Decoding Catalog Numbers?

[lionelsoni]

Even in postwar times, Lionel was very inconsistent about numbering, although there was some little logic to it. Part of the trouble was that they never made up their minds what the distinction was between O27 and O (now called O31). Sometimes it was adherence to scale, sometimes it was quality. Sometimes there was no difference at all: For example, an O 671 steam turbine is the same as an O27 2020, except for the model number. The O27 2243 and the O 2383 Santa Fe F3 Diesels are identical in size, but differ internally in the number of motors.

Generally 600 and 700 steam locomotives were considered to be O. Scouts (inferior even to O27) were in the 1000s. O Diesels and electrics were in the 2300s, while 2000s or 2200s meant O27 for any locomotive.

For passenger cars, 2400s were undersized O27 and 2500s were larger O. Postwar freight cars were generally undersized across the board. Quality sometimes seemed to be related to the next-to-last digit of the model number.

[Roger Bielen]

I asked this question to my local Lionel dealer a few weeks ago, he's been in the hobby a good many years. His reply was that at one time the numbers did relate but currently he is not aware of any system.

I don't know if the Lionel website has a question and answer section but , you might give them a try.

[Anonymous]

Is there a way to decode a Lionel item catalog number to determine if it is an O scale piece or is an O-27 tradional piece of rolling stock. It would be helpful to me at the dealer when something catches my eye to know by looking at the stock number if it is "O-27" sized.

Thanks for the tips.

Steve