Welcome to The Lionel trains Library – a website created to assist you in understanding differences in variations of engines, rolling stock, cabooses, passenger cars, and accessories sold by Lionel in the postwar era (1945-1969). Our objective is to construct a website that is robust, easy to use and informative as you learn about the products made by one of the most famous toy companies in the world during a glorious but challenging era.

We invite you to stroll down memory lane as you are rewarded with thousands of photos of the wonderful trains and accessories that you may have had as a kid – or wished you could have had when growing up.

Please note that the items described in the underlying pages are not available for sale. Please go to both of the websites shown below to view what is currently for sale by the authors . We also encourage you to e-mail us with feedback as to how close we are achieving our goal.

This library website is sponsored by the following businesses,

please click on either link below to visit their sites for postwar Lionel trains for sale:

Freight Cars

Box cars ... flatcars ... tank cars ... cranes ... the list goes on and on. Lionel tried to create many different, yet prototypical freight cars into its own line of trains.

During the 1940s, their trains were very realistic and in many cases, plain regarding their external appearance. Some would say too blame, yet very realistic. As Lionel transitioned into the 1950's, their trains became more colorful, creative and designs were sometimes loosely based upon a prototypical freight car. However, by the 1960's their freight cars were whimiscal, odd, dangerous and in some cases so far from realistic, it was borderline comical or surreal!

No matter what era you perfer, Lionel has an abundance of options, styles, colors and variations to choose from as you build your collection.

* Scroll down & click on any item for more details regarding that freight car *

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