Update on the posters: I forgot that the posters were listed in the 1990 Greenberg Guide to Lionel Paper book by Osterhoff. Both versions are listed on page 53 if you have that book. No photos, just descriptions and both versions are listed as 1947. Also they are not identified as DEALER posters as I had said earlier.
If you don’t have the book the description for the first version says “16½” wide x 10½” high, wall poster, printed on one side in yellow, black, and red ink on white paper, shows 0-6-0 switcher numbered 8976 and 5 other locomotives. Advertising copy reads LIONEL R.R. GUIDE”. According to the text in the book, the 2nd version listing differs in that it measures 20¾” wide x 15¾” high and shows an 0-4-0 switcher numbered “1662”.
Speculation on my part that possibly Lionel was planning an 0-6-0 for 1947 but because they did not make an 0-6-0 in 1947 (or in any other post-war year) that first version of the poster turned out to be incorrect and had to be replaced. The number 8976 used on 0-6-0 in that version of the poster was the cab number on the pre-war scale 0-6-0 which I believe was cataloged as #227. So they printed a slightly different poster which showed an 0-4-0 instead. Ironically, they didn’t make an 0-4-0 in 1947, either! Although there was an 0-4-0 in 1946 it was numbered 1665, not 1662. The number 1662 is probably from the pre-war 0-4-0 #1662 as no post-war locomotive used that number. After skipping a year, the 0-4-0 switcher returned in 1948 with the number 1656, which is the other one you have.
The first version of the poster suggests that Lionel was planning a post-war 0-6-0 and lends some credibility that yours could be a pre-production sample although it's also possible it is a modified 1656.
HTH,
Bill
