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Good afternoon all.

I am a newbie to this form and need to learn much about Lionel products. I recently purchased a F3 B unit in a box marled 6-18136 and sold as such. I noticed it did not have auto-couplers. I looked at the LCRX board and saw it does not have auto-coupler connectors. I have attached a pix of the LCRX board. Is it possible that I actually have a 6-18129?  I apologize if this info has been covered previously. Thank you for your help.

Doug

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The 18136 and 18129 are identical. The difference is that the 18129 came in a set with a powered A unit, item #18128, and the 18136 was available as a separate sale item a year later. The set with the no. 18128 powered A unit and no. 18129 B unit was numbered 18130, and was made in 1996. The 18136 B unit was made in 1997.

I assume when you say "autocouplers" you mean remote controlled "electrocouplers." That's the term Lionel uses for them. Yes, Lionel said electocouplers in their ad, but despite the ad, neither the 18136 nor the 18129 was equipped with electrocouplers. I have see a photo of the bottom of a 18136 and didn't see any electrocouplers, and there has been other commentary about this. None of the independent ads for the 18136 say they have electrocouplers, either.

However, Lionel made a separate sale non-powered A unit (item no. 18134) to go with the set. These non-powered so-called dummy A units are normally put behind the B unit, with the front of the A unit facing the rear, and connected to the cars. This dummy A unit is equipped with an electrocoupler, which is meant to be used to connect and disconnect the cars the engines are pulling. So if you want an electrocoupler with the set, you need to add the no. 18134 dummy A unit. This arrangement was common in a number of similar F3 sets during this time.

Several years later, Lionel started adding electrocouplers to the rear of these B units as well. Sets were often offered as powered A and nonpowered B units, and an electrocoupler on the B unit meant it was no longer necessary to buy a separate dummy A unit to get one.

Last edited by breezinup

Hi Breezinup,

Yes, "electrocouplers" is the Lionel term. Thanks for the info. Your statement: ",,,, Lionel started adding electrocouplers to the rear of these B units as well...." I guess that means I have an early 6-18136 and not the one shown in the catalog.  Or as you say maybe there never were any 136's with electrocouplers.  At any rate I do have a 6-18134 so I'm good there. You gents and this form are wonderful resources. Thanks again.

Doug

@DOUGIEG posted:

Hi Breezinup,

Yes, "electrocouplers" is the Lionel term. Thanks for the info. Your statement: ",,,, Lionel started adding electrocouplers to the rear of these B units as well...." I guess that means I have an early 6-18136 and not the one shown in the catalog.  Or as you say maybe there never were any 136's with electrocouplers.  At any rate I do have a 6-18134 so I'm good there. You gents and this form are wonderful resources. Thanks again.

Doug

No, you don't have an early model. What happened is that Lionel printed their flyer before production, as always happens, and somewhere along the line afterward it was determined that the electrocouplers couldn't be added for whatever reason - insufficient time for engineering, parts availability, cost, whatever - and so the electrocoupler plans were postponed until a later model. This kind of thing has happened periodically at Lionel, and other manufacturers as well, probably since model trains were first made. It happens during the production of many things.

A rule of thumb is never take what is in the catalog as gospel, because it's quite common for things to change before the production reaches the consumer.

DOUGIEG - Another example that lends credence to what GRJ says is that several years ago I bought a Lionel CP F3 AA tandem (as part of set #6-21759) and subsequently bought a matching powered B unit.  The latter was advertised as powered - which it was - but it also came equipped with traction tires on two of the wheels and there had been no mention of this feature in the catalog.  Consequently sometimes it can work both ways.

GRJ and BRP,

You folks are terrific. Thanks for the dope. In my neophytic stage I really have no need for electrocouplers but I am glad to learn that my 136 is the real deal. I am a radio guy so I am aware of "bluesky" catalog descriptions. Some of the sellers on "that" auction site seem to perpetuate the misinformation in their listings. Thanks again.

Doug

Lionel has a disclaimer printed (no surprise) in every catalog, like most other manufacturers. “Items depicted in this catalog are subject to change in price, color, size, design and availability. Verify features on product package.”

I don’t recall if you said what features were listed, or not, on the end flap of your item box.

Last edited by Mark V. Spadaro

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