Prewar and postwar A’s had a few big differences…
The prewar N&W A’s had a boiler tube front pilot and a smaller tender. I’d hope this is the version Lionel is doing for the fantasy Passenger Scheme 1201 version since it’s what the A’s looked like when they ran passenger trains.
The biggest difference with the postwar N&W A’s was a solid front pilot and a rebuilt larger coal/water capacity tender. This is the version that saw nearly only freight service apart from a few excursions by the #1239 and #1240 on different occasions. The #1218 is a version of a postwar A.
Another difference if you look closely is the cross head guides on both sets of drivers!
