Lionel made the 2018 steamer from 1956 to 1959. It’s the same as the Lionel 2037, but doesn’t have Magnetraction. The 2018 came with or without a whistle tender.
The 2018 has a metal boiler, smoke and 3-position e-unit.
Lionel made a few rare blue 2018 locomotives as samples for a boys train. The boys train wasn’t produced because the girls train didn’t sell very well.
The 175 rocket launcher is the largest of the space and military items Lionel made in the late 1950s.
These are quite common, but the railings around the top of the superstructure and around the rocket launching platform are usually broken. Replacement railings and rockets are available.
The rocket launcher was designed to be used with the Lionel 6175 flatcar with rocket, but the car was not included with the launcher. When the launcher was included in sets, the car was also a part of the set.
The operator could lift a rocket from the 6175 flat car and then position it on the firing platform. The countdown controller would count down, and then fire the rocket into the ceiling.
After a few firings, the rocket would break. Usually the break is in the white portion.
Reproduction rockets are made of better quality plastic and hold up longer.
This is the second to last version of the 0-4-0 steam switcher Lionel introduced in 1939 as the 1662.
The 1615 has a plastic tender and magnetic couplers. The 1625 replaced this for 1958 only and is the same except for a dummy coupler on the front.
These switchers don’t run very well because they lose current in 022 switches. The earlier 1656 and 1665 and the prewar switchers have pickups in the tenders and go through switches at slow speeds much better.
Many Lionel 1615 switchers are found with the marker lights broken off. replacements are available and aren’t that hard to install.
The Lionel 148 dwarf signal was made from 1957 to 1960. The signal has manual operation and uses a special 148-100 control switch.
When the 148-100 is in one position, the signal light is green and current is on to the block section.In the other position the dwarf signal shows red, and track current is off.
These didn’t sell well, and are somewhat hard to find today. Especially in nice condition like the boxedone shown above.
Copies of Lionel 148 dwarf signal were made in the late 1970s by a man in Nevada of cast metal. The Lionel postwar dwarf signals are made of plastic.
Both Lionel and MTH currently offer similar dwarf signals. This has caused a large drop in the value of postwar examples.
Lionel introduced the 140 automatic banjo signal in 1954. The 140 was cataloged through 1966. These were also sold by MPC, and cannot be differentiated without the box.
The signal uses a vibro motor to make the sign go back and forth. The vibro motor requires a thrust washer with nipples on it to work correctly. Any parts supplier will have it.
This is a common accessory, that looks good on any Lionel postwar layout.
Lionel currently makes the banjo signal in brown rather than black, and MTH makes them in black.
Lionel reintroduced the 30 water tower in 1953 as the 138 water tower. The 138 is the same as the 30, except the 138 has a plastic base.
The 138 water tower first came with a gray roof. Later versions came with an orange roof as shown here.
When a 90C controller is pushed the spout lowers.
Lionel has made similar water towers in the modern era. MTH also makes a copy of the 138.
The station can be found with two different shades of red. Either lighter red as seen here, or a slightly darker shade of red that was produced only in 1935.
This station is the same as the Lionel 117, but has added lights beside the doors.
The station was also made in the postwar period. It’s the largest Lionel station made after the war.
Clean examples like the one shown above will bring a large premium.
Reproductions of this station have been made.
This is a simple building with a battery operated horn inside it. Lionel made the 114 news stand with horn from 1957 to 1959. There are no variations. The station shown here should have white plastic windows in it.
This was also sold with a whistle as Lionel 118, and the building itself was used on the Lionel 415 diesel fueling station.
Lionel has also made the 114 newsstand in the modern area in different colors.
Noma made Christmas tree lights and other seasonal items.
This station has a battery operated record player inside it that plays when the button on top of the chimney is pushed.
There are at least 4 different records for the station. Joe Mania has recordings on his website if you want to listen to them. Here’s a link.
The station was made with a red or green plastic roof. Green is more valuable.
The red rectangular areas surrounded by white under the roof on the corners are sign boards. The station came with paper town names to fit in them, or the user could make his own.
You can find a history of Noma here.
Lionel introduced the operating barrel car in 1952 to go with the 362 barrel loader. The first color was black and numbered 3562-1. That’s the rarest color version of this postwar car.
After a small production of black cars, Lionel changed the color of the barrel car to gray. The very first gray cars have the old 3562-1 number on the side. The gray 3652-1 is the most valuable variation.
The gray car was then renumbered it as the 3562-25. The gray one is shown above. Gray cars come with red or blue lettering. Red is about as hard to find as a gray car with the 3562-1 number, but not as valuable.
The common gray cars come with or without tabs to fix the man in place. The tab was added to keep barrels from falling off. There is no difference in value, but cars with tabs run better. All barrel cars after 1954 have tabs.
In 1955 the color changed again, this time to yellow. The yellow barrel car is Lionel’s number 3562-50.
Yellow cars come in painted and unpainted versions. Neither is harder to find, but collectors will pay a slight premium for like new and mint painted versions.
In 1957 the color changed again. This time to orange with the number 3562-75. Orange is the most common color.
The two rubber tabs shown in the foreground of the photo of the gray car are spacers that go between the 362 barrel loader and the track.