2461 Transformer Flatcar

Production: 1947 & 1948

History
The 2461 Transformer car was offered by Lionel for two years, 1947 and 1948. It is a fairly accurate representation of a real railroad car designed to haul large and heavy cargo.

As with Lionel's other transformer cars -- the 6418, 6461 and 6818 -- each of these freight cars have the same weak point: their transformer insulators are extremely fragile. It is difficult to find this car with original and undamaged insulators. Additionally, original coils are generally faded to a light yellow color -- simply due to their age.

Features
The 2461 Transformer car has the following standard features: painted gray flatcar with black lettering, two staple-end trucks with operating coil couplers, brakewheel stand and brakewheel at each end plus a metal footstep at each corner.

The transformer has a white-lettered decal near the top of the transformer. This decal is generally located only on one side of the transformer -- rarely will the decal be on both sides.

The transformer is available in either black or red -- with the red version being harder to locate.

Additional Detail, Photos & Box Information
In 1949, the 2461 was renumbered to 6461 with the conversion from coil couplers to magnetic couplers.

Red Transformer - Shown in first photo above - This is considered to be the earlier production version and harder-to-locate than the black version. Production is assumed to be only in 1947.
Black Transformer (Second photo above) - The more common version and assumed to have been produced in both 1947 and 1948.
Unmarked Flatcar, Red Transformer (Third & Fourth photo above) - Very early 1947 production included a fairly rare variation of the 2461 Transformer flatcar. This early production version was void of lettering on each the side of the die-cast flatcar and had the number rubber stamped on the bottom of the freight car.

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