Old Lionel

[Rangerover]

Hi Ya'll I bought an HO collection of old cars and engines last year and am building my layout. I retired also last year. When I picked these up, drove to Jersey to pick them up, he also included some interesting Lionel cars 0 gauge that he threw in. These are very pecular in that they have couplers that I have never seen in my 63 years. The couplers have solinoids on them for uncoupling. The cars also have line names Erie Lacawanna, which I know is Jersey, NY, and Pa line instead of the Lionel logo on the sides but Lionel on the bottom, some are metal body. They appear to be factory decal. Anybody know if these are prewar or what they are. The gentleman that sold me these was my age and didn't know. He claimed they were part of his grandfathers collection. So that would be somwhere in the late 1938-1950. The 0 gauge transformer that came with it is really ancient, it looks similar to an old teletype machine. Any help would be appreciated. Jim, Rangerover, W Va.

[bfskinner]

Rangerover,

Are you talking about couplers that look like the ones on the trucks at this site?

http://cgi.ebay.com/LIONEL-COIL-COUPLER-TRUCK-PAIR_W0QQitemZ170090374309QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

If so, it is likely an early postwar car. Postwar is defined as 1945-1969.

Over the years, Lionel has offered literally thousands of cars decorated in the livery of prototypical railroads, certainly including the Erie Lackawanna. If you would provide the number on the side of the car(s) someone on this forum could tell you a lot more.

[lionelsoni]

The transformer should also have some identification, one or two letters or a 4-digit number.

Solenoids in the couplers could be either prewar or postwar.  Postwar couplers will be Janney-type (knuckle) couplers, prototypical except for being outsized.  Just about anything else would be prewar.

[bfskinner]

Bob (lionelsoni),

As I understand it, the Erie-Lackawanna was not formed until late 1960. The hyphen was dropped in 1963. So it would seem that the car could not be pre-war. The question is when were the early coil couplers discontinued? I suppose it's possible that the trucks/couplers were not original to the car.

Source: http://erielackhs.org/EL/ELHOME.html

 

[lionelsoni]

The electromagnetic (solenoid) couplers for cars were phased out around 1948.

[ADCX Rob]

The electromagnetic (solenoid) couplers for cars were phased out around 1948.

For 2400 series passenger cars, it would be 1953.

Rob 

[Rangerover]

Thanks for the response's! I'll try doing a little more research, I at least have a good start. Jim

[lionelsoni]

I should have written "...for freight cars...".

[bfskinner]

Rangerover,

If you'd provide more detailed information I'm sure you'd get a lot more help from this forum, but it's certainly your choice.