Postwar Lionel Steamers - How To Identify By The Numbers

For someone who is new to Lionel trains or only dabbles in them, it can be overwhelming to look at the immense variety of available Lionel post-war era steamers and to know what to look for and what to avoid. One clue is to look at the number of the locomotive. Hello again, this is Mike with another episode of Toy Train Tips and Tricks. In a previous episode, we examined Lionel's post-war rolling stock number system and unlocked the code to determining the quality of various items. Experienced collectors know about the 3-digit O-gauge, 4-digit O-27 rule of thumb, but that system doesn't work for more than a dozen catalog models. Is there another way of looking at Lionel's numbers to help us understand them? Indeed, there is. This system is not as intricate and complex as it is with rolling stock numbers, and no special features like smoke or magnetraction are indicated in the numbers, but there is a definite plan of the numbering series, groups of similar locomotives, in Lionel's post-war numbers. First, a few caveats. Some uncatalog sets made for particular mass marketers, such as Sears, may violate these rules from time to time, and there are always a few exceptions to every system. So, here we go, in order from generally lowest to highest quality. First, we have the 1000 series of steamers. First introduced in 1948 with the number 1001 Scout steamer, these O-27 models are lightweight, have few details, are terrible pullers, and are often found with one-directional forward-only motors. They may appear as 040s or 242s. Whenever Lionel needed to meet the lowest possible price point with a steam locomotive, the 1000s were the solution. While the low price of these steamers may appeal to budget-minded operators, Mark steamers of similar detail and quality, such as the number 400 and number 490, are similarly priced and tend to operate more reliably. Next up are the 1100 series of Scout steamers. When the 1001 proved to be too cheap even for the Scout line, the 1100 series became the next solution. While they featured the same plastic encased motor as the 1001, the 1100s had die-cast shells to assist with traction, and they were based on tried-and-true pre-war designs. The 1100s are an improvement over the 1000 series, but they are still bottom feeders of the Lionel post-war line, so if you want one, don't pay much for it. The next rung up the quality ladder is the 6000 series, which ultimately included only a single locomotive, the number 6110 242 of 1950. Apparently realizing the Scout line was dying, Lionel seemed ready to offer a new series of sets with semi-Scout 6000 series cars, featuring the familiar Scout trucks but with traditional knuckle couplers. The number 6110 was an upgraded 1100 series 242, and it was the first 242 offered with smoke. The trade-off, however, was an unsightly hole in the boiler face to allow for drafting of the smoke. Ultimately, the 6000 series steamers were a dead end. The next step up in 027 steamer quality is the 200 series. First, there are two oddballs in this number series. The first of these is the number 224 262 steamer, which is not an 027 engine at all, and it is superior in quality and detail to the other steamers in this series. It was the only locomotive offered in 1945, as Lionel had a very short time to ramp up train production following the end of the Second World War. This engine was a carryover from the pre-war line and retained its original number. The other oddball is the number 221 steamer of 1946 and 1947. This neat 027 steamer is an imitation of the famous New York Central Dreyfus-style Hudson's of the 20th Century Limited. Despite its 264 wheel arrangement, it was the cheapest catalog steamer in the 1946 line. The 221's dependable six-wheel drive and classic styling make it popular with collectors and operators alike. In 1957, the 200 series reappeared, this time as 242 steamers offered in basic starter sets. Some in this series have improved scout type plastic motors, while others have metal-cased motors. Some have smoke, some have magnetraction. They came with either two or three position reverse units. Regardless of the motor type or features, the 200 series 242s were an improvement over the 1100 series scout engines, and they were the primary starter set steamer in the Lionel line between 1957 and 1966. While these 242s vary widely in features, they are generally basic but dependable runners at a budget price. The descendants of the 200 series carried on through the MPC era and even to contemporary production, with very few changes other than the transition from universal motors to DC can motors and to electronic reverse units beginning in the 1970s. Each model in our next series is derived from pre-war tooling and includes some of the better quality locomotives in the post-war 027 Lionel line. The first of these three types is the number 1666-262 steamer, which is a direct carryover from the pre-war model of the same number. The post-war 1666 is a virtual twin of the O gauge 224 of 1945, and it was later redesigned as the number 2026 steamer. Also in this series are the number 1654 and 1655 242 steamers. These two are based on pre-war tooling. They are well-detailed models and are the forerunners of the bargain series 1100 and 200 steamers. Also in this series are the number 1665 and 1656 040 switchers and their less detailed 1615 and 1625 brethren. All are based on the pre-war B6 scale 060 steam switcher. Straddling both the 027 and O gauge lines is the 1800 series. This series consists exclusively of 440 general type steamers marketed to both 027 operators as the number 1862 and to O gaugers as the number 1872 and 1882. These locomotives are good runners, but they include fragile plastic detail parts, making them difficult to find in pristine condition today. The generals have been reissued many times over the years, including in some recent production starter sets. The top of the line post-war Lionel 027 steamers are found in the 2000 series. Most of these models have twins in the 600 series of models marketed for O gauge. The first model of the series was the number 2020 Pennsylvania Steam Turbine in 1946, which was identical in all ways except the number to the number 671 O gauge version. The number 2025 Pennsylvania K4 arrived in 1947, identical to the O gauge number 675. This model was renumbered 2035 when magnetraction was added in 1950. 1948 saw the introduction of the number 2026 Prairie, a redesign of the number 1666. Other models derived from this design include the number 2036, 2037, 2016, 2018, and 2029 models in the 027 line, as well as the number 637 in the O gauge line. In 1950, the number 2046 464 Hudson was introduced, identical to the O gauge number 646, followed by the similar number 2056 in 1952. This model is essentially a Lionel Berkshire boiler riding on a Hudson drive to allow for 027 operation. Nevertheless, it has a hefty look and it is a smooth runner. The number 2055 464 Baby Hudson was introduced in 1953, along with the O gauge number 685. The following year, a simulated feedwater heater was added to the boiler, producing the number 2065 in 027 and the number 665 in O gauge. Based on a Santa Fe prototype, this Hudson is smaller than the 2046 and features a single-piece boiler to reduce manufacturing costs. The drive is a variation of the reliable six-wheel drive found in the 2037 and similar 264 steamers. The oddball of this series is the number 2034 242 steamer of 1952. While it is an improvement over the 1130 Scout steamer of the same year, it lacks the quality feel of the other members of this class and it has no direct counterpart in the O gauge line. It's best to think of this steamer as a forerunner of the 200 series 242 locomotives. Moving now into the O gauge line, we've already mentioned the 600 series steamers and their 027 gauge counterparts, except for the number 681, 682, and 671R, all of which are modified versions of the number 671 steam turbine locomotive. And we saved the best for last. The 700 series of steamers represented the pinnacle of Lionel O gauge operation and detail in the post-war era. Although earlier models tend to be more detailed than their later counterparts, there are no 027 counterparts to these locomotives. These models included the number 26 284 Berkshire of 1946, which was later renumbered 736 when magnetraction was added in 1950. The number 773 scale Hudson, first introduced in 1950 as an update of the classic pre-war number 700E, and the number 746 Norfolk and Western JCMAS 484, introduced in 1957. These large steamers were not designed to operate on 027 curves at all, and as the premier locomotives in Lionel post-war production, they can carry a hefty price tag as well. So to recap, the 1000 and 1100 series are the least expensive, but they're also the least reliable of Lionel's post-war steamers, and should be avoided unless cost is the overwhelming factor in the decision. The number 200 series tend to be more reliable runners, and they tend to offer more features at not much of an increase in price. The 224 and 221 are exceptions, both are excellent runners and are sought after by operators and collectors. The 2000 series and 600 series are generally twins, with the 027 2000 series versions usually costing less. The oddball of this group is the 2034, which is best thought of as a 200 series steamer. The 700 series is the premium line of steamers, large and impressive in both operation and cost, and the 1800 series generals and the number 6110 are in categories of their own. Hopefully this post-war steamer roundup will help you better understand Lionel's post-war steam models, their relative qualities, and how the numbers can help us determine whether we might make a purchase or let one go. As always, I hope you enjoyed this video, and if so, please like it with a thumbs up, subscribe, and please comment on anything you think I might have gotten wrong. So keep the trains running and the steamers steaming, and we'll catch you next time on Toy Train Tips and Tricks.