Prewar Lionel truck question 40-42ish?

The switch to the box coupler with the simulated knuckle and lift pin is 1940.  The shift to blackened journals is not quite so distinct but is also shown as "circa" 1940.  The long activation tab is most certainly 1940 as it was revised in 1941.  The trucks on the freight cars vary in height as they had to be made to adjust to the high and low trucks of the 600 and 800 series cars.  The trucks per my source material, are referred to as Type IV-G and came both manual and automatic.  There were 4 types of trucks IV-G m low and IV-Gm high for the manual trucks and likewise IV-Gs low and IV-Gs high for the solenoid activated couplers.  The low versions have a 1/8"drop in the shank whereas the high versions have a 1/4" rise in the shank.  The high versions were used with the last 2800 series cars with deep dish frames.  In summary the 1940 box coupler has the simulated lift pin and a long vertical plate at the rear of the box.

There were numerous changes made in the 1940-41 era as the trucks had to accommodate both variations in the frame and (when they were solenoid operated) the length of the solenoid operating pin.  However in 1941 in order for the trucks to "nestle" below the frame, the simulated lift pin was eliminated and car frame openings were enlarged.  The 1941 coupler has no pin and a very short plate or in some instances no plate at all.

My reference material is ...."Greenbergs Guide to Lionel Trains, 1901-1942, Volume II" 1988 Edited by Christian F. Rohlfing  and    "Greenbergs Guide to Lionel Trains, 0 Gauge, Volume 3: 1937-1942" by Bruce C. Greenberg, PhD.  2024.

Hope this helps

Don

Don, thank you it helps.  I forgot about that simulated lift pin.  My 224E set has a tender (non whistle) with the "ribbed" coupler box, black journal, short vertical tab, but all the 2600 freight cars have the "simulated" coupler box, raised lift pin, black journals and long vertical tab.

The 226E tender has the "simulated" coupler box, raised lift pin, black journals and long vertical tab just like the 2600 cars, and so does the tender.  The 2800 series black hopper has the same except no raised lift pin.

As far as these trucks on the 2800 and the 2600 they look identical and they match height wise.  So these are the low trucks and they would be same in 40ish regardless of 2800 or 2600 cars?

I do have some freight with ribbed box coupler and black journals so maybe late 39ish?  G

@GGG - I believe your comment on the low trucks from 1940 working on the 2800 or 2600 cars is correct.  The key difference, it seems to me, is the 2800 series cars that came with the "deep dish" frame which required the high trucks with the 1/4" rise in the shank.

The presence or absence of the lift pin seems to be definitive however, 1940 had it and 1941 did not.

This was a confusing time as Lionel made numerous changes trying to get their coupler situation under control and come up with (as they did post war) fewer types of trucks and couplers that fit more types of cars.  1940-41 was confusing but then again so was 1945-46 so hang on for the ride

Happy Holidays,

Don

You say deep dish frame, but the 2800 on my set have a frame with boss protrusion down, so despite the low height truck, the body (frame) is raised.  The earlier 2800 series hopper I have with nickel journals and rib box is a flat frame.  It has a trucks that are taller than the 40 set, though coupler height is close.  G

Yes the deep dish protrudes down. Don