Lionel on Leave it to Beaver

Years ago we had a long thread on Lionel trains on Beaver, Ozzie and Harriet and other 1950's TV shows. I saw in another magazine this week that Lionel was on I Love Lucy......I've seen the other shows....but I have never seen the Lucy Lionel episode. There was a PR still with Lionel track on the living room floor.....anyone see that one???

I have seen that episode before and I believe that the trains shown were all O gauge Lionel, from the mid 1950's. These are only some possible set numbers from Greenberg's guide; 2237WS 1955 with 6464-275 boxcar(wrong boxcar #), 2257WS 1956 6464-25(wrong boxcar #), 2257WS 1957 missing the 6464 boxcar #.

Found another set, 12840 from 1966 with 6464-450 boxcar, again wrong boxcar?

The boxcar that you mention is 6464-825 Alaska boxcar, the Greenberg guide don't list that one in a set with the 665 engine.

There was another episode where Beaver and his friend were playing with their Lionel trains. His friend brought over his Lionel trains and they added their track together, those too look like O gauge tubular track.

Lee Fritz

There is also an episode of Dennis the Menace with Lionel in it.  It was the soap box derby one where the prize was a train set.  Dennis lost the race but the dads made a 50 dollar bet on which car was fastest.  Mr. Wilson was in Dennis' car for the run so they won the bet.  With the money Dennis' dad bought him a Lionel set.

That was the same episode Lee. Gilbert brought over his General set and some other accessories. The episode was from 1962 so I figured the items were from 1958-1962. There was a 2539WS set from 1959 that included the 665 with a 2046W tender. It also included the 6464-825 Alaska with the 6357 caboose. The issue is that the set came with Super O track and the episode had tubular O gauge track. My guess is that they just threw together some pieces.

 http://www.liveauctioneers.com...ht-set-w665-and-2046

I did not check for a Super O set as I was under the impression that it was O gauge tubular track. That's why I could not find the set, it was Super O track from 1959.

Greenberg's guide lists the caboose as being made in 59 & 60.

Lee Fritz

From the Lionel 1959 catalog - Set 2539WS (Click photo to enlarge):

Jim

Photo courtesy of the Lionel catalog Archive disk - John Holtmann, Hybrid Systems Ltd.

HSL website

Hey Jim P.

I should have said that I found the set # 2539WS listed under Super O and not O gauge. Would that help you?

Thanks for the photo of the set.

Lee Fritz

Yep. The CTT special issue on the 50s has a cool article on the west coast rep for Lionel who was responsible for supplying train sets and accessories for TV shows and movies. They mention the 'Beaver' episode and others.

I remember the"Ozzie and Harriet' one where Ozzie and his wacky neighbor (Thorny) commandeer the trains that are going to be tossed after Ricky loses interest in them.

johnstrains:

The episode you mention is one of my favorites. It is rather hilarious and many of us can relate to the story line.

I believe there was another episode on Beaver featuring American Flyer. Mary Ellen Rodgers coaxed Wally and Beaver over to run her Dad's Flyer set.

Mr Wilson ROCKS!

Our trains take us back in time, wish we could go back when TV shows were good wholesome family shows everyone could watch, now besides I Love Toy Trains and Trains and Locomotives on RFDTV, what else is there to watch? All the other good shows are never shown anymore, if it's isn't shootings or rap, it's not on TV.

Captain Kangaroo (Bob Keeshan) had an hour-long children's show on CBS Monday through Friday. Now and then the good Captain ran a Lionel layout. To this day I vividly recall a closeup of a 736 Berkshire speeding down a Graduated Trestle Set, flying off a curve, and crashing to the layout.

"Oh!" exclaimed the Captain. "We have a wreck!"

What is RFDTV?  Who carries it?

ME TV network also plays Leave it To Beaver.

"RFD" is a reference to "Rural Free Delivery" of the U. S. Postal Service.

RFDTV broadcasts programs aimed at country/rural audiences. "Trains and Locomotives" is great for railfans. The number assigned to RFDTV varies between cable and satellite TV providers. RFDTV is included in some packages and costs extra on others.

A show out of Los Angles in the 1950 and 60's that was centered around trains......model trains mostly, was Engineer Bill. I'd walk home at lunch time to eat and watch the show daily. My Mom sent in a post card for a chance to be on the show and I got the call. Bill, the show host, would sit at the entrance to a tunnel portal and call into it asking who was there....that was your queue to walk out and talk to Bill. After some small talk....gifts were awarded.

The show began with model trains on a layout. The trains changed over the years. O 3r then S scale and HO. They had a small display layout that was TT or N I can't recall....I knew it was small!

The show ran for years.....30 minutes everyday.....no wonder we all loved model trains!