Hi. I;m new here so any help will be greatly appreciated. I have an old post war General 4 4 0 set with the 1872 engine 1872T tender and two coach cars that are also marked 1872 on the side. I can't find any other numbers to help me look these two cars up. They are both lighted western and atlantic and as far as I know were always with this set. Anyone know what I should be looking at to find the catalog numbers for these cars? Thanks, W
Are you sure about the numbers on the cars? Could they be 1875 or 1875W?
Bob Nelson
Hi Bob If I knew how to add a photo I would, but I am sure the number on the car side is 1872
You need to open an account with a photo hsting site www.photobucket.com is free and who a lot in here uses then upload your photos to them then you copy the img code at the bottom and put it in here and it shows up.
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If anyone wants to see a photo I would be happy to send it to you. my email is warstoryz@aol.com
The only reason we say 1875 is our books tell us of a 1875 not a 1872 passenger car ( coach ) 1875W coach with whistle, 1876 baggage, 1877 flatcar with fence and horses
Yes I thought it was strange too. My book shows the same thing 1875 1875W I don't know what to think
Well maybe I have come up with an answer to your problem. Nobody here is (to my knowledge ) is up on 1970 - to present like we have these guys in here that are on prewar or postwar someone in here can tell you just about every car/engine made (not the same person but between about 20 of them they can relate to it) when we get after 1969 there was so much that we forget or don't remember a set or a car.
The other problem being a lot in our pocket guides they list the sets but not all the individual cars for what ever reason well I think your car maybe one of those sets as I seem to remember a frontier set or something like that having a coach with the number 1872 on it ( I had the car but that was all back in the mid 90's) (got it off of bay of E ) yes they were around then but not a lot of pics back then a lot was just descriptions. I've come up with 3 candidates and not sure if any of the three are it
Frontier set as mention but can't find it in the book (probably looking right over it)
James Gang set but doubt it set # 6-1053
American Express General Set #6-1608
So I'm thinking someone substitute that car for a 1875 car you should have.
They are clearly marked "1872"...
Do the cars have fixed or plunger-operated couplers? If the couplers are fixed, the pictured car is likely an "altered" 1865. The graphics look out of alignment, and don't resemble the original heat-stamped version of letters and numbers. If the couplers are plunger-operated, the pictured car could have originally been an 1875, a very rare car. I doubt that it was an 1875W, since there should be two blank window openings to allow air-flow for the whistle assembly inside the car. Also the window inserts on the pictured car look almost like a solid white in color. The original inserts were an opaque white.
That is not original lettering. The typeface is wrong, the words are too far apart, and the letters and numbers are crooked and irregularly positioned.
THe "Greenberg" and "TM" books at least give a good product brakedown, even if the price changes with the market.
If rated excelant: All they show is 1855 coach (59-62) $44, 1866 baggage (59-62) $60, 1876 baggage (50-62) $70, 1877 flat with fence ((59-62) $75, 1875W Coach with whistle (59-62) $175, 1875 coach WITHOUT whistle (59-62) $290, 1885 coach (uncataloged 60) $265, 1887 flat with fence (uncataloged 60) $150
Locomotives1862 $205, 1872 $305, 1882 $440
Don U. TCA 73-5735
I agree with Prof. Nelson...NOT original!
Here is a better view of the suspect "1872" re-numbering on his car.
The stamped lettering doesn't look right either.
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First of all, thanks to everyone for the information and opinions. I was on the go all day and just now got a chance to look over what's been said about these cars. I don't think the person i bought the set from altered anything. If he had, he would have tried to make a lot more money on the set than he took for it. I never really thought about the numbers myself until I was in the process of listing this set for sale and needed the book price for the cars. Is there any way to get a definate answer as to what was or wasn't done here? Thanks, JM
I am pretty sure these couplers are what you mean by plunger type. Each has a little arm on the side as well as a round mechanism onthe bottom that release the jaws when they are depressed.
The white windows & thumbtack couplers identify these as MPC era construction. It appears they have been painted yellow(over yellow) & re-lettered/re-numbered. The brown window trim looks to be hand painted / brush touched.
The painting may have been done to keep the transluscent yellow plastic cars from "glowing" with the interior lamps on.
Rob
I agree that these cars are not original Post War. I'm at work, but I can check my MPC-era guides when I get home. They obviously have MPC-era windows, and what looks to be decaled "Western & Atlantic" lettering over the windows.
Lionel Post War would have either heat-stamped or pad-printed, while Lionel MPC would have definitiely pad-printed the lettering. If it's a decal, it was done after-market.
Jon
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