As proof of "you never know what you are going to get from Lionel until you see the finished product" note that in this latest catalog some of the "Mint" cars have their ladder on the right side of the car side and some of them have their ladder on the left side. Of course there is no correct side since the car really has no known prototype and, for the folks who want such a car on their layout, it probably doesn't matter, but one does wonder how carefully the material is "proofread" before it is sent out.
I suspect that I will have to wait and see what the Berkshires really look like before I buy one, although, since I really would like a Boston and Albany Berkshire, I wouldn't mind if it came with a NYC style tender.
Little Tommy
Lionel catalog artwork (and text) has been subject to interpretation for the last several years. There's a whole thread about it on the 3-rail side.
For what it's worth, here's a couple of samples of the mint cars taken last November.
Rusty
