need some help

[ezrunner]

Okay folks recently my dad went to the York trainshow in pennsylvania and found three of the cars from his childhood set (according to his memory)

804 sunoco tanker (silver)
807 Caboose (red)
831 flat bed with stakes (green)

I am trying to locate the engine that may have gone with these. He was born in 1936 and beieves his parents bought set in 1938.

I am terrible with googling. Have been trying for a bit and no luck

I would ove to be able to get this for him

he remembers the engine being commodore vanderbilt which to me doesnt fit the cars but who am I to argue. they may have pieced the set together.

I greatly appreciate any assistance

[T-Man]

Need more checking but it might be the 259E made in 36 but the cars are 600 not 8oo so I will look some more.

[Boston&Maine]

I did a quick search on eBay and found an auction with 804, 807, 809, and 831 freight cars pulled by a 262E locomotive... Now it does not mean that it came that way out of the box, LOL...

http://cgi.ebay.com/lionel-262e-set-with-809-804-807-831-EXCELLENT-LOOK_W0QQitemZ140277435518QQihZ004QQcategoryZ4145Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I also found this one with an electric style 252 locomotive, another possibility...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Lionel-252-Prewar-803-804-831-807-Freight-Set-O-O27-Ga_W0QQitemZ180300468599QQihZ008QQcategoryZ4145QQs sPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

You may want to look somewhere for a Greenberg guide on prewar Lionel...

[ezrunner]

I have been looking for the greenberg prewar book so far 6 bookstores and no guide

[T-Man]

The 1934 Lionel Catalog has your 3 cars with a 252e like the one B&M found on e bay.


The 262 doesn't fit unless you forgot the boxcar making it a 4 car not a 3 car set.

According to Doyle the 800'e were made into 1942. The 259e replaced the 252e for the set but those cars have a 1 or 2 precceding the 800. This was in the late thirties. 1937 the 263 does have 800 cars but they are different styles . Three cars signify a lower end set for the late thirties the 259e fits the bill.
Doyle did publish a prewar book.Greenberg had a price guide but no pictures.
Ebay has a two disc set, mine was 99 cents with 5 for shipping. All the old catalogs with pictures are there.
Maybe your Dad would remember the cover.?
Is he sure it is not 2831, 2807 and 2804? They look the same but have different numbers?

[ezrunner]

Dad was pretty young and still insistant it was a commodore vanderbilt engine.

cars are 800 series no 2 in the front


I will look at getting those discs

he just acuired a beautiful prewar engine and dual search light car Ill get some pics to show in a few days