Always wondered why Lionel went this route with the clip on roofs.
I do not think that it looks that good.
I guess that the only advantage is that the roof could be removed by squeezing the two tabs rather then unscrewing one screw for bulb maintenance?
Was this a design from Ives or American flyer?
I could not find any reference to this in my books.
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Personally I prefer the squeeze tabs.
I believe it is a Lionel design, the concept was used on classic period high end cars. Flyer had a cam lock system for Wide gauge. The first appearance was in 1931 On the Terra Cotta and Wine colored 613-614-615 series. in O Gauge and both the State cars and Blue comet had a similar set up in 1930 for Standard Gauge.
The best design was the hinged roofs with squeeze tabs on the Lionel state cars. NO screws to chip paint upon removal.
An eight year old could replace the dead bulb in his toy train car without going into daddy's tool box. John
how many roofs are dimpled from over tightening the screws. The State Cars,Blue Comet and even Flyer President cars had hinged roofs to display the detail of the interior.
One could also say it was a marketing thing showing the attention to detail of the design. highlighting quality and craftsmanship.
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