Help identify Lionel 247 with set

The 247 engine ws only offered in one catalogued set in 1959. Set #1613S

It included the 247 engine, a247T tender, 6826 flat car w/ christmas trees, 6819 flat car w/ helicopter, 6821 flat car w/ crates and a 6017 caboose.

The 247 may have been in some of the promotional / uncatalogued sets.

But your set looks to have been made up, which was common for dealers to get rid of old stock!

Hi Allan,

Are there any numbers on the set box itself.  That includes the box part number, etc.  I have a copy of a book that includes uncatalogued sets but nothing jumps out showing the 247.  However there is mention of some sets with "contents unknown" and there are references to the box part number that might help. 

The picture doesn't come over to clearly but I assume the 247 is a Baltimore & Ohio?

Hi

If you own the set, you could try to warm the tape with a hair dryer in order to carefully remove it to reveal the set number below.  Probably an X series uncatalogued promotional set.

IAW the Schmid book on "Promotional Sets 1960-69", the 247 powered the following sets:  x-874 (60), x-501NA(60),x-613(61),x-680(61),x-697(61) where the number in parenthesis is the year offered.   In checking the contents of these sets, I could eliminate X-874 - flat car had a truck as a load, x-501NA-had an operating helicopter car and a submarine on a flat car. X-613- had a black gondola plus a Savings Bank car and no flat, x-680 - had an operating lumber car plus an Allis - Charmers flat load, and X-697 - had a satellite launching car.  SO at least in accordance with just about the most comprehensive reference on Promotional sets, it does not appear that it is one of those listed above.   Sorry I also checked my reference on "uncatalogued" sets and found no entry at all with a #247 locomotive and as Yardmaster posted the only cataloged set appeared in 1959 and was # 1613S and the contents do not match your picture.

Sorry I couldn't help

Best Wishes and good luck finding your set

Don

The Schmid book also includes some possible substitutions and some year sets with unknown contents.  The information does seem very specific when it comes to the actual box stock number so that's why I asked for it as it might be helpful.  I agree with Tim that a hair dryer could be helpful in GENTLY removing the tape.

It is an uncataloged Sears set from 1959. The set number is 9664.

Well, there is some controversy over the Sears catalog description and identification.  The 1959 Sears wish book, I have a copy, does show what appears to be the 247 with the blue stripe and blue stripe on the tender.  However, the text stipulates that the locomotive has a "whistle" and the 247 T was never made with a whistle.  Hence, what engine actually was used in Sears set #9664...was it as illustrated with the 247 or was another engine substituted that came with a whistle.  There is some speculation that the engine used was a 2018,245, or even a 243 that was not catalogued by Lionel until 1960 ( "Greenberg's Guide to Lionel Trains, 1945-1969, Volume IV, Uncatalogued Sets" ) Of course we will never really know for certain .

Don McErlean

Don,

I have 3 of these sets all with the original boxes and they all have come with a 247 and 6026w whistle tender. 2 have come from the original owners. I suspect the catalog illustration was done much earlier before the actual production run.

Raymond

I agree...if you have multiple sets with original boxes you are clearly in the best position to define the contents.  To me, its your statement that they came with a whistle tender that was not the 247T, thus clearing up the mystery of whether or not the text or picture in the Sears catalog was correct.  Obviously they wanted a whistle and Lionel obliged by supplying one vice the 247T.

Great find

Don

Thanks Don. That is just my observation from owning several of these sets. I imagine Sears wanted a whistle tender and since the 247T didn’t have one they supplied the 6026w to satisfy Sears requirements.

Raymond