This page contains our current inventory of Postwar Lionel cabooses and work cabooses.
* * * Click on "Yes" in the Photo column to see a picture.
* * * Click on "Grade" in the 3rd column heading for an explanation of grading.
| Postwar Lionel Cabooses and Work Cabooses | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catalog # | Item | Grade | Photo | Price | Description & More Information |
| 2357 | SP Caboose |
E+/OB | Yes | $125 | A caboose that does not come up for sale very often -- the illuminated, Tuscan-painted Southern Pacific caboose from 1947: earliest production with brake wheels mounted on the inside of the railings; has a matching painted, plastic smokestack and staple-end trucks with dual coil couplers.
Photo of the other side. The 2357 was the top-of-the-line SP caboose during its time and has these deluxe features: interior light, battery boxes, ladders, two brakewheels and two operating couplers. Photo of the roof. A few muted (but readable) letters on one side plus some minor paint on one end platform landing near the mounting screw and that's it for flaws! The caboose is very, very clean with nice vibrant paint and strong lettering and of course, it does light. In addition, the smokestack is completely intact and the ladders & frame are rust free. Photo of the box. Grade 7 original box (tears; creases; amateur repairs with lots of tape inside). Another view of the box. Has the insert (liner) and the box is solid: clean, complete, square & sturdy! Photo of the elaborate box insert. A great-looking caboose that is very hard to find in nice shape. Check your collection; the guidebooks suggest that it is a common caboose but most of the ones in the marketplace have broken stacks and various other problems! |
| 2472 | Pennsylvania N5 Caboose |
E++ | Yes | $ 55 | Old-fashioned, red, tinplate caboose from 1946-47: has white lettering plus staple-end trucks with single coil coupler. Version with "EASTERN DIV." on the sides.
Photo of the other side. Small amount of paint loss on the end railings near the frame and on one side near the frame and that's about it for flaws! The caboose is very, very clean with strong lettering and nice vibrant paint! An "aerial" view of the roof. These early postwar items are getting harder and harder to find in collector-quality condition but this one is nice! |
| 6017 (-60) | U. S. M. C. Caboose |
====== E++ Un-run ====== |
Yes | $110 | A dark-blue painted "UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS" caboose from 1958 only that was NEVER USED! Has white, heat-stamped lettering with the USMC logo plus early AAR trucks with one operating coupler. Catalogued by Lionel as "6017-60" but "601750" appears on the sides!
Photo of the other side. Minor paint loss on one of the end railings plus a couple of the letters on one side have some small paint chips; that's it for flaws! It is a very, very nice piece: completely intact and very clean with a nice rust-free frame. Photo of the roof. A sharp-looking military Caboose with no major flaws! |
| 6017 (-85) | Lionel Lines Caboose | E++ | Yes | $ 90 | A gorgeous, gray-painted SP-type caboose with black lettering from 1958 only: has a black body mold on the correct chemically-blackened tab frame plus early AAR trucks with one operating coupler. Catalogued by Lionel as "6017-85" but only "6017" appears on the sides.
Photo of the other side. Small amount of box rub on the front and back edge of the cupola plus some minor paint loss on the frame tabs and that's it for flaws! It is completely intact and very, very clean with nice vibrant paint and crisp lettering! Photo of the roof. Check your collection! This is a very, very hard caboose to find! This is the only the second 6017-85 caboose we have ever had in collector quality condition -- and it is a nice one! |
| 6017 (-200) |
U. S. Navy Caboose |
E++ | Yes | $295 | A light-blue painted, SP-type United States Navy caboose with white, heat-stamped lettering and Navy logo from 1960 only: catalogued by Lionel as "6017-200" but only "6017" appears on the sides.
Photo of the other side. Has the correct chemically-blackened tab frame with early AAR trucks and one operating coupler. Photo of the roof. Minimal flaws! It is a very, very nice piece: all intact and very, very clean with beautiful lettering, sharp graphics and nice vibrant paint! The frame is also very, very clean and rust free. Another view of the roof. The 1-year-only Navy caboose has become one of the hardest items to find in collector-quality condition! |
| 6027 | Alaska Caboose |
====== E+++ Un-run ====== |
Yes | $150 SOLD |
Dark-blue painted "ALASKA RAILROAD" (SP-type) caboose from 1959 only that was NEVER USED! Has dark-yellow lettering with the Alaskan Eskimo figure plus early AAR trucks with one operating coupler.
Photo of the other side. This one-year-only Caboose is gorgeous: all intact and very, very clean with crisp lettering, beautiful graphics and nice vibrant paint! Photo of the roof. Note that while a component box for this caboose does exist, we have never had one and almost all of the 6027 Cabooses came unboxed in sets. Sharp and colorful with a great-looking Eskimo on each side! This is the first unrun Alaska caboose we have ever had! |
| 6057 (-50) | Lionel Lines Caboose |
E++ | Yes | $ 95 | An unpainted orange "LIONEL LINES" SP-type caboose with black lettering from 1962 only: catalogued by Lionel as "6057-50" but only "6057" appears on the sides.
Photo of the other side. Has a black, tab frame and the interesting truck & coupler combination of one early AAR truck with an operating coupler and one late AAR truck with a fixed coupler. Photo of the roof. Paint loss on the metal frame tabs and that's about it for flaws! It is completely intact and very, very clean with crisp lettering! Check your collection -- this one-year-only caboose is not an easy one to find! Note that this caboose was not available for separate sale and came unboxed in set #11232. |
| (6067) | Caboose | E+++ | Yes | $ 95 SOLD |
A very unusual item: an unmarked, unpainted BROWN SP-type caboose from 1961-62: has a chemically-blackened tab frame with arch-bar trucks and one fixed coupler.
Photo of the other side. Minimal flaws! The caboose is all intact and very, very clean! An "aerial" view. One of the "plain Janes" of its era -- this item only has one deluxe feature (end rails) which helps to distinguish it from the brown 6167 caboose from 1963-64 which had a galvanized frame with no end rails. This is only the second brown 6067 we have ever had available for sale -- it is the scarcest version of the 6067 cabooses. |
| 6119-25 | D. L. & W. Work Caboose |
E+ | Yes | $ 55 | A good-looking work caboose from 1956-59: has bar-end trucks with single tab coupler. Orange cab with black, heat-stamped lettering plus an orange tool bin and an orange-painted sheet-metal frame with black, serif lettering.
Photo of the other side. Has paint loss in the crease of the two back steps plus a few small paint chips on the frame and that's about it for flaws! It is very clean with crisp lettering! An "aerial" view. A sharp caboose -- one that we have not had in over five years! |
| 6119 (-50) | D. L. & W. Work Caboose |
E++/OB | Yes | $ 85 | A nice work caboose from 1956 only: all-original with brown cab, brown tool bin and brown-painted sheet-metal frame with white, serif lettering. Has bar-end trucks with single tab coupler.
Photo of the other side. Catalogued by Lionel as "6119-50" but only "6119" appears on the sides. An "aerial" view. A couple of small scuffs on the tool bin and that's about it for flaws! The caboose is completely intact and very, very clean with nice lettering on both the cab and the frame. Another "aerial" view. Photo of the box. Grade 7 original box (tears; creases; tape inside; glue residue; no insert). A few flaws but the box is clean, square and sturdy. It is also the correct "-50" box for the brown work caboose. Another view of the box. A good-looking, 1-year-only caboose in a very presentable box. |
| 6119 (-75) | D. L. & W. Work Caboose |
E++ | Yes | $ 75 | A very nice work caboose from 1957 only: has a gray cab, a gray tool bin and black, heat-stamped lettering plus a gray-painted, sheet-metal frame with sans-serif lettering and bar-end, metal trucks with single tab coupler. Catalogued by Lionel as "6119-75" but only "6119" appears on the sides.
Photo of the other side. A few paint chips on the frame plus some paint loss on one of the frame steps and that's about it for flaws! The caboose is completely intact and both the cab and frame are very, very clean with gorgeous lettering! An "aerial" view. This caboose is sharp plus it is a lot less common than most of the other work cabooses from that era. |
| (6120) | Work Caboose | E++ | Yes | $ 65 | An unmarked, uncatalogued work caboose from 1961-63: has an unpainted yellow cab and tool tray plus a chemically-blacked frame with arch-bar trucks and one fixed coupler.
Photo of the other side. A little paint loss on the frame underside and that's about it for flaws! The caboose is completely intact and very clean! An "aerial" view. Only the third time we have ever had this "Plain Jane" caboose! It came in low-end, uncatalogued sets and had to be the most inexpensively-made work caboose of the postwar era! Note that Lionel never made a component box for this piece. |
| 6130 | Santa Fe Work Caboose |
E+ | Yes | $ 50 SOLD |
An ATSF work caboose from the early 1960s: has a red-painted cab and red-painted tool tray plus a black-painted frame with white, rubber-stamped serif lettering and early AAR trucks with one operating coupler.
Photo of the other side. Some minor box rub and that's about it for flaws! The cab & tool tray are very, very clean with sharp graphics, strong lettering and nice vibrant paint! The frame is also very, very clean with crisp lettering! An "aerial" view. The 6130 ATSF is one of the few work cabooses offered by Lionel in the postwar era with a roadname other than D L & W. This one is sharp! |
| 6167 | Lionel Lines Caboose |
E++ | Yes | $ 15 | The traditional "little old red caboose" -- unpainted red body with white lettering and a galvanized tab frame with late AAR trucks plus one operating coupler and one fixed coupler.
Photo of the other side. Minimal flaws! The body is all intact and very, very clean with superb lettering! An "aerial" view. This SP-type Caboose was sold in 1963 & 1964 and has only one deluxe feature -- the single operating coupler. |
| (6167-50) | Caboose | E+++ | Yes | $ 60 | An unpainted, unmarked all-yellow SP-type caboose from 1963-65 with a galvanized tab frame: version with arch-bar trucks and one fixed coupler.
Photo of the other side. A gorgeous piece: completely intact and very, very clean! An "aerial" view. The "plain Jane" of its era -- this caboose has no deluxe features. This is the first yellow 6167 caboose we have ever had for sale as it is not an easy one to find! The yellow 6167-50 caboose came in six promotional sets and was used as a substitute in two other uncatalogued sets. Note that Lionel never made a component box for this piece. |
| 6219 | C & O Work Caboose |
E++ | Yes | $140 | A Chesapeake & Ohio work caboose from 1960 only: has a painted blue cab with yellow heat-stamped lettering, a painted blue tool bin and a black sheet-metal frame with yellow rubber-stamped lettering plus early AAR trucks with a single operating coupler.
Photo of the other side. Has some very minor box rub in spots and that's about it for flaws! The caboose is all-original, completely intact and very, very clean with nice vibrant paint. It has gorgeous lettering on both the cab and the frame! An "aerial" view. Arguably the most attractive work caboose produced by Lionel in the postwar era -- and the only one with yellow lettering on the frame. With each passing day, the 6219 is getting harder and harder to find; this 6219 is one of the nicest ones we have ever had! |
| 6357 | S P Caboose | E++/OB | Yes | $ 55 | Illuminated, tile red, Southern Pacific caboose from 1949-51.
Photo of the other side. Version with one brakewheel, no smokestack and staple-end trucks with single magnetic coupler. Photo showing the paint loss on one end railing. Some paint loss on one end railing plus a couple of very small paint chips and that's about it for flaws! It is very, very clean with crisp lettering and nice vibrant paint -- and of course, it does light! Photo of the roof. Photo of the box. Grade 7 original box (tears; creases; glue residue; tape inside). The box is very presentable: clean, complete, square and sturdy! Another view of the box. We have had very few tile-red, early version "S P" 6357 cabooses over the years as they are much harder to find than the later "LIONEL" 6357 cabooses that were sold from 1953 to 1961. |
| Two different versions of the 6417 Pennsylvania N5c Caboose: | |||||
| 6417 | Pennsylvania N5c Caboose |
====== E++ Un-run OB ====== |
Yes | $110 | An illuminated, Tuscan-painted, porthole caboose from 1953 that was NEVER USED! Has white heat-stamped lettering plus bar-end trucks with dual magnetic couplers.
Photo of the other side. A small paint chip near the roofline on one side and that is it for flaws! This caboose is sharp -- very clean, nice lettering, vibrant paint, original ends, no cracks. We "bench tested" the caboose and it does light! Has the original inspection slip! Photo of the inspection slip and an "aerial" view of the caboose. Photo of the box. Grade 7+ original box (tears; creases; tape inside; "aged" look). The box is solid: clean, complete, square and sturdy! Another view of the box. A very, very nice caboose in a very, very nice box! |
| 6417 (-1) | Pennsylvania N5c Caboose |
E+++/OB | Yes | $395 | The very scarce Pennsylvania porthole caboose without "New York Zone" on the sides! Sold only in 1957, this illuminated, Tuscan-painted caboose has white heat-stamped lettering plus bar-end trucks with dual tab couplers.
Photo of the other side. The caboose is gorgeous: very, very clean and completely intact with nice lettering and vibrant paint plus it has the original end railings -- and of course, it does light! An "aerial" view. Photo of the box. Grade 8 original box (tears; creases; glue residue). This box is SOLID: clean, complete, square & sturdy -- and there is no tape anywhere! It is also the correct "-1" box for the no "New York Zone" caboose. Another view of the box. An unusual and high-quality caboose in the right box! It is also one of the hardest postwar cabooses to find. |
| = | |||||
| 6417-50 | LEHIGH VALLEY N5c Caboose |
E+/OB | Yes | $225 | Illuminated, gray-painted, porthole caboose from just one set in 1954 only! Has red heat-stamped lettering plus bar-end trucks with dual magnetic couplers.
Photo of the other side. Common hairline screw crack on one end (no loss of plastic) and one roof hatch handle is chipped but that's about it for flaws! The caboose is very, very clean with crisp lettering and nice vibrant paint. It has the original end railings -- and of course the caboose does light! Photo of the roof. Photo of the box. Grade 7+ original box (tears; creases; scuffs; a few stains; tape inside). A few flaws but the box is fairly clean, complete, square & sturdy. It is also the correct "-50" box for the Lehigh Valley caboose. Another view of the box. The caboose is stunning and it's in a very strong box! Our Archives Page has more information on 6417-50 Lehigh Valley Cabooses. |
| 6427 (-60) |
VIRGINIAN N5c Caboose |
E++/OB | Yes | $625 | One of the most desirable and nicest looking cabooses made by Lionel in the postwar era: the Virginian -- an illuminated, blue-painted, porthole caboose from 1958 only! Has bar-end trucks with single tab coupler.
Photo of the other side. Common hairline screw crack on one end (very small and no loss of plastic) and that's it for flaws! The caboose is gorgeous -- very, very clean with sharp lettering and nice vibrant paint -- and of course, it does light! Photo of the roof. Photo of the box. Grade 7+ original box (tears; minor stains; tape on the inside; glue residue). This box is solid: complete, clean, square and rather brick-like! It is the correct overstamped "-60" Box for the Virginian Caboose and it is also one of the nicest 6427-60 boxes we have ever had! Another view of the box. A very attractive and photogenic caboose in spectacular condition! It is a good-looking and rather scarce caboose in a very, very hard-to-find box! We have not had a boxed Virginian Caboose in almost nine years! Our Archives Page has more information on 6427-60 Virginian Cabooses. |
| RARE 6429 |
D. L. & W. Work Caboose |
====== E+ Un-run OB ====== |
Yes | $575 SOLD |
Here's an item that very few collectors have: the 6429 D. L. & W. work caboose produced only in 1963:
Photo of the other side. Has the ORIGINAL gray-painted cab with black, heat-stamped lettering and the ORIGINAL gray-painted tool boxes. The gray-painted die-cast frame has black lettering and middle AAR trucks with dual operating couplers. Two "aerial" views. Small chip on the end of one tool box plus some box rub and there is one scratch on the deck in between the tool boxes. That's about it for flaws. The caboose is sharp overall: very, very clean with crisp lettering -- both on the cab and on the frame and it was NEVER USED! Photo of the box. Grade 5+ original box (missing one interior coupler flap; tears; creases; scrapes; stains; tape). Another view of the box. Thankfully, both end flaps are present and the "6429" printing is clearly readable. Photo of the front of the box. Not exactly pretty but the box is square and sturdy -- it will protect the caboose in shipping and in storage. Photo of the back of the box. The 6429 work caboose is RARE -- but the 6429 box is off the charts! The 6429 came in only one catalogued set and two promotional sets in 1963. However, the 6429 also showed up occasionally as a substitute in one promotional set in 1965 as Lionel used up leftover inventory. Only the second original 6429 we have ever had for sale -- and the first one was over four years ago! |
| Two different versions of the 6517 Lionel Lines Bay Window Caboose: | |||||
| ======== (6517-75) ======== |
Erie Bay Window Caboose |
E++ | Yes | $650 | A sharp "ERIE C301" Bay Window caboose from 1966 only! Has a medium-red body with white rubber-stamped lettering.
Photo of the other side. Has all of the deluxe features of the "LIONEL LINES" version (illuminated, window insert, shades, die-cast smokestack, ladders, fancy passenger car-type trucks and dual operating couplers) but has the more desirable roadname. It is the only caboose produced by Lionel in the postwar era to have the Erie roadname. Catalogued by Lionel as "6517-75" but that number does not appear on the body of the caboose. Two views of the roof. Minor box rub and that's about it for flaws! The caboose is very, very clean and all intact with crisp lettering, sharp graphics and nice vibrant paint -- and of course, it does light! This one-year-only caboose is an elusive, high-quality piece that will enhance anyone's train collection! |
| 6517 | Bay Window Caboose |
E++/OB | Yes | $ 95 | Large illuminated, LIONEL LINES caboose: has a red-painted body with white rubber-stamped lettering plus metal trucks; it is the later version from 1956-59 with no "Built Date" underscoring.
Photo of the other side. Minimal flaws -- the caboose is completely intact and very, very clean with beautiful lettering & graphics, nice even paint and a nice rust-free frame -- and of course, the caboose does light! Photo of the roof. Photo of the box. Grade 6 original box (tears; creases; stains; mildly distorted). A few flaws but the box is complete, fairly square and sturdy -- plus there is no tape anywhere! Another view of the box. The Bay Window caboose was the largest caboose offered by Lionel in the postwar era. It only came as a deluxe model with interior lighting, fancy passenger car-type trucks, operating couplers, ladders & a die-cast smokestack. The 6517 caboose was made from 1955 to 1959 but the "Late Classic" box and the lack of underscoring on the car body date this piece as a 1956-59 item. |
| = | |||||
| 6557 | Smoke Caboose | E++/OB | Yes | $295 | The illuminated, Tuscan-painted "LIONEL" SP-type smoking caboose from 1958-59: has white, heat-stamped lettering (with number on left) and the original smoke deflector plus bar-end trucks with single operating tab coupler.
Photo of the other side. Minor box rub on the front edge of the cupola and that's about it for flaws! Photo of the roof. The caboose is sharp: completely intact and very, very clean with crisp lettering and nice vibrant paint. It lights and smokes well and it is one of the nicest smoke cabooses we have ever had! Another view of the roof. Has the original instruction sheet #6557-18, dated 8/58 (creases & wrinkled). Photo of the instruction sheet. Photo of the box. Grade 6+ original box (missing one interior coupler flap; tears; creases; minor stains; tape inside; glue residue). A few flaws but the box is clean, square and sturdy. Another view of the box. A great-looking caboose in a very presentable box -- the 6557 is always a great layout piece! |
| 6657 | Rio Grande Caboose | E++/OB | Yes | $295 | Illuminated, Rio Grande (SP-type) caboose from 1957-58: has a yellow-painted body with a silver-painted lower stripe on each side plus a silver-painted roof.
Photo of the other side of this very-photogenic caboose. Additional features include black striping, black heat-stamped lettering and decals with the Rio Grande logo plus a die-cast smokestack. The chemically-blackened frame has end railings with single brakewheel plus metal, bar-end trucks with single tab coupler. Photo of the roof. Minimal flaws! The caboose is very, very clean with crisp lettering, gorgeous striping, nice shiny silver and intact decals -- and it does light! Photo of the box. Grade 7+ original box (tears; creases; writing; tape inside). This box is SOLID: clean, complete, square and sturdy! Another view of the box. With its unusual silver & yellow paint scheme and colorful logos, it is arguably the most attractive caboose produced by Lionel in the postwar era. This 6657 is sharp and it is in a very strong box! |
| 6814 | Rescue Work Caboose |
VG | Yes | $ 45 | A military caboose from 1959-61: also known as the "First Aid Medical Caboose," this item from the "Space & Military" series has a painted white cab and painted white tool bin with red lettering and graphics. Has early AAR trucks with single operating coupler and a gray-painted, sheet-metal frame with black heat-stamped, serif lettering.
Photo of the other side. The roof has a few scratches and the tray has some discoloration but both are completely intact and fairly clean with very nice lettering and graphics. The frame has some rust spots and paint chips but the lettering is sharp. Two "aerial" views. Missing the control panel insert, oxygen tanks, stretchers & man (note that repro parts are available in the marketplace). The 6814 caboose is not an easy item to find and we have had very few for sale over the years! |
| 6824 | U.S.M.C. Rescue Work Caboose |
E++ | Yes | $425 SOLD |
A seldom-seen U.S.M.C. work caboose from 1960 only: also known as the "First Aid Medical Caboose," this "Space & Military" series item has an olive drab cab with a white cross and an olive drab tool bin with white lettering and a white cross. The olive drab painted, sheet-metal frame has white, rubber-stamped, sans-serif lettering plus early AAR trucks with a single operating coupler.
Photo of the other side. A little touch-up on the frame on one side (most likely factory) plus a few small rub marks on the edges of the roof and tray and that's it for flaws! An "aerial" view showing the inside of the caboose tray, the inside of the insert and the stretchers & oxygen tanks. This caboose is all intact and very, very clean with nice vibrant paint and crisp lettering; the frame is also very, very clean with very nice paint and gorgeous lettering! Has the original tool compartment insert, control panel, oxygen tank unit, stretchers and the correct man! Lionel never made a specific component box for this caboose as the 6824 was an exclusive component of Outfit #1805 (the LAND-SEA and AIR Gift Pack set) and was never available for separate sale. The USMC Rescue Caboose is a tough item to find in any condition; we have not had one in over seven years! |
| Hints for buying a Caboose (We will bring you back) |
How can we help? |
~~~ Ready to Order? ~~~ Click here to Place an Order |
|---|
Everyone knows what a Caboose is, but did you know that it has many colorful nicknames? Some of these affectionate terms include buggy, brain-box, crummy, hack, and monkey cage plus some that are not printable here. Did you know that the Conductor (who is the boss of the train) actually runs the train from the Caboose?
Lionel made various styles of Cabooses in the Postwar era including the SP-type, bay-window, porthole (N5c), work cabooses with either tool boxes or an open bin, and even one that smoked. Some were lighted inside, some had a searchlight, some were made of metal, some had a real roadname (many said Lionel Lines) and some were plain while others were very attractive.
Your freight train needs a Caboose. Your work train needs a Caboose as well.
Postwar Lionel Diesels & Electrics Steamers Passenger Cars Railroad Work Cars Freight Cars Space & Military Cars Cabooses Accessories Sets Original Boxes Other Paper ~ Unique Reference Charts ~
Home
Site Map
Postwar Lionel
Soviet Trains
Train Shows
Contact Us