Thought I would add something to my topic. I did not list all the variations for the 9200 series IC Boxcars. It would be boring and I did not think people were interested in them. The 9200 series boxcars had rows of rivets removed by MPC. This allowed for a smooth surface when they heat stamped the car. The trucks used had memory plastic springs in the knuckle. The type of knuckles with plastic springs are very unreliable. If you put the cars away for storage, make sure to turn the trucks around so the coupler knuckle faces the center of the car. When you do that, you can leave the knuckle Open and the plastic spring will not have any tension on it and will work each time. Lionel continued to use this type of coupler (even today) and many of the starter sets have these couplers. Remember, if you can't turn the truck around, use a round hollow piece of cardboard and slip it over the knuckle to prevent the coupler from closing. If you buy a Lionel car with this type of coupler, make sure to leave the knuckle open when storing it away or open the knuckle up if the car is stored on a display shelf. How many of you have bought a modern day Lionel Car and the knuckle spring is broken? The wheels on the 9200 series cars were the first ones that Fundimensions - MPC made and they come in a wide amount of variations. The very first wheels were kind of thick and if you look on the inside of the wheel, you will see 4 round knobs in them. This was for the push pins from the wheel mold. The trucks and couplers that do not give you any trouble are all metal trucks with metal springs. It is most interresting, MTH cars always came with metal trucks and couplers!
There are very few collectors of Modern Lionel variations today. If you can find a copy of Greenberg's First Price Guide, Bill Eddins (deceased) Collection of Post War and Modern Lionel Train Variations. Although the Bill Eddins variations price guide is hard to find, every once in a while they appear. Sincerely yours railbear601
