Does Lionel model number include any indication of a manufacture date?
Is there any way to tell what year a model is from, with out opening the box?
I purchase a caboose recently at a hobby shop and it was over 10 years old(new in box).
I had to rewire it do to the wire insulation had cracked.
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The 4 digit system was introduced by Lionel in 1970. The second digit indicated what year it was made, but this was only for locomotives. For example, the 783 Hudson was item 8406, meaning it was made in 1984.
It wasn't until 1987 when Lionel was purchased by Richard Kughn that the 5 digit system was born. This requires a bit of memorizing to understand what product has which series of numbering. For example, collector line cabooses were normally in the 17600 and 19700 series, and big steam was in the 18000 series. Eventually these had to be changed as more product was being made.
In terms of boxes, Joe Stachler did a very thorough view of modern era Lionel boxes. Though for the most part, MPC boxes were white, though later ones used the retro orange and blue boxes.
LTI collector line equipment typically used the same orange and blue, whereas the traditional line product from 1988 to 1992 came in sharp black and white boxes.
If you know the model number you can look it up in the Greenberg Pocket Price Guide and see what year it was made.
Bill
Thanks for the info.
I have found that Lionel's numbering is almost all over the place! Even with pre war items there are 3 and 4 digit numbers. The 3 digit was for regular style couplers and 4 digit was for electric operated couplers with slide shoes.
The post war numbering is different too and 4 digit is just 4 digit as far as I know, three digit don't mean much either, as some say it was for use with 027 but that rule is also broken at times. I have seen 3 digit O gauge engines from the post war time, so like I say numbers don't mean much except to ID an item.
As for MPC and modern items I have no idea about the numbering system.
The newer stuff after MPC uses a newer numbering system, beginning with a 6 or 7 and five more numbers.
Best advice is to use a some kind of price guide, Greenberg's or Doyle's, with numbers and years of production in it. Otherwise you are just guessing as to what a number is.
Lee Fritz
There was a point in time when the date was stamped on the inside flap...
Marty
Martin Derouin posted:There was a point in time when the date was stamped on the inside flap...
Marty
Yes, remember those days... now I feel old.
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