Two Rare Lionel Trains Archive Engineering Samples

[@joshuacampbell9990]

Anytime I see something from the archives I always find it amazing!!

[@BriansTrainRoom]

For Sure! There were so many cool things on those shelves, so will work to share as much as I can with you guys!. Thanks, Brian

[@NPFIlms-LionelTrains]

Another awesome video! I was inspired to scratch build that lighthouse because I thought it was so neat!

[@BriansTrainRoom]

Both pieces were amazing in their detail and craftsmanship. Just WOW!. Thanks, Brian

[@SterlingMyers]

Thank you Brian great video!

[@BriansTrainRoom]

Appreciate that! Always love the comment. To be honest with you, love doing them as well! Brian

[@williamloeber6253]

Great video. I've never seen the light house! Thanks. 😊

[@BriansTrainRoom]

Yeah, wish they would have, but I understand why they didn't. It didn't fit with what they doing with other accessories. Cool stuff. Thanks. Brian

[@lawrenceulrich7839]

Brian, another great program! You are the BEST. Keep up the wonderful programs… From Greenwood, Indiana 😊

[@BriansTrainRoom]

Thanks, more on the way. Tell your friends. Appreciate the comment. Brian

[@davidstrainsandlego]

Thanks for making these videos. This type of stuff i love to see, yet is very hard to find

[@BriansTrainRoom]

Thanks, So True, but there are pieces that do come up on occasion. Fun to hunt for!. Brian

[@jrmeindl]

Thanks for sharing, Brian. Interesting to see some of the possible proposed items or items that started out, but the final product was very different from the initial idea.

[@BriansTrainRoom]

So true, I love seeing the progression of idea to reality. The engineering back in the day was incredible . Thanks. Brian

[@johnfroio4910]

Great video! These are fascinating items, Lionel has a very intriguing history, so cool to see things like these, Brian.

[@BriansTrainRoom]

My pleasure, I too love how the trains we love came to be. There are so many things they should have made as well. Have more Archive stuff in the works. Enjoy!. Brian

[@tomshannon7513]

Hey Brian, awesome one of a kind pieces. Wish they made the lighthouse! Thanks for another great video.

[@BriansTrainRoom]

My pleasure. Yeah, I would have one on my layout if they did! Cool piece. More stuff on the way. Thanks. Brian

[@PopPopsTrainRoom]

great video

[@BriansTrainRoom]

Thanks, these are so cool and many more Archive items in the works. Glad you liked it! Brian

[@johnandrus3901]

Very nice! Those are some pretty unique items, for sure. It's too bad that the newer owners of Lionel didn't keep the Archives within the company, but that's the way things are, these days. It would be nice to see where most of the stuff went and I'll bet that there were some incredible things that were stored there. Either way, keep doing these videos. They are great and informative, especially for those of us who are interested in the history of the company. An excellent video, as always.

[@BriansTrainRoom]

Thank you. They actually should have de-comissioned the archives sooner. it had been moved a few times over the years, things had gotten broken or even worse, stolen!. This way each item was documented and cataloged to help preserve its condition and provenance. But is was a little sad when it happened! I will try and share as much as I can find with you guys!. Enjoy. Brian

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

Great presentation Brian! Too bad Lionel didn't put that lighthouse into production, it would have made a fine and eye-catching accessory piece! In fact given Joshua Lionel Cowan's love for deep-sea fishing and ocean liner trips I'm surprised it wasn't put into production. Oh well. Thanks for posting! ge

[@BriansTrainRoom]

I would have one on my layout for sure if they did. But I get why they didn't, the accessories of the day were moving livestock, cutting wood and moving coal. Appreciate the comment. Brian

[@arielfilmsinc1926]

Maybe it was a design sample for the Burro Crane

[@BriansTrainRoom]

Hard to say, certainly looks like it, but is it pretty big and wider than track. Really think they were considering a new top for the 182 or 282 accessory. But they certainly could have used that design in the development of the Burro Crane! Interesting points! Brian

[@TomzTrainzandAccessories]

That lighthouse is very cool. That would have been a great accessory. Like the #394 Rotary Beacon, it could have been frustrating to get it to work properly. I actually did a video on the #394 Rotary Beacon how to get to operate properly the way Lionel intended it to work. Please take a few minutes to watch it. Each vane on top of the beacon should be bent EVENLY at approximately a 60 degree angle, not 45 degrees, and all of the vanes MUST be present. If you adjust those vanes evenly on top of the beacon at that angle, I can promise you that the beacon will operate and spin. It won’t be fast, but it will spin at a prototypical speed. I’ve had some excellent feedback from people that were never able to get theirs to work, and now they do! Tom

[@BriansTrainRoom]

Thanks for the note, I really wish mine would have started to spin. The beacon was NOS and must have gotten bent up over the years. I will watch the video and check it out. Thanks so much!. Brian

[@TomzTrainzandAccessories]

@@BriansTrainRoom You’re very welcome Brian. I hope it works out well for you! Please let me know if you got it. I love to help people as much a I can, with some accessories that are finicky, especially this one. I’ve done a lot of practice tests on that accessory until I finally came up with a solution with the proper angles. Good luck and let me know. Thanks, Tom

[@JonBrooks105]

On one hand I'm disappointed that so much history was dispersed over the years (including all that was stolen when it was still in New Jersey) on the other hand, we get great videos like this!

[@BriansTrainRoom]

Agree, but I almost wish they had done it sooner. Stuff was being stolen or getting broken and this way they are documented for the future. Plus most items that are now in collectors hands are well cared for and a few of those collectors are letting me share them with you!. Brian

[@JonBrooks105]

@@BriansTrainRoom Yes and yes! Keep 'em coming!

[@jameslanders4819]

I like that lighthouse, i have two #394 on my layout

[@BriansTrainRoom]

Yeah, I really wish they would have made it. I would have had one for sure!. Thanks ,Brian

[@paulbervid1610]

Great conversation. And a fitting tribute to Tom . The letter lists the cab as 516, not 616 that is on it.

[@BriansTrainRoom]

Yeah, they were cataloging quite a bit of items at the time, and the lettering is pretty worn, so I can see the ease of that type of mistake. And yes, love the McComas and Touy books, grew up collecting with those books! Brian

[@jameslanders4819]

Brian, it would be cool to bring that lighthouse to york..

[@BriansTrainRoom]

I will be at the Paper and collectables meeting. Not sure what I will bring yet. Thanks,Brian

[@tomtweed123]

Check out pages 2-3 ofr the 1977 and 1978 Lionel catalogs. There is a crane in two bottom of the line sets that looks very close to what you have. Perhaps not as large. Bill Schmeelk

[@BriansTrainRoom]

Good to know, that is very possible. I don't think I have a 1977 catalog. It is shown in the McComus book dated 1980, so might have been? It seems to fit perfectly for a 182 or 282 accessory. So let me check on it! Thanks. Brian......... Looked up the catalog and they certainly liked the idea of a burro style cab for the crane, This one is BIG, almost standard gauge in size, too big to fit on a car. ODD. B

[@jodysmith8048]

One would of tbough a company. Such Lionel would have kept better secure of their history the archives.So it would have gotten pilfered like it has. To me it's one thing to have pictures and drawings. It's another to have the actual original preproduction pieces. If in case one day they wanted to do a special run or a limited edition of something that hasn't been produced in years. They would have the actual item that they could reference off of instead of just a drawing or a picture. Guess that never crossed there mind. Or they just must be all about the green these days. Or maybe it could be both.

[@BriansTrainRoom]

That is the reason they decided to de-commission the archives. It had been moved at least 3 times and if you ever have moved anything, something always gets broken. It was also hard to control who went it and out and some items have significant value, ripe for stealing. So, this allowed for each piece to be documented and preserved by fellow collectors. Also, with todays' photography and scanners, a physical specimen was no longer needed. Glad to share a few pieces from the Archives for you!. Brian.