OGR article on 6464 cars

Before 1955, Lionel 6464 boxcar doors had a single blank block or plate in the center that represented an order board on full-size boxcars.

In 1955, Lionel added another block above the original block and two more below it for the State of Maine boxcar (6464-275). OF was printed in the upper block; and, in the center block; D and U of PRODUCTS, in the two lower blocks.

Lionel used single-block doors on other boxcars until the supply was exhausted. Then four-block doors were installed on all boxcars.

This difference is hard to see at first but with practice it is easily noticed.

Thanks Reading fan.

When Ed said blocks, I was thinking and looking for like mechanical door stops or something to do with door latch being molded into the parts.  Being a sign board did not enter my mind as a block.

Learn something new!!!

ReadingFan,

Thanks for clarifying.  With 20/20 hindsight I should have explained that the blocks on the 6464 boxcar doors represented order boards for real boxcars that can have shipping information attached to them.

Next time I will do a little more explaining and a bit less assuming. The second installment of the 6464 boxcar series appears in Run 280 and we will finish the Modern Era 6464 Boxcar series with Run 281, the December 2015 issue. This was the most efficient way to write up an eight year program by Lionel that covered 30 different boxcars with a reasonable amount of detail and decent sized images.

Thanks again for your help.

Ed Boyle

Partner

Special Projects Editor

O Gauge Rilroading magazine

From Tandem-Associates website:

John,

Good one :-)

Ed

I started buying these cars when they were originally issued and it turned into a real obsession!   I now have all of the Lionel re-issues, the Archive series, the Overstamp series, most of the club specials, and the separate sale cars.  JUst when I thought I was done, I discovered that K Line issued some in sets, Williams made quite a number of repros and even MTH got in on the game.  Now I have so many I don't know where to store them all.

Rolland