Easy Way to Identify Scale Lionel?

Scale items prior to the recent change in item number concatenation were identified with the production number beginning with "6-17xxx" or "6-19xxx".   All items beginning with "6-17xxx" are scale however, not all beginning with "6-19xxx" are.  You need to be familiar with the item.

-Greg

With new numbering system here's how you tell:

The first two digits are the year of introduction. So, when you see a lot of 21's, you can guess when you'll see these products.

The next two digits are the marketing category. For example, to name a few random ones: 25 is track, 26 is O scale rolling stock, 28 is O traditional rolling stock, 29 is operating accessories, 31 is scale steam locomotives, 35 is motorized units, 38 is US made, 42 is Lionscale, etc.

The last 3 numbers are basically sequential numbers which represent different unique road numbers/names.

-Greg

Yeah, look for 6-17XXX.  Other than that, I've basically stopped looking at Lionel rolling stock online.  There's enough good looking Atlas and MTH Premier out there.  Takes the guesswork out of it.

It’s to bad that it isn’t easier to pick out Lionel products that is the reason I look at the Purple Boxes and the Atlas O stuff. It’s a lot less of a hassle!

Isn't amazing that Lionel is losing sales massively because MTH and Atlas make it so much easier?

Spoiled.  Go to lionel.com.  Search for the locomotive or rolling stock you're interested in.  Look for the word "Traditional" for non-scale, or the phrase "Standard O" for scale in features listing on the detail page for the item.

Or, would you like them to go back and renumber 25,000 items instead?

Mike

BTW --  This is another one of those topics that comes up on a regular basis and adds very, very little value.

And get off of my lawn!

@Mellow Hudson Mike posted:

“BTW --  This is another one of those topics that comes up on a regular basis“

prove it😜

I looked, couldn’t find anything.

@TheRambles posted:

prove it😜

I looked, couldn’t find anything.

Proof:

• https://ogrforum.com/topic/lionel-scale
• https://ogrforum.com/...tional-size-question
• https://ogrforum.com/...ionel-identification
• https://ogrforum.com/...ock-numbering-system
• https://ogrforum.com/...ystem-similar-to-mth
• https://ogrforum.com/...auge-by-manufacturer
• https://ogrforum.com/...27-from-1-48-on-ebay
• https://ogrforum.com/...lionel-product-lines
• https://ogrforum.com/...tional-size-question
• https://ogrforum.com/...guishable-difference
• https://ogrforum.com/...aditional-vs-o-scale
• https://ogrforum.com/topic/traditional-scale
• https://ogrforum.com/...are-not-prototypical

I'm sure I could go on and on...

@bmoran4 posted:

Proof:

• …

I'm sure I could go on and on...

I admire your commitment, but I fear your findings fail to prove the “regular basis” thesis set forth in your initial response.

Your most recent link was two years old and duplicated in the list, most others were more than half a decade old. And others were not on point.

Anyhow, thanks for contributing to the value of the topic with your responses. You never know, it may help someone they next time this exact question is raised.

-Tony

@TheRambles posted:

Your most recent link was two years old and duplicated in the list, most others were more than half a decade old.

This was not intended to be an exhaustive list by any means... age of the links do not matter as the information is still applicable. Just goes to show with minimal search effort one can find the topic has been hashed over extensively and no need to revisit.

@TheRambles posted:

I fear your findings fail to prove the “regular basis” thesis set forth in your initial response.

Additionally, I'm not the one who stated this topic comes up regularly - I just provided evidence that it has been covered sufficiently on the forum and located with minimal effort.

@Mellow Hudson Mike posted:

Spoiled.  Go to lionel.com.  Search for the locomotive or rolling stock you're interested in.  Look for the word "Traditional" for non-scale, or the phrase "Standard O" for scale in features listing on the detail page for the item.

Mike

I truncated your post, only to address one of your points. I find when going to Lionel’s website, it doesn’t go back far enough, and many times I can’t find what I’m looking for. And, what does concatenation mean, anyway?

I appreciate the information on Lionel numbering system.  
Thanks!