So Lionel has a Pacific Steam locomotive, #8062. Then I notice there are different prefix numbers being 6-1, 6-2, and 6-3, making the loco product numbers 6-18062, 6-28062 and 6-38062. So, what do the differing prefixes designate?
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Looked it up and here is what I found.
6-1 ATSF 4-6-4
6-2 Gold 100th Anniversary J1-E Hudson 4-6-4
6-3 Lionel Lines 4-6-2
I don't know why Lionel numbered them that way.
When Lionel went to a 5 digit PN system around 1987, they had a distinctive PN system. Steam locos used a 6-180xx PN, when the 6-180xx numbers were used up then they used 6-280xx and finally 6-380xx. The 6- prefix has always been there since 1970. I believe they 6- prefix goes back to when Lionel, MPC models and Craftmaster painting sets where all under the same umbrella of General Mills / Fundimensions.
Thank you. That clears things up nicely.
@ed h posted:When Lionel went to a 5 digit PN system around 1987, they had a distinctive PN system. Steam locos used a 6-180xx PN, when the 6-180xx numbers were used up then they used 6-280xx and finally 6-380xx. The 6- prefix has always been there since 1970. I believe they 6- prefix goes back to when Lionel, MPC models and Craftmaster painting sets where all under the same umbrella of General Mills / Fundimensions.
Thanks for clearing that up. Only the second digit being different and representing completely different items just made no sense to me. I had run into a similar thing about a year ago on another Lionel Item and was totally confused (just figured "whatever").
Little more clarification regarding steam locos:
180xx, 280xx and 380xx were the high end/collector line
186xx, 286xx and 386xx were traditional line.
Of course once in a while always had some exceptions to the rule.
