The X usually signified something missing or added.
In this case, probably whether the car was a set component or not - all the cars I have or have seen are the same except for lettering differences.
I just checked the two NIB cars I have - they are marked 3361X and are in a smallish box barely big enough for the car, 5 logs, & the instruction sheet. I'm pretty sure they were separate sale items from ABC Sport Shop in Rochester, NY.
Rob
Hello Traindaddy!
When Lionel used an 'X' ususally, it meant a difference in features,looks, or even a Store Special of some kind. Sometimes items with an 'X' are hard to find & sometimes not. I suspect the difference may be the Trucks( Staple vs Bar End) or even the Couplers (Coil or Manually Operated) Without looking at what you saw, This may be the case. Take Care.
Two box examples for a 3361. 3361 (without the X) was the large seperate sale item and the 3361X siginifies that it was part of a set. Nothing different in trucks, couplers, or staple end vs bar end. It's the exact same car. The 3361X as stated is smaller because the unloading bin was just thrown into the the sex box. The 3361 box is larger because one needed to put the 160 bin in there. By throwing the 160 bin in the set box, Lionel could save on box material and space. Yes, even the almighty Lionel Corp. cut costs back in the day.
The same goes for a 3469 dump car and a 3469X dump car. The same exact car, just one came in a set.
LS1Heli wrote:...The 3361X as stated is smaller because the unloading bin was just thrown into the the sex box...
That makes my two boxed items set break-ups from the 50's!
traindaddy1,
From the Authoritative Guide to Lionel's Postwar Operating Cars:
"When offered for separate sale, the car was packaged in a 3461 box that included five wood logs, an instruction sheet, and a 160-1 3" x 7" Bakelite bin. When included with a boxed set, the same car was packaged in a smaller 3461X box that included the same wood logs and instruction sheet, but the 160-1 bin was placed loose within the set box."
The book is by Joe Algozzini and Manny Piazza and covers the operating cars Lionel made including all boxing and packaging. We used actual Lionel production documents to write this and all our books.
Hope that helps,
John Schmid - Author - Authoritative Guide to Lionel's Promotional Outfits 1960 - 1969
www.projectroar.com
LS1Heli: Thanks for the info.
John: Thanks for the quote and the "lead" for the publication.
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