual working digitally synthesized AM and FM radio. It runs on 12 - 18 Vac power. The red beacon on top of the tower blinks on and off when power is applied. The radio works well and is quite sensitive. This unit is new old stock and had never been taken out of the box when I received it. The radio is a 2000 vintage.

Lionel No. 214 Girder Bridge

The pictue above shows a Lionel No. 214 Girder Bridge (manufactured from 1953-1969). This bridge is 10 inches long and has unpainted black plastic sides and a metal base.

Lionel No. 260 Illuminated Bumper

The picture shows a Lionel No. 260 illuminated bumper (manufactured from 1951-1969). The bumber is made of metal, painted red, and has a spring-loaded black plastic shock absorber. It is illuminated by a 363 bayonet mount bulb below an RW-27 lens. I have 4 of these bumpers, two of which I have the original boxes as shown in the picture. I have the instructions for one of the bumpers.

Lionel No. 161 Mail Pickup Set

The picture below shows the Lionel No. 161 Mail Pickup Set (manufactured from 1961-1963). This accessory simulates the way that railway post office cars would pick up a mail bag without stopping the train. As the tain passes by, you push a button, the arm holding the bag swings out, and the mail car snags the bag off the arm. The bag has a magnet embedded in it and another magnet on the train car attracts the bag and holds on to it. The magnet on the car was intened to be glued onto the car, but I devised a way to glue the magnet to an aluminum strip and then place the strip in the door rails as shown in the picture below. You can see the round magnet on the aluminum stip in the door rails of the State of Maine car.

Lionel No. 161 Mail Pickup Set and Magnet on the State of Maine car

I have the original box for this accessory as shown below.

Lionel No. 161 Mail Pickup Set and Original Box

Here is a metal sign I have. I think it was manufactured by Marx. It is in fairly good shape and reads "Caution High Speed Trains."

I also have an American Flyer metal tool shed. A picture of the shed is shown below. The door on the side will slide opoen.




Homemade Buildings



The picture above shows some wood buildings I started building over 35 years ago. I never got around to finishing them then, but as seen earlier, I have finished two of them. In front of the larger building is a Lionel model 3462P milk car platform. Also shown on the far left is one of two railroad bridges I have. I also have numerous "Plasticville" figurines, lamp posts, utility poles, and other things to make a small village.

The picture below shows a closeup picture of the finished train station building. It is a small town train station with a bay window so people inside can look down the track and see the train coming. It is shown below with the General steam engine parked alongside. The building has a ticket window on the right, a door in the center, and a two-door combination on the left.

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KW 190 Watt Transformer (1950-1965)

Lionel Trainmaster Type-KW Transformer

The picture above shows one of two Lionel Type-KW transformers I have to run Lionel trains. The two transformers are identical and are called "Trainmaster" Type-KW (manufactured in 1950-1965). They have a power rating of 190 Watts. As shown, I have the original box for one of the transformers. On the top of the box the price of $22.50 is written in pencil. The Type-Kw transformer is listed on the back cover of the 1952 Lionel catalog along with 2 other transformers. The description of the Type-KW transformer from the catalog is shown below. Note the list price is $22.50.

Trainmaster Type-KW Transformer in 1952 Lionel Consumer Catalog

Each transformer is an autotransformer with a roller that rolls across the transformer windings to vary the voltage. Each has two controls to control 2 trains simultaneously with a direction control for each train. Thus with both transformers, I can control up to four trains. The transformers also have a horn and whistle controller, a circuit breaker, and some lower fixed voltage outputs for controlling accessories.

Type ZW 275 Watt Transformer (1948-1966)

Lionel Type-ZW Transformer

Lionel Type-ZW Transformer

The pictures above show a Lionel "Trainmaster" Type-ZW transformer I have. This transformer is the classic four-throtte transformer manufactured from 1948-1966. This transformer is the latter production (1950-1966) rated at 275 watts. The ZW transformer has no fixed voltage connections. Direction or whistle controls are provided for only the outer two throttles. The transformer is an autotransformer with rollers that roll across the transformer windings to vary the voltage.

1033 90 Watt Transformer (1948-1956)

Lionel 1033 Transformer

The picture above shows a Lionel #1033 transformer I have. This transformer was included in many of Lionel's better 027 gauge outfits. The transformer has speed, whistle, and direction controls as well as two fixed voltage taps. Note that I have the original box for this transformer.

Below is a portion of page 32 of the 1948 Lionel Consumer Catalog showing the transformer. Note the transformer sold for $10.95 in 1948.

Lionel 1033 Transformer as shown on Page 32 of the 1948 Lionel Consumer Catalog

Lionel No. 95 Controlling Rheostat

Although the rheostat shown above is not a transformer, it is a means to control the speed of a train. The device is a variable resistor; the series resistance is varied by positining the slider along the two rails.

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I also have a lot of Lionel "O"-gauge track sections (64 feet of straight sections and 42 arc feet of curved sections), 4 remote-controlled (by wire) #022 Lionel track switches, 3 #UCS remote-controlled (by wire) Lionel decoupling and unloading track sections, 1 #364C Lionel toggle switch, 1 very old #96C Lionel pushbutton switch, 2 Lionel "T" track crossing sections (#20 and #120), 2 Lionel trestle bridges, and 2 Lionel #260 track-end bumpers. I also have several Lionel power lock-ons, and several various Lionel contactors to operate the accessories.

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Links to Suppliers of Train Parts and Accessories

Below are some links to suppliers of train repair parts, service manuals, new train products, and information on vintage Lionel trains.

Olsen's Toy Train Parts (OTTP) Train repair parts; on-line library of service manuals for most vintage Lionel products

Henning Scale Models New train products and some repair parts

Brasseur Electric Trains Train repair parts

Lionel Trains Library Information on most vintage Lionel engines, cars, and accessories

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If you are interested in real trains, you should visit the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, NC. I have visited there and you can click here to see pictures I took of this interesting place.