Pre-War Lionel Restoration

About three years ago, I was given a used and bashed up pre-war Lionel flat car. Saved from the trash, it had seen better days, which led me to think; why not give it a new lease on life?

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That pre-war Lionel car was manufactured as part of a large size “O” scale freight series. After a quick web search, I realised that there is a huge following for those pre-war Lionels, with a very active business side. I was hooked, and for the last three years I have found and bought some old ones and made a hobby to restore them to their past glory.

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This page is simply a place to share my love of these old trains.

Lionel Pre-war Pullman 605

This car was part of Lionel "O" scale line. At 10 1/4 inches long, it features six three-part windows, two lavatory windows and two operating doors on each side.

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It was produced in various body colors: red, olive green, orange and gray, with various colour trims. Four types of lettering could be found: Lionel Lines, The Lionel Lines, Illinois Central and NYC.

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This car is version G in the Greenburg book of Lionel, with a red body, ivory trim, copper journals and the Lionel Lines name.

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These four pictures show the car as I got it. Lots of scratches, the ivory colour has faded and it has surface rust on the trucks.