• Discover the History of Lionel Trains

• Choose Your Vintage Lionel Train, Track, & Accessories

• Determine the Value of Vintage Lionel Trains

• Find Vintage Lionel Trains on eBay

• Buy Vintage Lionel Trains With Confidence

Discover the History of Lionel Trains

Discover the History of Lionel Trains

Joshua Lionel Cowen, an inventor with an entrepreneurial spirit, first introduced Lionel trains to the world when he set up an electric train in his store window to attract customers. Instead of perusing merchandise, most customers wanted the train itself, and Cowen began to build trains to keep up with demand. You can categorize Lionel trains by time period:

• Pre-war Lionel trains (1901–1942): In 1906, Lionel released a three-rail track it called standard-gauge. Soon other companies such as Ives and American Flyer began to build trains that ran on standard-gauge, which they called wide gauge. After World War I, Lionel, along with Flyer and Ives, began to manufacture smaller trains, called O gauge, in addition to their standard-gauge lines. Lionel weathered the Great Depression, releasing inexpensive products such as Mickey Mouse sets. You can recognize pre-war trains by their metallic construction, colorful appearance, and hook couplers.    

• Post-war Lionel trains (1945–1969): After World War II, Lionel concentrated on producing O scale trains and General Mills purchased Lionel in the 1960s. During this period, trains were slightly less detailed; plastic parts replaced some metal parts. Post-war Lionel train couplers come in two varieties. The first have a spring-loaded pin under the coupler. The second are long, resemble a “G,” and do not open.

• Modern Lionel trains (1970–present): After General Mills sold Lionel, the company based its new trains on old designs and focused on realism. In 2004, the Polar Express train enjoyed immense popularity and became an instant collectible. Lionel continues to release new and innovative designs today.

The identifier on vintage Lionel trains consists of four numbers; you can find them on the bottom or right side of the train. Once you know the product number, you can look up the train in a guide such as Greenberg’s Pocket Guide to get more information. Other manufacturers, such as American Flyer and Marx, printed numbers on their trains as well. Know that Marx used three-number identifiers since they look similar to O gauge Lionel trains.

Choose Your Vintage Lionel Train, Track, & Accessories

Choose Your Vintage Lionel Train, Track, & Accessories

To put together a vintage Lionel train set, purchase items that appeal to you. Some collectors take interest in trains from a specific era, others look for collectible Mickey Mouse sets, and still others build collections around trains with certain road names, such as Union Pacific, Southern Pacific, or Great Northern. Of course if you don’t want to buy all your pieces separately, you can buy a Lionel starter set and be up and running in no time.

Look for Lionel locomotives

Some locomotives produce smoke and whistle sounds. Others feature “magnetraction,” or magnetic wheels which allow an engine to pull more cars. When looking at pre-war steam engines to use with pre-war cars remember that pre-war couplers aren’t compatible with post-war couplers. For beginners, modern era (rather than post-war) diesels such as the GP-7 or GP-9 are a good choice. Look for a locomotive with three positions: forward, reverse, and neutral.

Choose Lionel train cars

Once you have an engine, you can decide which kinds of cars you want to start your collection. The different types of rolling stock available include:

• Boxcars: Search for old 6454 boxcars for a realistic look.    

• Refrigerator cars: Refrigerator cars include beer cars, candy cars, and more.     

• Gondolas: The post-war 6462 gondola model is inexpensive and available in various colors.    

• Flatcars: Flatcars carried military equipment, logs, and Christmas trees.    

• Cabooses: Cabooses are the little red car at the end of your train. If you are interested in lighted cabooses, look into the 6357 or 6457 models.

Pick your Lionel train power source and controls

You may be interested in a single-throttle or double-throttle transformer. The 1033 transformer from the 1950s is a good choice for a single-throttle transformer. A powerful transformer (around 190 watts of power) allows for plenty of future expansion. If you want a modern control system, consider TrainMaster, a sophisticated R/C (radio-controlled) system that allows you to control multiple trains on a single track.

Select Lionel train accessories

Lionel is well-known for its accessories. Beginners may be interested in track-side signals, such as 151 semaphores and 252 or 152 crossing gates. You might want to add a 45 gateman shack to your set. Obtain a structure such as the 125 whistle shack or 445 signal tower. Lighting, in the form of a searchlight or flood towers, is a nice addition to any set.

Set up your Lionel train track

Lionel train track is recognizable because it has three rails. Gauge refers to the distance between the rails. The common gauge for modern Lionel trains is O gauge, which measures 1¼ inches between the outer rails. Lionel O gauge tracks come in two kinds: O and O27.

It takes eight pieces of track to make a circle. An O gauge circle has a 31-inch diameter, and an O27 gauge circle is 27 inches in diameter. Although O27 trains will run easily on an O track, running O trains on O27 track is more problematic. Because O gauge train cars are longer, they can derail or get stuck in the turns of the tighter O27 track.

Determine the Value of Vintage Lionel Trains

Determine the Value of Vintage Lionel Trains

Knowing the value of trains is of interest for beginning enthusiasts as well as seasoned collectors. Demand often determines the value of a train with some vintage Lionel trains selling for close to their original price and others going for much more.

The collectors’ market is highest for trains made before 1969. Particular road names (such as Lionel Santa Fe or Lionel Union Pacific) may be in favor, increasing their value. Rare trains are generally more valuable as well.

As quality increases, so does value. Broken or missing parts, large scratches, rust, or chipped paint all have a negative impact on value. However, trains in poor condition are often sources for parts.

Remember that the grade of a train refers to the condition of the finish–electrical parts are considered inoperable unless a seller says otherwise. If parts have been replaced or restored, this should be clearly noted.

Here are the guidelines for condition as established by the TCA (Train Collectors Association):

• Mint: Mint-condition Lionel trains look completely new, are unused, and have all original parts.

• Like new: Lionel trains in like-new condition have no scratches or blemishes and are in original condition. 

• Excellent: Lionel trains in excellent condition are clean, not rusted, and have only very small nicks or scratches.

• Very good: Very good condition Lionel trains have some scratches but no dents or rust.

• Good: Good condition Lionel trains have some scratches and dents. 

• Fair: Well-worn Lionel trains in fair condition may have dents, rust, or warping. 

• Poor: Lionel trains in poor condition are highly damaged, but good for parts.

A Lionel train’s value also increases if it comes in the original packaging. Any train or accessory that comes in a sealed blister pack is highly valued by collectors. Among collectors, the value of a Lionel box can be greater than its contents; boxes have been known to sell for over $1,000, depending on scarcity and condition. Ratings for boxes are New, Like New, Excellent, Very Good, Good, and Fair.

Find Vintage Lionel Trains on eBay

Find Vintage Lionel Trains on eBay

Once you know what type of Lionel Train you want, go to the Toys & Hobbies portal, click Model RR trains, and start searching for items on eBay.

• Categories: The Categories list on the left side of each page will help you narrow down your listings by item type. Click on the scale of train you desire, then the Lionel category, where applicable.     

• Keyword search: Search eBay listing titles for specific words. For example, if you want to find Lionel Santa Fe trains, type "Lionel Santa Fe" (without quotation marks) into the Search box. Click "Search title and description" to expand your results. Visit eBay's Search Tips page for more tips on searching with keywords.

If you can't find exactly what you want, try shopping eBay Stores, tell the eBay Community what you want by creating a post on Want It Now, or save a search on My eBay and eBay will email you when a match becomes available.

Buy Vintage Lionel Trains With Confidence

Buy Vintage Lionel Trains With Confidence

Before making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you're buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay and PayPal protect you.

Know your purchase

Carefully read the details in item listings.

• Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it ships.

• If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile.

• Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). Transactions conducted outside of eBay are not covered by eBay protection programs.

• Never pay for your eBay item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

Know your seller

Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.

• What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have?

• What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?

• Most top eBay sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?

Buyer protection

In the unlikely event that a problem arises during your transaction, eBay and PayPal are there for you.

• Pay safely with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorized payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to $1,000.

• eBay Security & Resolution Center: Visit the Security & Resolution Center to learn how to protect your account and use eBay's quick and efficient resolution tools.