Lionel Boxcars

[Rideauwrangler]

Hi again everyone. I think I've got the engines & tenders sorted out now for the next annoyance from this newbie lol! I've been trying to identify these boxcars. I started with the model numbers on the bottom and came up with nothing; so then I tried searching the pannel numbers on the sides of the cars and still came up short. What are the correct numbers to use in identifying Lionel Boxcars? From what I've seen on eBay these probably wouldn't sell for much more that $20-$30 but I still want to be sure of what I've got (I only have pics of these 4 but will get a list of the others). Any input is appriciated!

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e162/AdamDoe/Trains/LionelBoxcar324-4NPC1_Pacemaker2.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e162/AdamDoe/Trains/LionelBoxcar324-4NPC1_Pacemaker1.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e162/AdamDoe/Trains/LionelBoxcar324-4NPC2_Sentinal.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e162/AdamDoe/Trains/LionelBoxcar324-4NPC2_Merchandise.jpg

[Boston&Maine]

I do not even know what brand those cars are, they are not Lionel... Could you post the numbers on the bottom just for the heck of it?

[Boston&Maine]

Well, after searching a bunch on eBay I have come up with a manufacturer...

I went though all of the O scale manufacturers until I got to the "other" section, LOL... Since I could not find your specific cars, I was going by the truck and boxcar style as each company is different... I found these three cars, and as you can see they are identical to yours besides the decals used :cool:


http://cgi.ebay.com/AMT-KMT-Boxcar-Erie-Railroad-Very-Nice_W0QQitemZ160225403113QQihZ006QQcategoryZ485QQ ssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/KRIS-COCA-COLA-MAYBE-WILLIAMS-REPRDUCTION-LIONEL-KMT_W0QQitemZ280215418010QQihZ018QQcategoryZ485QQs sPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/WILLIAMS-O-Guage-Orange-MAINE-CENTRAL-Box-Car_W0QQitemZ220219507736QQihZ012QQcategoryZ38280Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I think that your cars are earlier cars from the 50's or 60's, so I am not 100% positive of the name of the company during the time your cars were produced... So they were either made by Williams or any of the following bolded names, but more research needs to be done first... You could probably just list them as Williams in addition to AMT/KMT, but I would need the car numbers to figure out the exact company... The following quote is from the great Wikipedia :)

A company called American Model Toys brought out a line of realistic, detailed cars beginning in 1948. In 1953 it released a budget line. It ran into financial difficulty, reorganized under the name Auburn Model Trains, and ended up selling its line to Nashville, Tennessee-based Kusan, a plastics company who continued its production until 1961. The tooling was then sold to a small company run by Andrew (Andy) Kriswalus in Endicott, New York, who operated as Kris Model Trains, or KMT. Andy Kriswalus only produced the box, stock, and refrigerator cars from the Kusan dies, and on some of these cars he mounted die-cast trucks from the Kusan tooling. After Kriswalus' death, the tooling was sold to K-Line and Williams Electric Trains, who continued to use it to produce parts of their budget lines.

[Boston&Maine]

I love doing research about trains :D

Using my friend Google, I was able to find these old cached eBay listings with three of your box cars in them... As you can see, the car numbers on the sides of the box cars match up, so the maker of the four cars you pictured is indeed AMT... As confirmation though, there is a shot of the undercarriage in the first listing... Does that match up with the undercarriages of the four cars you pictured?

http://cgi.ebay.com/AMT-NYC-Pacemaker-Boxcar_W0QQitemZ180215055531QQihZ008QQcategoryZ485 QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/AMT-PRR-MERCHANDISE-SERVICE-BOXCAR-OB_W0QQitemZ170193991519QQihZ007QQcategoryZ485QQcm dZViewItem

[Rideauwrangler]

Thanks Boston&Main so much for your help; I think you're definately on the mark. I'm going to my friends place tonight so I should be able to do some more inventory and get some more pics up in the next few days.

[Boston&Maine]

Thanks Boston&Main so much for your help; I think you're definately on the mark. I'm going to my friends place tonight so I should be able to do some more inventory and get some more pics up in the next few days.

No problem, I truely enjoy working on stuff like this, maybe I have a problem, LOL... Sounds like a plan, I can not wait to see what else your friend has :)

[Lownen]

I'm so glad he didn't post any Katy stuff. I'd have wanted to buy it. :D

[Rideauwrangler]

Well I've got a few more boxcars to share; any info on them is much appriciated. Also; looks for a couple new threads I've started to see more of the collection.

I have no idea what these 3 boxcars are; any input?
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e162/AdamDoe/Trains/BoxcarUnknown_2.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e162/AdamDoe/Trains/BoxcarUnknown_1.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e162/AdamDoe/Trains/BoxcarUnknonw_3.jpg

There are a few others like these but in terrible condition.

[Lownen]

The Union Pacific and the Southern Railway cars should be in some demand, as there's lots of folks who model those. The Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway probably doesn't have as big a following as the other two, but if its rare and there are M&STL collectors looking for it, it could go high. You never know with smaller railroads. They can go for nothing or a lot.

[Boston&Maine]

The first two box cars are made by Kusan, here are eBay auctions for them- M&STL (http://cgi.ebay.com/Kusan-5124-M-ST-L-Boxcar_W0QQitemZ230226609725QQcmdZViewItem?hash=it em230226609725), Union Pacific (http://cgi.ebay.com/KUSAN-UNION-PACIFIC-BOX-CAR-499087_W0QQitemZ350036032183QQihZ022QQcategoryZ485 QQcmdZViewItem)...

Then the last one, the Southern box car, I believe is made by AMT like the others you posted... I am really hating how this same company had four different names :mad: