Hello all
Perhaps a bit different story ..Lionel in the 1901-6 window was a very small company , producing electric novelties ...oh yes some trains ( seasonally ) . Bruce Greenberg's most excellent book
https://www.amazon.com/Greenbe...1-1940/dp/0967890551
covers Lionel's standard gauge history with the most up to date research, and out standing original factory documents provided by Project Lion Roars publisher of Robert Osteroff's most excellent detailed history of Lionel "Fun" factories
https://www.amazon.com/Inside-...turing/dp/1933600055
Both these books provide an excellent up to date history of Lionel and it's early days.
There are many prior histories that tell a different tale and no doubt as additional original documents are found the history will be fine tuned for future books.
Back to the 6 .... as documented in Bruce Greenberg's book , quoting original Lionel factory sales records ( courtesy Project Lion Roars) ....Lionel sold trolleys # 1 and #2 in November and December of 1906 .
The 1906 Lionel catalog is filled with a full line of steamers , passenger cars and freights, it would take time for the little company to bring all these items to reality .
The 5 was probably brought to market first in 1907 with the 6 soon to follow . Freight cars were introduced about the same time ...the passenger cars proved to be much more of a challenge to build ..so the #3 trolley painted green became the first passenger car ( trolley bodied day coach) begun in 1907 ) .
1909 for Lionel was a year of transition, Harry C Grant ( the designer and engineer of Lionel, for the most part history has him as a silent partner) left the company and production shifted from NYC to New Haven at the helm of Mario Caruso.
Toy trains were a season thing ... so when we date an item it was produced very late in the year just for the Christmas trade. The 1910 Pullman ... not referred in the catalog all soldered construction with a huge wheel span may have been built at the end of 1909 for the 1910 season .
The classic 18, 19, & 190 as first introduced 1910 had very distinct knobs on the roofs ... first high knobs , then some medium, and finally low. Remember Lionel is making toy trains not collector items so rules are not written in stone and variations abound. The knobs are separate brass punchings soldered to the roof , steps are made up of a mesh and several small pieces are soldered together , roof is several pieces all soldered to the car body ...all very labor intensive. Judging how rare the knobby cars are today ... Lionel may have had a hard time building them . By 1913 bigger better presses where being used to form the roof with much shorter bumps, and a removable roof not floor, all labor saving steps ..hence production took off and we have many many 18, 19, & 190 passenger cars post 1913 era .
Here is a copy of the original steamer prototype 1906 /07 ....this was a whole lot more work to build than a trolley
Lionel thin rim 6 and 5 1908-9
Note split frame construction .... allowing rear set of wheels to pivot independently from the front , done away with by 1910
1910 catalog ... with 18 , 190 and 29 day coach all with knobs
Assorted Kobby cars 1910 -12 ( always looking for more .... encase you have an abundance)
Lionel first passenger car ... the # 3 trolley painted green ...this example is the second version 1908/9 earlier one would have solid ends and steps ... also found with solid 3 rivet trucks.
Cheers Carey Williams
