Good afternoon,
I was hoping someone could point me in the right direction or answer my question. I am relatively new to the hobby of model trains and I have been growing my collection for the past year. I have focused my collection on the Postwar frame of Lionel as it reminds me of my grandfather.
Being on the younger side of this hobby I have found that all of the information and knowledge about Postwar really is done by word of mouth. There isn't literature or a blog to find all of the answers that I am seeking. I have tried a few search phrases on this forum but I didn't find the answer I am seeking.
I recently came across an F3 shell that I know was a repaint. This is one of the few I have purchased to date, but they were a good enough deal I couldn't say no. If nothing else just to keep in my collection for one day where I will need it.
Inside of A shell is an orange sticker that says 'Lionel Repaint 1994' if I am reading it correctly. It's small and somewhat worn but squinting I can make out that text.
This is where I need help on properly identifying it. I believe that service shoppes would put this sticker on units that they repainted. From the information that I've been able to gather that is what the sticker is telling me. Now, does this mean that the shell is an original that was repainted? Does this mean it was a blank shell that was painted from scratch but was done by the repair shoppe? Is there any way to tell from the sticker who did the painting?
I apologize for all of the questions. But like I said I can only get so far down the rabbit hole and I can't find that final answer and it's weighing on me. I just want to know whether this is an original shell that was repainited or something fabricated. Doesn't matter to me either way, I got it at a fair price. But just to know/educate myself.
There is a few that do it. I do not know of Lionel doing it, if they ever did it I would guess back in the 50's maybe and before. I have gotten train cars with a sticker stating refurbished by certain clubs also
Life's hard, even harder if your stupid John Wayne
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I'm guessing what you've got is a restoration from 1994, but I'm sure you've figured that out by now.
The question is "who?" Endless possibilities, but as long as it looks good I wouldn't worry about it. Fire it up and have fun!
It's true that some information is only available through word of mouth. But there are considerable resources available. Numerous books have been written about Lionel trains. A good starting point would be the large format price guides published by Greenberg / Kalmbach. They are no longer in print, but are common on EBay.The Train Collectors Association has a lengthy, detailed guide to grading. Which may only be available to members (not certain on this)
Try this website...
www.tandem-associates.com/lionel/lionelident.htm
It's a great information site for all things Lionel. No price guides however, but from what I've seen prices on post-war items, especially those in "less than new" condition seem to be in a state of flux. "Mint-in-the-box" items are still bringing big money, but there's some good deals out there on the used Lionels.
Best thing to do if your getting into post-war is to start hitting train shows to check prices and "get your eye in," as the saying goes. In the end only you know what you can afford and how much you're willing to spend.
For show schedules, click "Resources" on the top of the website, then "Coming Events" and follow the prompts. It very accurate by the way, if I'm going to a particular area of the country I always check it to see if there's any train shows going on at the time I'll be there. It's worked out pretty well for me.
There's another price guide I've found pretty helpful, it's called the "Collector's Guide to Postwar Lionel Trains 1945-1969" by David Doyle. It was published by Krause Publications in 2007. It's out of print now, but you may be able to find one by searching various internet sources. The publisher's website is www.krausebooks.com and who knows, it may be available again. Some folks don't care for the Doyle book but I've found it pretty useful, it has prices listed but I kind of treat them as "ball-park" figures. As I said earlier, prices are in a state of flux now anyway.
And welcome to a fun hobby!
Good morning,
I want to thank everyone for responding. I was aware of some of the books but I thought they were only for prices of resales and for repair. I'll see what I can find. The unit does look good - I was just curious if I could trace anything back.
Thanks again everyone, I appreciate it.
2343Guy Good morning, I want to thank everyone for responding. I was aware of some of the books but I thought they were only for prices of resales and for repair. I'll see what I can find. The unit does look good - I was just curious if I could trace anything back. Thanks again everyone, I appreciate it.
The large format price guides have quite a bit of historical information. Unfortunately, the information appearing in one edition is not always carried forward to the next. For that reason I keep as many editions on hand as possible.There are also straight history books, such as the six volume set by TM Books. The various reprints of the Lionel Factory Service Manual are primarily intended for use while repairing trains, but there is a wealth of information that can be gleaned from the manual. You can find a free, online copy at the following site:http://pictures.olsenstoy.com/searchcd1.htm
When I was custom painting way back when, I repainted a number of PW F units, but never into original schemes by Big L. My clients wanted their trains painted in various Eastern roads, not offered by the manufacturer.
I enjoyed working with those shells, as they were easy to strip, easy to mask, easy to apply decals.
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