Production: 1954 - 1956

History
The 3620 Rotating Searchlight Car is the follow-up to the successful 3520 Rotating Searchlight car -- which was produced in 1952 and 1953. The difference is the 3620 does not have an on-off switch, while the 3520 does have an on-off switch. The 3620 continued to use Lionel's 'Vibro-motor' for the rotating searchlight lens.

The 3620 is slightly easier to locate compared to the 3520. The two main reasons being the production cycle lasted for an additional year and there is less demand for the 3620 because it lacks the on-off switch.

Features
Standard features on the 3620 include: painted gray die-cast depressed-center frame with black lettering, vibration motor, metal footsteps at each corner, a simulated orange generator and a single brakewheel with brakestand. This car was always equipped with bar-end trucks and sans-serif lettering.

Additional Detail, Photos & Box Information

Gray Rotating Searchlight Cover - Shown in the photo above - This is the common production version with a molded gray searchlight cover.
Orange Rotating Searchlight Cover - There was a small production run of searchlight cars with orange molded rotating searchlight covers painted gray. It is assumed these were produced for a brief period in 1955 -- and are very difficult to locate.