I've seen the 252 in dark green, but none of the others. Neat stuff. Thanks for sharing Jim.
I had one weird 253 loco. I saw this in a boxed set with peacock 607/608 cars on ebay when I was still collecting these. I bid a large amount, but was outbid. A few months later at a train meet I bought the loco below in a boxed set with dark green 610/612 cars for $75.
No dividers in box, no boxes for cars either. Just the box shown for the loco and the setbox. It was not an uncataloged set. Just whatever number the set would have had in 1925. I've seen two other sets since with the 610 cars, but no other sets with the 607 cars.
I think the story on these is Lionel needed to get rid of the last of the 610 cars so they painted 253 locos to go with them. At that time the plates were painted orange for the peacock locos were used in the dark green ones. As far as I know the regular dark green 253 locos always had strap headlights so this cannot be faked by switching plates.
My dad had an orange 4 with 254 plates and "Made in US of America" stamped inside the shell. I know Paul has a gray 4 with 254 stamped on the ends under the lights, and a different "Made in US" stamp on the frame inside.
The Stout photos of the 254 don't show the export stamp, and I cannot find that area of my old website.
