The "X" at the End of Lionel Postwar Tender Model Numbers?

Not sure what it stood for but the WX version had more handrails than the later W model. If fact the W version may have had no handrails.

Pete

The W indicated it had a whistle. Non whistle tenders were cataloged with a T but I am not sure the T was stamped on the frame.

Pete

Yes, most non whistles tenders have a  'T' stamped along with the number.

The "W" always indicated whistle or horn.

The"X" indicated a variation of some kind.

This was posted on another forum many years ago about this very subject;

"The W indicates that the tender has a whistle and the X most likely means that it was a department store special or made up for a different Lionel Customer Account. In the prewar years the X meant many different things.Such as No Journel Boxes on the trucks of certain freight or passenger cars(eg "027" 1600 series) or maybe a special set for Macy's or Gimbels in New York. There has been much discussion over the years as to why Lionel used a X to signify different things about its Trains."

I thought I read somewhere that the X meant it was part of a set??

The X means it had deck handrails.

Tin

Lionel was not consistent with the use of the letter 'X'. It could mean added detail, deleted detail, coupler height in prewar tenders, a component of a set, or for separate sale.

I learned as a boy the X factor indicated an item was a variation.

   I think only the X was used because it could be used so liberally, anywhere it was necessary, and was easy to spot and create.(Opinion)

   As a side note the letter X was likely one of the few letters present on both numbering and lettering rubber stamps used back then????? (I've handset a few thousand pages of type too)

 How I remember it-   On tender only sales, it meant one with all the extra handrails/steps that existed for the tender type. A better wx might be included without changing the loco/tender set number to X, but other deviation would get the X.

I had a huge X space/military set. An X because it included 1 cast steamer. 3 engine, maybe 4?. Not how I remember it, but Mom says that memory was a second group of sets(another longer story) Gramps assembled the space set all by phone, said ship it. The set was too large to set up fully. I had to pick a box. I only remembered one box till she said that, I guess they boxed portions as small sets for me. (Makes sense.) 3 boxes I remember - A plainer brown light duty square one was the largest, one large medium duty, inside it,  2, heavy duty with 2-"door" top,  and one large rectangle heavy duty, orange /blue logo box. A kid of the space age remembers if there was an X on his space set box (the large traditional one held the gantry).

    It came with the Lionel lettered, small number 243w and atomic impeller.....just red son, but still running mean I think it was 19037-X or 19237-X not matching my 2037 always baffled me some, but I knew better than to throw any logical search for understanding at at Lionels various numbers games. The 19 was almost 20 and the 37 matched, It was a "special set" so that was close enough for me.  There is an exception to everything anyhow, so numbers add up to nothing.....Oh wait......."transformer pegs in my hands felt reassuring...Gramps told me red means it runs son..numbers add up to nuthin'".... Its "Powderfinger" but twisted Sorry Neil, you stuck it there and it just pours out sometimes.....Gee, I could almost hack this whole story into it...time to cue it up...have a good day at at work, while I'm jammin' to Neil...

Oh...So, I  do know  the X did not mean any tender that belonged to an X set     

Thanks for the info guys.

Sometimes the X only appeared on the box that held the item and was meant to be of use by dealers. This information was

from a long time Lionel dealer in the Pittsburgh area who died recently, Gordon Hinkle. He also commented that they were rather inconsistent  in its use.

Gordon Hinkle died !!   Too bad, he was a nice guy.  I would stop at his shop in Penn Hills then he moved.

The 2466W had holes for railings, but were not installed, 2466WX had vertical railiings and railing running the perimeter of the tank deck.  The same situation for the 6466W no railings, 6466WX had the railiings.  The 2671W had "Pennslyvania" stamped on the sides, the 2671WX had "Lionel Lines" stamped on the side.  The 2046W was stamped Lionel Lines, the 2046WX was only the Box Stamping, with a 2046-50 tender stamp on the bottom.

On rolling stock that had an "X" designation, meant that it was a variation, typically color.  Sets starting with "X" were usually promotional sets, mostly found in the 1960's, but could also be used earlier for other retailers: i.e. Sears, Firestone, Gifts Galore, S&H GreenStamp, Montgomery Ward, Spiegel, J.C. Penney, etc.

I like the 24 and 6466 series of tenders. Use them all the time, have  parked the 2046s mostly.  Thanks.

The use of the "X" by Lionel in the Postwar era, was not consistent, or set in stone as to where or when it was used.  Two examples of the Color Variation are the 6468 B & O Tuscan had an "X" on the end flap of the box, but not on the car, denoting a color change from the normal blue.  The 6560 Reddish/Orange Crane car has the "X" stamped on the box, and some examples will show a frame number 6560-5X, (haven't seen one yet, as I have 7 variations in my collection). There are 1666 Postwar locos with an "X" inside the cab, which would indicate the difference of 'rubber stamped number' vs. the two earlier metal plate number versions.  

I have seen a 2026X loco listed on eBay for sale, and would presume that the "X" was used because of the use of an actual 2025 being numbered a 2026.  Again, the X was stamped inside the cab.  It basically all comes down to a Variation of some sort, and only appears with Postwar Lionel.

Not totally correct. The X does appear in the prewar era also.

Chuck, I stand corrected, as the X was also used in Prewar, but sporadically, and again, typified a variation of some sort.  In the context of the OP, it was dealing with Postwar usage, which is what I tried to cover.

I found something interesting from an item posted for sale on eBay a while ago, with a box marked 1688W, which seemed puzzling.  I had to do some digging, and there was in fact a tender listed as 1688W whistling tender, that only went with a 289E locomotive.  Lionel from Pre/Postwar era is unique unto itself, and being 2016, the people that would have had answers to many of these questions are long gone.