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OK Box car fans...I have an "old" one for you...this guy was made between 1914-1925.  His exact dating will take a little more study but I just got him and wanted to post his picture.  He is a Lionel #800 PRR box car.  His condition, as one might expect, shows some play value... but he could be 108 years old... he is at a minimum 96 years old...Wow even older than me!! The key dating parameter at the gross level is that in 1926 Lionel stopped stamping the #800 on the end and put it under the door.  Hence the end stamp means he is 1925 or earlier.

Happy Sunday everyone...hope you have a good week

Don

Lionel 800 Box side 1Lionel 800 Box end

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  • Lionel 800 Box side 1
  • Lionel 800 Box end

A day late, but better than never…

Two Weaver cars.

The Frisco car started as a undecorated 2 rail outside braced boxcar. Primed with Tamyia grey primer and painted with Scalecoat II paint. K4 supplied the decal set. Finished with flat finish and Weaver three rail trucks were installed.


BB88AFD0-D7BF-42D4-8B99-C417B1F8B15D

The Penn Central 40’ car was painted as a Christmas commemorative car. I stripped it and repainted it with Scalecoat II paint and used a K4 decal set. I finished the car with Scalecoat flat finish.

8350D046-CE63-4189-8BBE-3A0F62E7E0DB

Tom

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  • BB88AFD0-D7BF-42D4-8B99-C417B1F8B15D
  • 8350D046-CE63-4189-8BBE-3A0F62E7E0DB

Well hello BxCrSun folks, last week I posted pictures of the Lionel #800 boxcar which is somewhere between 106 and 95 years old. So this week, I will continue with "old" boxcars but this one is some 25-30 years newer.  This one represents Lionel's efforts at increased realism in the immediate post war period.  This is the Southern Pacific, X-6454 in "red / brown" color with a complete circle around the SP herald.  This indicates it dates from 1951-1952 so its a mere 70 years old.  It came to me with its original box that while showing some wear is still relatively complete.  The car itself, as you will see, is very much like new.

Here is the full side of the car, die cast trucks and automatic couplers on both ends.

Lionel 6454 SP boxcar 1

A quarter view, showing the Southern Pacific herald in more detail

Lionel 6454 SP boxcar 2

An end view, showing the great detail these older boxcars had including the add on brake wheel and the deep rivet and ladder detail in the casting.

Lionel 6454 SP boxcar 3

The 3 sides of the original box.

Lionel 6454 SP boxcar box endLionel 6454 SP boxcar box sideLionel 6454 SP boxcar box top



Happy BxCrSun everyone, hope you have a great week.

Don

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  • Lionel 6454 SP boxcar 1
  • Lionel 6454 SP boxcar 2
  • Lionel 6454 SP boxcar 3
  • Lionel 6454 SP boxcar box end
  • Lionel 6454 SP boxcar box side
  • Lionel 6454 SP boxcar box top

Artie :  Than you for the complement.  Yes they made an Erie and a NYC (in 3 versions: brown, orange, and tan) , a PRR (Baby Ruth), a PRR (not Baby Ruth), and a A.T.S.F.   They also made 3 variants of the SP car like mine (red/brown) and 2 versions in light brown.  By the way, the "orange" that I list is not the later bright orange of some of today's cars but a muted somewhat dulled brownish orange.

All of these are available and relatively modest in price on collector sites EXCEPT the orange/brown door NYC and the PRR Baby Ruth  which seem to command a very hefty price increase (especially the Baby Ruth) .  My advice unless you are a collector, these premium priced variations do not offer any operational advantage, its just the scarcity of the livery.   They are great boxcars, super detailed , die cast trucks, metal frame, and automatic couplers on both ends.  They were Lionel's premium in the late 40's to the early 50's.  Only caution is that by later MPC standards they are somewhat heavy.  Now the good news on that is that it makes them good trackers both pulled and pushed but you do have to use a locomotive with some power especially if you expect a long string.  My layout can't stand long trains, too small, so I have no difficulty with one or two in a train along with other type cars.

Good luck in the hunt, they are reasonably available but rare enough to be fun and challenging to find.

Best Wishes

Don

Wow, time sure flies, I’ve been busy with honey do, then vacation, now trying to catch up with looking at the beautiful Box Cars posted. Don McErlean, that’s a nice SP box car. We traveled to North Carolina to see a friend, stopped by the North Carolina Transportation Museum to check things out, this Southern box car was on display. Happy Railroading Everyone… (earlier I said cabooses but we thinking box cars, so sorry) 1E272091-604D-4876-9BCF-41DDAE186BFB2EC6A1ED-6B5F-438E-953C-E7531650B3E9

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  • 1E272091-604D-4876-9BCF-41DDAE186BFB
  • 2EC6A1ED-6B5F-438E-953C-E7531650B3E9
Last edited by leapinlarry

Oh well, it is Sunday and Don brought up the 2454/4454/6454 series which happens to be one of my favorites so...in for a penny in for a pound.

2454 Baby Ruth

Car_2454_Lionel_Boxcar_PRR_Baby_Ruth

2454 Pennsylvania - Brown Door

Car_2454_Lionel_Boxcar_PRR_Brn_Door

2454 Pennsylvania - Orange Door

Car_2454_Lionel_Boxcar_PRR_Orange_Door

4454 - Baby Ruth Electronic Set Boxcar

Car_4454_Lionel_Boxcar_Baby_Ruth

6454 - AT&SF

Car_6454_Lionel_Boxcar_ATSF

6454 - Baby Ruth -note the difference in color when compared to the 2454 version

Car_6454_Lionel_Boxcar_Baby_Ruth

6454 Erie

Car_6454_Lionel_Boxcar_Erie

6454 - NYC - tan

Car_6454_Lionel_Boxcar_NYC_Tan

6454 - NYC - Orange

Car_6454_Lionel_Boxcar_NYC_Orange_1

6454 NYC - Brown

Car_6454_Lionel_Boxcar_NYC_Brown_2



6454 SP - Maroon (Reddish Brown) - small letters in herald and complete circles in herald

Car_6454_Lionel_Boxcar_SP_1

6454 SP - Brown - small letters in herald and complete circles in herald

Car_6454_Lionel_Boxcar_SP_3



6454 SP Brown - thinner letters slightly larger herald - incomplete outer circle in herald (note gap between R and N)

Car_6454_Lionel_Boxcar_SP_2

6454 PRR - Brown - end steps, door casting #1 - latch and no small message board

Car_6454_Lionel_Boxcar_PRR_Brown_1

...now, if you are a real glutton for punishment you can also chase variations within  a road type - for example the 6454 PRR car above has a door with a cast latch that matches the casting on the car and separate strap steps at each end of the car.

6454 PRR  Brown - end steps - door casting #2 door with no latch cast or large or small message board

Car_6454_Lionel_Boxcar_PRR_Brown_2

6454 PRR Brown no end steps - door casting #3 - latch, large and small message board and other differences

Car_6454_Lionel_Boxcar_PRR_Brown_3

You can also find some of these cars with black plastic doors - it is my understanding these are replacement shells supplied to Lionel repair stations.

P.S.  I knew I had a picture of one of these shells somewhere

6454 PRR Lionel Repair Station Replacement Shell

Replacement_Shell

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Images (17)
  • Car_2454_Lionel_Boxcar_PRR_Baby_Ruth
  • Car_2454_Lionel_Boxcar_PRR_Brn_Door
  • Car_2454_Lionel_Boxcar_PRR_Orange_Door
  • Car_4454_Lionel_Boxcar_Baby_Ruth
  • Car_6454_Lionel_Boxcar_ATSF
  • Car_6454_Lionel_Boxcar_Baby_Ruth
  • Car_6454_Lionel_Boxcar_Erie
  • Car_6454_Lionel_Boxcar_NYC_Tan
  • Car_6454_Lionel_Boxcar_NYC_Orange_1
  • Car_6454_Lionel_Boxcar_NYC_Brown_2
  • Car_6454_Lionel_Boxcar_SP_1
  • Car_6454_Lionel_Boxcar_SP_2
  • Car_6454_Lionel_Boxcar_SP_3
  • Car_6454_Lionel_Boxcar_PRR_Brown_1
  • Car_6454_Lionel_Boxcar_PRR_Brown_2
  • Car_6454_Lionel_Boxcar_PRR_Brown_3
  • Replacement_Shell
Last edited by Robert S. Butler
@leapinlarry posted:

Wow, time sure flies, I’ve been busy with honey do, then vacation, now trying to catch up with looking at the beautiful cabooses posted. Don McErlean, that’s a nice SP caboose, We traveled to North Carolina to see a friend, stopped by the North Carolina Transportation Museum to check things out, this Southern box car was on display. Happy Railroading Everyone… 1E272091-604D-4876-9BCF-41DDAE186BFB

And this is not just a box car that was repainted to look like the original 550555.  This is in fact the original 550555 that NCTM repaint into the original paint scheme as delivered by Pullman!

Ron

Well hello BxCrSun fans,  We seem to be a little light today, but maybe I can scare up a few folks.  I have mentioned on this thread or perhaps another that I do really like what are often called Lionel "plug door" boxcars although they don't really have a plug door. So perhaps we call them 0-27 boxcars but that really doesn't help as most boxcars in the postwar era can go around 0-27 curves.  Anyway I really like these little guys even though they don't have opening doors and they are very much too short.

So here is one from the 60's (1963-69) although one example of this car did pop out in 1957.  Its the "Frisco" #6014 boxcar.  This car started out in orange in 1957 then came back in the same color scheme in 1969 so this guy was the "bookends" of this color run.  It is also available in white, red, and white with a coin slot.  Some of these also came with Scout couplers but this one has ordinary disc type automatic couplers on both ends.

Lionel 6014 Frisco boxcar sideLionel 6014 Frisco boxcar end view

OK everyone, enjoy your Sunday.  Best Regards

Don

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Images (2)
  • Lionel 6014 Frisco boxcar side
  • Lionel 6014 Frisco boxcar end view

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