How can I tell which 150 engine was built in 1917? Greenberg has one listing as early 1917 but gives no color. What color was the original and how can I tell if it was the one built in 1917?
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Hopefully the experts can nelp but I have a collectors guide that says the 150 was built in 1918 & was dark green, The 152 started in 1917 and had several colors including dark gray, dark green, light gray,peacock and mojave. Thi collector's guide has proved more useful than Greenberg to me.
1915-1917 locos were made by the Lionel Manufacturing Co. An original pick up plate should read as such. Starting in 1918 the plate reads Lionel Corporation. Early locos were also made without axle bearings. In 1915 and early 1916 the loco was numbered 700 series then changed to the 150 series. My late 1916 150 is brown. So if the pick up plate reads Lionel Corporation its a 1918 or later version, otherwise its a late 1916 or 1917 model. There are ways to tell by the over all motor style as well as the brush plate.
Tin
The key to year is predominantly the pickup plate and color, which for 1917 issued 150 locos, was the pickup plate with "The Lionel Manufacturing Co.", and the two colors offered in 1917 were either Brown or Maroon only.
References are from Dave McEntarfer's Greenberg Guide to Prewar Sets, and Greenberg Guide to Lionel Prewar 1901-1942, Vol. II: 0 and 00 gauges.
