Aids To Dating Lionel Trains:
Unlike certain other collectibles, the age of a postwar Lionel train is no inherently more valuable than a newer train. It is rather the variations in construction throughout an item's production run that affect its scarcity, and thus its collector value. Many Lionel trains are marked on the sides with "New" or "built" dates. These dates are totally irrelevant to when a piece was actually produced, and are decorative only.
During the mid-1950s, Lionel added the year introduced as a prefix or suffix to the stock number of some cars, such as the 336155 markings on the log dump cars introduced in 1955, or the 546446 N & W hopper car from 1954, but this was not universally done.
Establishing the production dates of these trains is usually done more out of curiosity for most collectors, or when they are trying to properly and precisely recreate a given train set.
Among the key aids to dating trains are the construction techniques used in the manufacture of the trucks and couplers, and the type of original packaging used, if it's still present.
K-LINE LIONEL 6-21374 SERVICE STATION FIGURES O SCALE
$12.99
Time Left: 15m |
LIONEL #246 ENGINE WITH TENDER 1959-61 RUNS GREAT! L@@K
$26.00 (5 Bids) Time Left: 17m |
VINTAGE LIONEL O GUAGE BIG TURN TRACK VGC lot #2
$21.50 (8 Bids) Time Left: 18m |
5 LIONEL CARS FOR PARTS OR REPAIR
$9.99 (0 Bids) Time Left: 18m |
Lionel Lines 2333 2343 2353 2354 F-3 Motor, Runs Good!
$20.50 (4 Bids) Time Left: 18m |
Lionel Southern Pacific U36C Dummy
$28.51 (5 Bids) Time Left: 18m |
KLINE LIONEL 21379 POLICE STATION BUILDING KIT O SCALE
$16.99
Time Left: 19m |
Lionel #8025 CN Alco AA Diesel Locomotive, Rare, OB
$109.00 (12 Bids) Time Left: 19m |
LIONEL 205 MISSOURI PACIFIC LOCOMOTIVE SET
$52.00 (8 Bids) Time Left: 19m |
Lionel Postwar Rio Grande 6657 Caboose - Excellent ++++
$51.00 $100.00
Time Left: 19m |
226 B unit
$49.99 (0 Bids) Time Left: 19m |
lionel 36560 chesapeake & ohio caboose ob lighted
$15.50 (4 Bids) Time Left: 20m |
50 Chev John Deere Stake Truck for Lionel MTH Williams
$9.95 $10.95
Time Left: 20m |
6465 Tank Car for the Operator comes with original box
$6.99 (0 Bids) Time Left: 21m |