637 Lionel Lines Prairie

Production:  1959 - 1963

History
Lionel classified the 637 steam engine as a Prairie-type steamer, which is a mid-size locomotive containing several of Lionel's quality features. It shares its boiler casting with several other Lionel locomotives: the 2016, 2018, 2026, 2029, 2036 and 2037 steamers. Although the boiler castings are the same on these steamers, in most cases the internal workings are slightly different.

The 637 had a five-year production run but is not a common item to locate. Lionel catalogued this steamer as a Super-O locomotive and was the lead steamer in one Super O set for each of the five years it was manufactured. Cataloging this as a Super-O item was unusual as Lionel generally reserved only their top-of-the-line motive power for Super-O sets. This is the only case where Lionel did not follow their established pattern and catalogued a middle-of-the-line steamer as a Super-O locomotive.

Features
The 637 steam locomotive ran unchanged for the five years of production. Standard features on this steamer include: black painted die-cast shell with a 2-6-4 wheel arrangement, detailed driving-wheel hardware, three-position E-unit, Magnetraction, smoke, relatively plain spoked drive wheels, sheet metal trailing truck plus an ornamental bell and illuminated headlight. The number 637 appears in white on the cab of the steamer.

Lionel offered two whistling tenders with the 637 steamer, the 736W and 2046W tenders.

Additional Detail, Photos & Box Information
The length of a 637 is approximately 10 1/4" (pilot to drawbar). The combined length of a 637 with either the 736W or 2046W tender is approximately 19 1/2" long (cowcatcher to rear coupler).

Only Known Variation - Shown in first photo above. - All 637 steamers are painted black with a 2-6-4 wheel arrangement.

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