I have the idea that the build date on many postwar Lionel and Marx train cars (implied as prototype lettering) often represented the year of introduction of the model. Can someone elaborate on the extent to which this was true, or not true?
Modern Lionel often spelled it out with, for example, "blt 8-96 by Lionel".
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Very interesting - I've just checked several of my postwar Lionel cars, and it seems the date does match the year the models were introduced.
I believe that the build date is the original mold introduction date, for the most part, on postwar cars. I have several late postwar era hoppers with "BUILT 1-48" on the lettering, for example.
Hope this helps!
Mitch
"blt 8-96 by Lionel".
Not to be that guy (too late), but what else would the above mean?
Something I’ve wished the manufacturers would do is to put the built date in the catalog listing. That way I could tell if the piece would fit the timeline of my consist.
Alan
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