Very good video. I never knew what those numbers stood for and I'm old. How old? When I was young, there were only two kinds of coffee: Regular & Large
Now I get to nit pick. The hopper car numbers changed from 6456 to 6476 after they riveted the trucks to the bodies, but also 6476 had two operating couplers while the 6176 had one operating coupler and one fixed coupler, and the 6076 had two fixed couplers. Other rolling stock also used the 64** 61** and 60** numbers for the same reasons. Thanks for sharing the info. No one fully understands why they numbered things as they did but I have known about this code for years but even Lionel didn’t follow it exactly. Most people don’t catch an X suffix usually meant something extra like the hand rails added to a tender or for an operating box car.
I am trying to catalog and price all my deceased husband's postwar Lionel collection. One of my challenges is I can't find numbers like 6-xxxx in my pricing book, and I am further confused when the box has the "6-" number and the car itself has an entirely different number, like 4835300l. I made up these numbers, just to represent their characteristics. If you could help on this I would very grateful.
A "6-xxxx" catalog number is from the MPC era of Lionel (1970-1986) and a "6-xxxxx" number is from roughly 1990 forward. Most of the modern production items use car numbers that represent real railroad numbers rather than the catalog number of the item so it becomes more difficult to track them down without the box. It can be a daunting task. If there is a Lionel collector or operating group in your local area you might find someone there who can give you more help than a book will provide. Good luck!
I watch video on post war lionel steamers, i think i missed my train number identification. I have an engine with #8633, it has a 4-4-2. Is the number on this correct? Is it a middle of the line quality? Thanks now for any input.
Engines in the 8xxx series were usually made after 1970. The 8633 is a modern era locomotive that comes in a number of variations (Union Pacific, C&O, etc). These 4-4-2s are considered starter level locomotives.
@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks I do know that early postwar steam locomotives with 3 digits were marketed as "O" gauge whereas 4 digits were "O27" gauge. That's why some locos had the same same bodies, cab numbers being their only difference (675/2025 for example)
@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks you are right about that one! Although not marketed until 1946 it looked as though it belonged to the prewar era. Perhaps a prewar design stopped before its production run by wwII ?
Greenberg's Guide To Lionel Trains Vol. 2 walmrt.us/47VV068 [Affiliate Link]
Very well done, Mike! Thank you! I always wondered how the system was designed and now it makes a whole lot more sense.
Thanks!!
Well done! I love this sort of information. I kinda knew there was a system, but it's great to know the details. Keep up the good work!
Thanks!!
Good to know, some mysteries explained. Thanks!
You're welcome!
Awesome advice
Thanks!
VERY informative! Thanks for posting!
You're welcome!
This was a brilliant way too explain this mike! I couldn’t have said it myself. Great video
Thanks!!
Excellent video. I never knew this.
Thanks for watching!
Very good video.
I never knew what those numbers stood for and I'm old.
How old?
When I was young, there were only two kinds of coffee:
Regular
&
Large
:-)
Great video. Very informative.
Thanks!!
Mike, how about a video explaining the different types of Lionel, Heritage, Legacy etc, I know many who get confused
Now I get to nit pick. The hopper car numbers changed from 6456 to 6476 after they riveted the trucks to the bodies, but also 6476 had two operating couplers while the 6176 had one operating coupler and one fixed coupler, and the 6076 had two fixed couplers. Other rolling stock also used the 64** 61** and 60** numbers for the same reasons. Thanks for sharing the info. No one fully understands why they numbered things as they did but I have known about this code for years but even Lionel didn’t follow it exactly. Most people don’t catch an X suffix usually meant something extra like the hand rails added to a tender or for an operating box car.
Not really nits as each example fits the pattern.
Now, Mike, didn't " x " preceeding a code #, signify that the item was part of a set, and not originally offered as a separate sale item ?🙄
Fascinating stuff
Thanks!
You could buy the Greenberg guide to Lionel, as I bought their Marx guide.
The Enigma Code very interesting TU!
Well, it's not QUITE as complex as Enigma! :-)
I am trying to catalog and price all my deceased husband's postwar Lionel collection. One of my challenges is I can't find numbers like 6-xxxx in my pricing book, and I am further confused when the box has the "6-" number and the car itself has an entirely different number, like 4835300l. I made up these numbers, just to represent their characteristics. If you could help on this I would very grateful.
A "6-xxxx" catalog number is from the MPC era of Lionel (1970-1986) and a "6-xxxxx" number is from roughly 1990 forward. Most of the modern production items use car numbers that represent real railroad numbers rather than the catalog number of the item so it becomes more difficult to track them down without the box. It can be a daunting task. If there is a Lionel collector or operating group in your local area you might find someone there who can give you more help than a book will provide. Good luck!
I watch video on post war lionel steamers, i think i missed my train number identification. I have an engine with #8633, it has a 4-4-2. Is the number on this correct? Is it a middle of the line quality? Thanks now for any input.
Engines in the 8xxx series were usually made after 1970. The 8633 is a modern era locomotive that comes in a number of variations (Union Pacific, C&O, etc). These 4-4-2s are considered starter level locomotives.
How do you track down the locomotive numbers
The locomotive numbers are a mess
@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks I do know that early postwar steam locomotives with 3 digits were marketed as "O" gauge whereas 4 digits were "O27" gauge. That's why some locos had the same same bodies, cab numbers being their only difference (675/2025 for example)
@@billintex001 Except the 221s were O27! There was no consistency in locomotive numbers.
@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks you are right about that one! Although not marketed until 1946 it looked as though it belonged to the prewar era. Perhaps a prewar design stopped before its production run by wwII ?
What does it mean when a Lionel tender does not have a model number?
Most tenders do not have numbers.