Talk about a table full of memories! A lot of us grew up with model train sets like this one, and for everything shown in the listing, this seems like a bargain. This classic 1950s and 60s Lionel Train Set is listed here on Facebook Marketplace in Boulder, Colorado, and the seller is asking $745, a crazy bargain! Here is the original listing, and thanks to ol’ Casey Jones himself: Howard A for the tip!
Lionel Corporation started in 1900, and after dominating the toy train industry for decades, had a strange and somewhat unusual ending. The company’s final decades were filled with bankruptcies, buyouts, rebirths, more bankruptcies, consolidation, branching out into toy stores, and other things. For a company to survive for over 100 years is an amazing feat, even if it’s branched out or changed course over that time. A lot of us haven’t taken the same course throughout our entire lives, I know I haven’t.
It’s hard to believe that Lionel’s Golden Anniversary (50 years) was in 1950, before a lot of us were born; that’s how long this company has been around. Lionel trains are typically what people think of when you say, “Hey, I have an old train set.” Lionel is to the train world what “Kleenex” is to the tissue world or the Q-Tips are to the cotton swab world. We never had a train set growing up, but I know a lot of you have and I hope you share the stories and photos if you have them.
This set includes, according to the seller, eight 1958 train cars, including a locomotive and tender, along with a self-powered 1960s B&O (Baltimore & Ohio) passenger train. This 10′ x 4′ wood-platform Lionel world also includes a 1997 Southern Pacific locomotive and four cars, as seen in the previous photo. The buildings are another famous name to some of us: Plasticville. Plasticville (made in the U.S. from 1947 through 1984) made ready-to-assemble plastic buildings often used in train sets. I have an original gas station (like this one on eBay) with the original box and it’s pretty cool, although I need a train set to go along with it. In 1958, Lionel replaced its O gauge with Super-O gauge, along with many military and space-related sets being produced due to the events of the 1950s.
As I often say in the last paragraph, power comes from, well, a 12-volt transformer, in this case. As with everything in this set, it looks almost like new, but the seller says the electric interface needs to have some wires reconnected, so this isn’t a plug-and-play train set right out of the gate. I’m sure most Barn Finds readers can get these locomotives rolling ’round the bend again in no time. Have any of you owned a Lionel train set? If so, let’s hear those stories!
Memories!!!! Absolutely!!!! I recognize the Plasticville USA Firehouse for sure. My father had a number of Lionel trains, one set was from 1955, some from the 40’s his father had bought him. I remember them from when I was very little. There was always something magical if you will, watching them, especially at night with all those little lights lit up, on the trains, the buildings, transformers, the switch tracks. The smell of the electric motors and oil, the smell of the smoke pellets disolving in the smoke stacks of the locomotives. We had “O27” gauge Lionels not the more expensive “O” gauge Lionels ( same size trains but the O27 tracks sat a little lower and I think the turns might have been slightly tighter but not 100 percent sure on that one). These tracks I think are the O gauge. And if you think O gauge trains are big compared to the popular “HO tracks, you should see the old Standard Gauge Lionels ( My Grandpa had one) they were huge, at least to a kid.
Scotty, and Howard….. Thank you so much for the great memories!!! This is terrific, I enjoyed this tremendously!!! Please keep them coming.
As a sad note, Dad was out of work in the early 70’s and wound up selling them all to a collector to put food on the table I know that it always bothered him, his father had passed away when he was a kid, and I know they meant a lot to him. But he made a difficult decision to help out his young family.
Thank you again for writing this up Scotty!!!
Memories from past.
I have a 1970 Lionel in my basement with the lil train station etc.
Hopefully folks won’t be selling off items these days to eat.
A decent price for the set and looks great.
All aboard 🚉 S.G. 🎸 🎶 🎵
🎙 https://youtu.be/AeZRYhLDLeU?si=PBH4AixunJu0LtvN
Went with American Flyer, which was pretty easy as we lived 20 minutes away from the factory. As my fleet got bigger found the Lionel cars were actually gauged the same size as the Flyers but with the bigger trucks. A lot of the kids around had extra cars around so I started buying up them and putting the flyer trucks on them which gave me a huge collection of different cars. I also liked the the two rail tracks. Saw a large Lionel layout last year on line with over two hundred engines and cars that was close to 900 square feet big. Sure is hard to stay away from stuff like that with all the memories.
@Bobhess I had no idea about the sizes of the train cars. I think American Flyer was call “S” gauge, but again if I’m wrong please someone correct me. It makes sense because I’ve seen buildings that seemed to be about the same size for both makers.
I will admit to being surprised that the Lionel cars were sized the same as the American Flyers. American Flyer always bragged about their trains being exact replicas if the real thing as did the HO folks about their products. As a kid I really didn’t care as the Lionel cars fit well with the other cars and I was buying them for a buck apiece.
American Flyer is S scale, sized at 1:64 and Lionel is generally O scale, sized at 1:48, although O27 is somewhat smaller than true O scale. The gauge (width of the track) is smaller in S scale than O.
I was an American Flyer guy, if being 8 years old when Santa Claus brought it and set it up under the tree. I switched to HO in my 20s but sold everything, including the American Flyer set, when I went to Naval Flight training. Seeing that train set was, by far, the most exciting gift I have ever had. A train set that led me into being curious about electricity, building, construction, and history: I will never forget the sight of smoke coming out of the locomotive hauling the freight.
Wonderful set and what a value!
Thanks for the memories.
The locomotive, some of the cars, the track, and electrical controls are exactly what my family had when I was young and it was old then. We didn’t have that many cars and no buildings at all. My parents only let us take it out of the closet during holiday breaks and I have no idea whatever became of it.
Also, referring to the article, I remember Lionel Play World toy stores very fondly. There were 3 in relative proximity to N. Miami Beach where’s I grew up.
I loved the smell the transformers made.
Awesome discovery, Howard A with another fascinating writeup by Scotty and excellent supplemental info from BF readers. Lionel (American Flyer) trains circling around the tree were unforgettable bookmarks in life for memorable Christmas’s-as was clearly illustrated by Lee Marvin as Gilhooey in ““Donovan’s Reef” and many other Christmas movies.
If this were closer my grandkids would get a trip into the distant past!
Yes! I played with both American Flyer and Lionel when I was a boy back in NJ. My brothers and I would get the track out and run trains on the basement floor. Had hours of fun and stayed out of trouble. We had many of the action cars and some of the Plasticville buildings. AF and Lionel are not compatible as to gauge as some have pointed out. We used Dad’s 3 in 1 oil as we didn’t have the smoke pellets. Made a great smell and a cloud over the track!
I live an hour away from Boulder and would love to have this, but I am in the same situation as the seller: downsized and not enough room for it!
Very cool!! Not sure what you mean about a 12 volt transformer, but old Lionel runs on AC, by a transformer plugged into a 110 volt outlet.
The transformer takes the 110 volts and reduces it to a safe voltage for running a toy train and accessories.
Yes, and that reduced voltage is AC not DC.
Thanks for catching that, Howie.
Truly a fun find, and my Lionel set was a hand-me-down from I forgot who, maybe one of my older cousins. Still in the dark red box I remember, and it sat in my parents’ attic for years untouched until they eventually got rid of it, probably in the 80s. I’d sure like to have it back now!
Great write up Scotty!
I still have the O27 set that I received for Christmas 1957…and a whole lot more that has gravitated towards me over the years.
I’ve been a TCA member since ‘88 (Train Collectors Association) and recommend it to anyone who has an interest in model railroading, Lionel or otherwise.
Thx!
JO
I just have to say, this write up really took off, and I’m really happy it did. It’s one of the things that keeps me coming here on Barnfinds every day, I really enjoy the variety. Even now Lionel trains!!! I think this is up to 15 comments so far, so I’m glad I’m not the only one that truly enjoyed this.
I remembered the milk car my Dad had with the milk man moving the milk barrels off the car and the barrel car with them vibrating up off the car. You had that special magnetic track you parked the car over and you’d hit the button and watch the action happen.
This was great Scotty, and Howard, thank you for finding this and submitting it.
Few Lionels here; my dad traded in his O-gauge set for a 00-gauge set for me. I’ve since acquired a clockwork O-gauge Hornby set from a late friend, and my 00-gauge stuff is all with my nephew.
Hi folks, and thanks to BFs, Scotty, and all who participated in my dusty memories. Universal, yet individual, just about everyone had a train set. Be it the circling Xmas tree once a year, to the sprawling setups some of these clubs have, it was the universal toy. Imagination ran wild, and we all wished we lived in “Plasticville”.
I give my old man a rough time, posthumously, but he did do some amazing stuff. Built our cottage with a Yankee and a hand crank drill, made his own pool table, and made a really nice train setup, complete with street lights that lit up, switches for tracks, crossing gates, it was really cool. We had a GM Electro-motive, and a smoking locomotive, we never thought what that liquid smoke really was. It hung in the basement air and in our lungs. It wasn’t high action fun like a road race set, that we incorporated later, just imagination full tilt, not computer generated, real hands on stuff. Fact is, this particular setup is very similar to mine as a kid, only less electrified.
I think my mom gave the set away, along with the road race set, and I later bought a set for my kids, but not near the glitz of the old mans. We went to a couple train shows, fantastic layouts, almost real in appearance, and I recommend it strongly if one comes to town.
Thanks again to all, it’s a pleasant break from $90,000 Broncos, at least to me and now, to nervously hit submit, still an issue and hope the “anti-Howards” are kind, I do know what I’m talking about on this one.
I suspect that this is Howard’s initial comment. Glad to have this sharing of your past.
As for the “anti-Howard’s”, those are just individuals who rest securely behind the anonymity of a keyboard and one-way screen. We all know and appreciate you and others who contribute knowledgeable and thoughtful insights of the hobby and various professions that are in and around it.
Okay, my initial comment didn’t register,,again, and may be moderated later, but this will be my absolute last comment, I have a sticky note right here “no more BF comments” to remind me, and am terminating the membership with the completion of this comment, if it makes it. Apparently, there’s some glitch with my name, and I’m just not going to pay for this any longer. Hope you all enjoyed my wacky posts, and I’m a gone,,,
Hey Howard, Don’t quit. A lot of the time my comments don’t show up or a moderated. I don’t really care anymore about that. I just move on to the next day. 20 years ago if your comment wasn’t the first on the page I thought there was something wrong with my feed!! You quit for a while then, but came back. Id miss your truck and snowmobile and anything else posts.
Anyways, in the 60’s I received my Granddads Lionel train set. From time to time it would get set up on the ping pong table and it was a lot of fun. The set pretty much looked like this, although I rarely set up the buildings.
Mid 70’s I read Europe on $10.00 a Day and caught the travel bug. Sold the train set ( for not a lot) and off the Europe for 3 months. Dead broke and surviving by giving skateboard exhibitions for spare change, just about starved. Caught pneumonia. It was a formulation event in my life.
20 something years later I was in Berlin when the wall fell. That was a story…
Neat set, but with no Grandkids it is far past my time to have one of these again. I do agree, this is a bargain!
Dont quit howard… For all I know this post will vaporize, I don’t care, the fun is writing.
Aw come on Howard, who am I gonna play second fiddle to when the big trucks come up?
Howard, there’s a bunch of folks here-myself especially-that count on your input particularly with truck and train stuff.
Please don’t let the ‘Net gremlins get to you-they’re not real but we are.
Having the same type of problems. Over the past week and a half I’ve been dumped in the middle of a comment or just reading comments that turned out to be wanting me to sign in again… just happened today, 4th time. No reason to clock out on us Howard. You have knowledge on different subjects that most of us would never get with you gone.
Howard please don’t go. You are the go to guy on here. It would not be the same without you.
Hang in there Howard. You are needed here !!!
Howard the site will be less with your absence. Wish you all the best in the future. Enjoyed your comments, knowledge, and humor bigtime. 👍Long live Howard 🍻
I’m with everyone else Howard, BF just wouldn’t be the same without you, and I do hope you change your mind as well.
Who else will provide the obscure American Motors information that the world needs?
Howard. I’m sorry to hear you’re having problems posting. But please reconsider. I really enjoy your comments and submissions, like this Lionel one for example. I really do hope you reconsider.
Dave
Model trains and slot car sets. Two things that will bring the kid out of almost anyone. My brother had a Lionel with a small oval track. I would watch it go around for hours. My train is N scale. Same fun in a smaller space.
Add me to those who won’t quit on you, Howard. Your stories and wisdom is far too valued to keep to yourself. If you have trouble posting as a member try dodging the pop up ads that seem to come out of nowhere…lol.
I was born in January of 1952. I received a Lionel train set from Santa Clause, Christmas 1952, lol. I still have it, and it still works. The steam engine and tender are currently displayed on a small shelf in my mancave along with my grandfather’s ICRR ID card. He was an engineer and lived in Paducah, KY. I still remember him taking me to the ICRR works there and watching them turn engines around in the roundhouse.
I had the same track and set-up as this, back in the lower 60’s. There are a little more building here then I had. Everything else looks the same. Just sold it 4 years ago when I moved. If I recall, the box said Walgreens on the side, along with Lional. I set it up every year for my kids, until they left the house. I or they, had no use for it and that is why I sold it, so someone else could appreciate it. Doing no good in the closet.
This comes at a good time for me as I have recently drastically downsized, and I will be forced to dispose of my Lionel trains. My late wife surprised me at Christmas with a beautiful Lionel train in 1998 but that’s about the time our health problems started. I never actually used it but I set it on a track so I could hear the digital train sounds. I still have it but it will soon be another casualty of my lack of space. Apparently from the comments most of us old car guys have enjoyed things with wheels for all of our lives. I hope we can all keep on rolling for a long time.
Yes! I played with both American Flyer and Lionel when I was a boy back in NJ. My brothers and I would get the track out and run trains on the basement floor. Had hours of fun and stayed out of trouble. We had many of the action cars and some of the Plasticville buildings. AF and Lionel are not compatible as to gauge as some have pointed out. We used Dad’s 3 in 1 oil as we didn’t have the smoke pellets. Made a great smell and a cloud over the track!
Had a Lionel set when I was 8 given to me by man next door, his son didn’t want it so I got it, many hours of fun in basement.
If you want to see a huge beautiful setup go to the Detroit Public library on Woodward, they a big beautiful set I believe was donated by one of the auto families.I believe Lionel had a plant here that shut down in the 80’s.
Yes, there was a plant in the Industrial Park off 23 mile road in Chesterfield, MI that was there for years but closed but since it was when I was working in Sales and driving around I think it closed in the nineties. A family friend had a real addiction to the Lionel Larger scale models and lived within miles of the plant before relocating to Florida. Never got to see his set but I heard about it from his younger brothers who I work with even now as we grew up on the same street.
Wow! Such Memories. I had my set in the 80’s and was from an antique shop. Wish I still had the set. The controller box was blue and metal construction. This set is nice!
Wow! This listing has somehow hit a sweet spot in the feels for a lot of folks – and I’m right there with y’all! My early 1950’s Lionel set came from my dad, who bought it new when he worked in a hardware store in south central Pennsylvania/north central Maryland. He gave it to his dad in 1954, who gave it to me in 1978. Granddad always put his up around the Christmas tree, and I took over when I got it from him. The buildings were all Plasticville, but by the time I got them, they were pretty well worn out and not able to assemble again. Still, the engine was a replica (I think most of them were) of an old steam turbine engine that used to pull coal cars out of the mountains near their home, which is why Dad bought it in the first place. When I am able to, I set the train up beneath our Christmas tree each year as well. So, yeah, I guess I still play with model trains!
some time in the 50s my brother and I got a Lionel train set for Christmas , the train smoked after putting a little white pill down the smoke stack on the engine ,it went thru tunnels and over bridges and stopped and dumped coal had a
crane to load logs lots of fun , after Christmas Dad put the whole set up on a table in his attic den , not sure who had more fun my Dad and Uncle Al or my brother and Me !
I’m wowed at all the comments. More than any vehicle lately on BF. Nostalgia for the fascinations of our youth is so enjoyable. I’ll bet that the same rush of fond memories over a Barbie Doll collection would affect women like these trains do us. I just have to think for a moment and the electric smell from that transformer and track comes wafting back to me. Thanks for the find, Howard. Hope you reconsider.
I still have my Lionel 027 locomotive and tender #2026. Just a glance at it in the bookcase brings back a flood of good memories. You got to keep some of this stuff.
The smell from the transformer was a turn-on. Running trains on the basement floor in the dark was a blast. The locos had headlamps and the track switches had red/green indicators to inform you which way they were set. We had a lighted signal tower and many accessories had lights as well. We also had an elaborate coaling tower but could never figure out how to set it up properly. Those illustrations in the Lionel catalogues were a little optimistic. These toys were created for a time and place that wasn’t so hard pressed for living space.
My grandfather built a fantastic two train set in his basement back in the 50s with paper mache hills and he had a tunnel and trees and people on the streets, and a boatload of buildings. It was soooo cool. Every time we visited I had to go down and run it. After he died dad gave it to the town historical society though and they didn’t have room to set it up, so it’s probably sitting in their basement. I’m thinking I should get in touch with them and see if it’s still there.. I’d love to have it.
I had a hand me down “O” gauge Lionel train set from my older brother who never ever really let go of it being his exclusively. It got set up in our spare room every year at Christmas time , We had the Plasticville buildings and the milk car that would unload the milk on to its own little platform, the log loader, the barrel car , The transformer we had was huge IIRC it could run 4 sets at a time. My best friend had a “027” Lionel set that we tried running his cars with my set and vice versa it didn’t work , what did 8 year old kids know. I can remember going to the main Lionel Building N.Y.C. headquarters on East 23’rd street in Manhattan around Christmas time and seeing the massive layout they had working. I don’t remember how many different trains were running all at the same time but it was definitely more than dozen, all functioning and doing different tasks. Last I remember of our Lionel set it was in boxes stored in the shed .
My best friend has a garden scale model railroad layout his grandfather created by retro fitting Buddy L rolling stock (originally considered toys) and re-powering it with hand built electric motors. It ran from the basement through a window into the yard complete with a tunnel. My friend is presently rebuilding the whole layout to run in his own back yard. Such a great project.
I got my Lionel train set at Christmas in ’52 when I was three, and still have it. My father built a platform on rollers so I could set it up and leave it that way all the time. The platform conveniently rolled under my bed and out of the way when I wasn’t playing with it. I couldn’t possibly remember how many hours on end I spent playing with that train set and was gifted accessories to go with it along the way – buildings – a trestle set, a car crossing with lights that activated when the train approached it, etc. — It’s been all boxed up for many years now – in its original orange Lionel boxes with its original track pieces, and I would never let it go for what this person is asking for his. It would take at least ten times that for me to even consider it. Whoever gets this train set is getting a huge bargain! —- Enjoy.
Wow! this sure back a good memory as I got one just like it for Xmas in 1952