WELCOME TO POSTWAR LIONEL’S FACTORY ERRORS
A STUDY ON FACTORY ERRORS
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HOPPER CARS
BOXCARS
CATTLE CARS
MOTIVE POWER & MOTORIZED UNITS
FLATCARS
TANK CARS
WORK CABOOSES
CABOOSES
ACCESSORIES
HOPPER CARS
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No. 3456 HOPPER LETTERED FOR AN OPERATING CAR ON A NON OPERATING SHELL
No. 6476-25 TWO BAY HOPPER 1958 TYPE 5 UNMARKED
A HOPPER LETTERED FOR AN OPERATING No. 3456 ON A NON OPERATING SHELL
This car has been decorated in the manner of a N & W No. 3456 operating hopper car. As seen in the photos this is a non operating shell.
Courtesy of ” THE AMANTE COLLECTION “
No. 6476 – 25 TWO BAY HOPPER 1958 TYPE 5 UNMARKED
MOLDED RED PLASTIC, UNPAINTED AND UNLETTERED TYPE 5
Courtesy of ” THE LEVERICH COLLECTION ”
BOXCARS
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No. 6014-100 RED AIREX BOXCAR MIS-NUMBERED 6044
No. 6050 LIBBY TOMATO JUICE PLUGDOOR BOXCAR STAMPING ERROR 1
No. 6050 LIBBY TOMATO JUICE PLUGDOOR BOXCAR STAMPING ERROR 2
No. X2454 BABY RUTH ELECTRONIC SET BOXCAR FACTORY ERROR
No. 6464-75 ROCK ISLAND DOUBLE/HEAVY STAMPED ONE SIDE
No. 6464-150 TYPE IIB GRAY MOLD 1/2? EAGLE LEFT WITH MB DARK YELLOW DOORS WITH NO WHITE LETTERING
No. 6464-150 TYPE IIA ODD VARIATION
No. 6464-400 TYPE IIB UNPAINTED DARK BLUE SHELL BLT 5-54 WITH THE WHITE LETTERING AND BLUE LETTERING TO THE LEFT OF THE DOOR DOUBLE STAMPED ON THE FRONT SIDE
No. 6464-425 2B BLACK MOLD WITH GHOST STAMPING
No. 6464-450 TYPE IIB WITH NO CIRCULAR ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT DECALS AND NO YELLOW PINSTRIPES ON THE DOORS
No. 6464-450 TYPE IV, WHERE THE DECAL WITH ROCKY, GN’S MOUNTAIN GOAT MASCOT, WAS NEVER APPLIED ON THE BACK SIDE ONLY
No. 6464-475 TYPE IV WITH BUILT DATE MADISON HARDWARE PRODUCED WITH UNPAINTED YELLOW MB DOORS
No. 6464-725 NEW HAVEN BOXCAR DECORATED ON ONE SIDE ONLY
No. 6014-100 Red AIREX Boxcar Mis-numbered 6044
The stamp for the 6044 Blue AIREX was apparently used
No. 6050 LIBBY TOMATO JUICE PLUGDOOR BOXCAR STAMPING ERROR 1
MISSING THE GREEN LEAVES ON TOP OF TOMATOES
reverse side normal
No. 6050 LIBBY TOMATO JUICE PLUGDOOR BOXCAR STAMPING ERROR 2
MISSING THE WHITE LINES FOR EDGES OF GLASS THROUGH TOMATOES
BABY RUTH ELECTRONIC SET BOXCAR FACTORY ERROR NUMBERED X2454
No. X2454 boxcar with original electronic control decal on an original proper electronic frame
courtesy of ” THE MACNAIR COLLECTION”
No. 6464-75 ROCK ISLAND DOUBLE/HEAVY STAMPED ONE SIDE
normal stamping – Side 1
Double/Heavy stamped side 2
courtesy of The Leverich Collection
No. 6464-150 type IIb gray mold 1/2″ Eagle left with MB Dark yellow doors …. with NO white lettering.
Courtesy of “The Worner Collection”
No. 6464 – 150 TYPE lla
This is a Type IIa dark blue mold with the nick on the roof, with XME on the right, with striped Single Block door … nothing uncommon about any of that.
What makes this car uncommon are these factors:
1. the gray paint is very glossy and very thick … if you put your finger on the unpainted blue exterior, and move towards the gray paint, it feels like you hit a curb!
2. the inside if the shell was painted with an uncommon mask, so lots of the interior is painted gray including the roof … commonly the roof is unpainted dark blue
3. the gray stripe on the body is extra wide … 15/16 inch, with clearly defined separation between the gray and blue. Commonly the gray stripe is 1/8″ narrower, at 13/16″ or less, and the edges of the gray paint are fuzzy, not sharply defined.
4. now the big surprise … rather than yellow mold doors, or white mold painted yellow, these Single Block doors are molded of Black plastic, then painted gray inside and out, and then yellow paint applied on the top and bottom of the exterior only, to create the yellow door with gray stripe effect. Never before have I seen or heard of a black door mold on a 6464-150.
I have shown photos and discussed all this with other experienced postwar 6464 collectors, and we conclude that this car is a pre-production mockup.
Have you seen a 6464-150 like this?
Courtesy of Gerry Worner
No. 6464-400 type IIb unpainted dark blue shell BLT 5-54 with the white lettering and blue lettering to the left of the door double stamped on the front side
Courtesy of “The Worner Collection”
6464-425 2B black mold, painted flat black, orange opaque MB doors, AAR closed journal trucks on a 2 hole frame (so far all pretty common, right?).
But focus on the printing to the right of the door, showing NH and 6464-425 overscored and underscored … then look to the left of the door and see portions of the overscore and underscore lines and portions of H from NH and 425 from 6464425 showing in black on top of the large white block serif letters NH, on the front side of the car only (with brakewheel end on the right).
Did this car get heat stamped in white, and then not get moved out completely and the stamp came down again with no white tape, so these numbers, block letter, and stripes appear on top of the large white NH?
Courtesy of “The Worner Collection”
No. 6464-450 Type IIb with no circular Rocky Mountain goat decals and no yellow pinstripes on the doors, on both sides of the car
Courtesy of “The Worner Collection”
No. 6464-450 Type IV, where the decal with Rocky, GN’s mountain goat mascot was never applied on the back side only. Front side has the decal.
Courtesy of “The Worner Collection”
Madison Hardware produced 6464-475 Type IV with built date, with unpainted yellow MB doors. Madison is known to have put these together, instead of with the usual black doors.
Courtesy of “The Worner Collection”
No. 6464 – 725 NEW HAVEN BOXCAR DECORATED ON ONE SIDE ONLY
NO LETTERING ON THIS SIDE
Courtesy of “THE NODAY COLLECTION”
NORMAL LETTERING ON THIS SIDE
CATTLE CARS
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No. 6656 YELLOW CATTLE CAR STAMPED No. 3656
No. 6356 WITH “BUILT BY LIONEL” INCOMPLETE ON ONE SIDE AND MISSING ON THE OTHER
No. 6656 YELLOW CATTLE CAR STAMPED No. 3656
Courtesy of Brian Brumbaugh
No. 6356 WITH “BUILT BY LIONEL” INCOMPLETE ON ONE SIDE AND MISSING ON THE OTHER
gray shell painted yellow with black heat stamped lettering
SC0011
MOTIVE POWER & MOTORIZED UNITS
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No. 2240 B UNIT WITH YELLOW HEAT STAMPED LETTERING OFF CENTERED
No. 2346 MISSING THE BLACK IN THE B&M LOGO
No. 55 TIE – JECTOR WITHOUT LETTERING ON ONE SIDE
No. 2240 B UNIT WITH YELLOW HEAT STAMPED LETTERING OFF CENTERED
note the stamping of WABASH and BUILT BY/LIONEL are shifted to the left
REVERSE SIDE WITH LETTERING CENTERED
Courtesy of “The Piazza Collection”
No. 2346 MISSING THE BLACK IN THE B&M LOGO
Courtesy of “The Worner Collection”
No. 55 TIE – JECTOR WITHOUT LETTERING ON ONE SIDE
ALL LETTERING MISSING ON THIS SIDE
THE REVERSE SIDE
FLATCARS
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No. 6424 FLATCAR MISSING ALL LETTERING ON ONE SIDE
No. 6424 FLATCAR WITH MISALIGNED LETTERING ON ONE SIDE
No. 6816 ALLIS CHALMERS BULLDOZER FLAT DOUBLE STAMPED
No. 6830 SUBMARINE FLATCAR WITH THE No. 6805 RAIL END STOPS
No. 6418 MACHINERY CAR WITH “U.S. STEEL” GIRDERS IN BLACK WITHOUT WHITE LETTERING
No. 6424 FLATCAR MISSING ALL LETTERING ON ONE SIDE
this side without lettering
B0179
reverse side with normal lettering
No. 6424 FLATCAR WITH MISALIGNED LETTERING ON ONE SIDE
note the low position of the lettering
F0178
reverse side with normal lettering
No. 6816 ALLIS CHALMERS BULLDOZER FLAT DOUBLE STAMPED
courtesy of “The Truckenbrod Collection”
No. 6830 SUBMARINE FLATCAR WITH THE No. 6805 RAIL END STOPS
red shell painted blue, with No. 6805 rail end stops
No. 6424 – 11 mold with 4 No. 6805 slots
note rail end stops
Courtesy of “The Brumbaugh Collection”
No. 6418 Machinery Car with “U.S. Steel” girders in black that didn’t have painted white lettering. The second girder was painted in the normal way.
Courtesy of “The MacNair Collection”
TANK CARS
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No. 2755 TANK CAR WITH TWO STEPS INSTALLED ON EACH CORNER OF ONE END
No. 2755 TANK CAR WITH TWO STEPS INSTALLED ON EACH CORNER OF ONE END
end on left has two steps installed
on this end the steps are normal
note two steps installed
note two steps installed
Courtesy of “The MacNair Collection”
WORK CABOOSES
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No. 6419 WITH DOUBLE STAMPED NUMBERS ON CAB
No. 6419 WITH DOUBLE STAMPED NUMBERS ON CAB
courtesy of the Leverich collection
CABOOSES
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No. 6059 WITH CLOSED WINDOWS ONE SIDE
No. 6059 WITH CLOSED WINDOWS ONE SIDE
Note one partially closed window. Likely a mold malfunction leaving thicker plastic one side
Courtesy of The Leverich Collection
ACCESSORIES
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No. 155 BLINKING LIGHT SIGNAL W/BELL MISSING STRIPES
No. 155 Blinking Light Signal w/Bell
Note no black stamping on any side of the diagonal cross-hatches
These also exist with one or more but not all sides painted.
Courtesy of The Leverich Collection
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