Fine Art Models offered the Lionel-Smithsonian 20th Century Limited in serialized subscription sets with equipment named for the inaugural eastbound and westbound streamlined trains that ran on June 15, 1938, so they would only have made the two obsevation cars originally assigned on that day.
Set serial numbers were awarded by lottery, and while a subscriber was not required to buy the entire train, he would only receive pieces serialized with a single number unless he had actually ordered multiple sets. At $2500 for an engine and $500 per car this was expensive stuff, especially in the early 90s, so some of it inevitably made it's way into the secondary market rather early, resulting in sets being assembled or completed with mixed serial numbers.
Production was limited to a total of 500 sets, and complete sets ran to 13 cars each. It's doubtful that that many were actually ordered or built.
Crank
