Author: Terry

Lionel’s 3814 merchandise car actually threw small crates out by remote control. The boxcar doesn’t work very well though. When it does work it throws the crates about a foot. That would have to be one very strong guy hidden in there to throw a crate 50 scale feet.The 3814 automatic merchandise car was one of the first remote control cars made by Lionel. It was cataloged from 1939 to 1942.

Two versions were made – the decaled version shown above and a rubber stamped version shown below.Original Lionel crates come in red or brown (shown) and have “Baby Ruth” embossed on them. Reproduction crates are available and do not have “Baby Ruth” on them. Collectors will pay $10-15 for the empty envelope the crates came in.

Rarity: While most collectors think the rubber stamped 3814 is harder to find, the decaled version is actually harder to find. The decaled version was made in 1939 only.

Lionel 3814 Tuscan. RS lettering.

Lionel introduced the 2814 Boxcar in 1938. It’s the same as the Lionel 814 boxcar but has automatic couplers. The 2814 was only made in two color variations. Both are shown on this page.

Rarity. The Cream and maroon 2814 from 1938-40 is much more common than the later rubber stamped car.

Lionel 2814 Cream with maroon roof and door guidesLionel 2814 Flat orange with tuscan roof. RS lettering

The Lionel 814 box car was introduced in 1926 and was cataloged through 1942. The 814 is not known to exist with rubber stamped lettering. The cream and orange cars can be found with peacock or pea green door guides. On all other cars the door guides match the roof.

In 1936, Lionel removed one of the stantions holding the brake wheel shaft from the car. The lower stantion was also removed the 813 cattle cars. All cars made after 1936 have only one stantion.

It is possible to make odd colored cars such as cream with brown roof by changing roofs.

The early short wheelbase car is the hardest to find. Next in rarity is the cream and maroon 814 . All other versions are quite common. Here are photos of the Lionel 814 Box Cars:

814Cream sides, orange roof, peacock door guides. This car has a large door handle.	814 Cream, orange, pea green doorguides. Small door handle.
814 Cream, orange.	814 Yellow, brown. Brass plates.
814 Yellow, brown. Nickel plates.	Two yellow/ brown cars. Early car on left with brass plates has 2 stantions on brake wheel. Later car on right has one.
814 Cream, maroon.

In 1938 Lionel added automatic couplers to this car and sold it as the 2814 Boxcar.

The Lionel 2817 caboose is the same as the 817 caboose, except for the addition of automatic couplers. Introduced in 1938 and cataloged until 1942, there are four variations of the 2817 caboose.

1. Bright red with nickel plates and painted observation railings
2. Flat red with tuscan roof nickel plates and windows on dish frame
3. Same as 3 but white painted windows
4. Flat red with tuscan roof and white rubber stamped lettering on a dished frame.

Either flat red caboose with nickel plates is the hardest to find and most desirable. The bright red caboose is the most common. The caboose is the most common of the 800/2800 series freight cars.

Lionel introduced the 817 caboose in 1926. The first version had peacock sides and a dark green roof.

The earliest versions came with short wheelbase frames, and are the hardest cabooses to find.

By 1930 Lionel changed the windows on the caboose from orange painted to brass plated.

In 1933 the caboose got a new color scheme… Red with peacock roof.

In 1934 the color changed again to all bright red. The earliest bright red 817 cabooses had brass trim and latch couplers. These brass plate cars usually have a slightly darker shade of red.

In 1935 the bright red got a little lighter, and nickel plates and end railings replaced the brass trim. This version is found with latch couplers or box couplers. By 1937 the nickel railings were replaced with aluminum painted railings. The box coupler version ran until 1940 and was then discontinued. A rubber stamped version was not made.

817 Peacock sides, dark green roof, orange windows.

817 Peacock, dark green, brass windows.

817 Red, peacock.

Bottom of caboose above showing export stamp. Only trains Lionel exported had this stamp. It’s a collectible variation, but few collectors will pay a premium for export cars.

817 Light red, brass plates, nickel windows and railings. Latch couplers. 1934 notch car.

817 light red. nickel trim with painted railings and box couplers.

See also Lionel 2817 caboose for the automatic coupler version.

The 2812 gondola is the same as the 812 gondola except the 2812 has automatic couplers. Lionel made the 2812 from 1938 to

1942.

Lionel made four versions:

• • Accessory green with nickel plates and box couplers
  • Orange with nickel plates and dished frame and simulated knuckle couplers (shown above)
  • Orange with white rubber stamped lettering and dished frame
  • Same as 3 but with low couplers for use with the scale detailed cars. Sold as 2812X

Accessory green

2812X in orange.

The orange car with nickel plates is the rarest gondola. The green one is the most common. The 2812X is easier to find than the normal 2812 but because a 2812X can be converted to a 2812 by changing the trucks, collectors will not pay extra for the car.

The 812 gondola was introduced by Lionel in 1926, and was cataloged through 1942. It came in the following colors:

• Mohave
• Dark Green
• Stephan Girard Green – also called Apple
• 45N or Accessory Green – found in two shades, darker shade comes with brass or nickel platesand with latch or box couplers
• Flat Orange with nickel plates

Here’s pictures of the different cars:

Dark Green

Apple Green

Dark Accessory Green

For a photo of the light green with nickel plates and the flat orange cars see the 2812 gondolas.

Below is a photo showing the loads Lionel provided with the 812 and 2812 gondolas. The cars always came with barrels. Early barrels were wine shaped as shown on the left, later barrels were oil shaped as
shown on the right. Gondolas sold in work train sets with the 810 or 2810 crane also came with the tools shown. Tools were also sold separately as the 812T.

In 1938 Lionel added automatic couplers to the 810 Crane to get the 2810 crane. The crane only has an automatic coupler on one end because the knob that turns the cab would interfere with the automatic mechanism. The 2810 only came in yellow with a red roof.

Two versions were produced – the early version with flat frame, and the more desirable dished frame version. The crane received the dished frame in 1940. Also in 1940, the hook was changed to a die cast hook, (Note: prewar hooks are perpendicular to the string while postwar hooks are parallel to the string.) and the knobs changed from turned to cast knobs. This car was never produced with rubber stamped lettering.

Lionel introduced the 810 crane in 1931. It was cataloged until 1942, but wasn’t made after 1940. The crane had three knobs: one to raise and lower the boom; one to raise and lower the hook and one to swivel the cab. There was also a clip to attach the crane to the track during operation so it wouldn’t fall over.

Until 1934 the crane came in the terra cotta color scheme. In 1934 the color was changed to yellow with a red roof. The first yellow cranes came with a darker green and darker red colors than the later cars. These earlier yellow cranes also had brass trim rather than the later nickel.

The 1934 810 crane with mixed trim is the hardest to find but the Lionel 2810 crane with operating couplers and dished frame is the most sought after.

The 3859 dump was introduced by Lionel in 1939 and ran through 1942. The car was always red with a black frame. This car dumps its load of simulated coal at the push of a button, and is a perfect complement for Lionel’s 97 coal loader.

The only variation is the type of frame and couplers. This car came with either the type 3 frame and automatic box couplers or the type 4 dished frame with solenoid actuated simulated knuckle couplers. Neither variation is difficult to find, but the later car runs better.