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 | Details |
| 6059 | M & St L Caboose | E+++ | Yes | $ 25 | A sharp, unpainted maroon SP-type caboose with white lettering plus AAR trucks and one operating coupler. The unpainted maroon body represents the last production run of the 6059; it was sold from 1965 to 1969.
Photo of the other side. Very, very clean with crisp lettering! Photo of the roof. Has a black, tab frame with end rails which may be incorrect as the guidebooks indicate that this version of the 6059 should have a frame without end rails. We have not had a 6059 caboose for sale in many years -- it is the only postwar Lionel caboose that carried the Minneapolis & St. Louis roadname. |
| (6167-175) | Unmarked Olive-drab Caboose |
E+ Un-run |
Yes | $425 SOLD |
Very, very hard-to-find military caboose item from 1964-65 that was NEVER USED: has a galvanized frame and AAR trucks with one operating coupler and one fixed coupler.
Photo of the other side. Some rust on the frame underside in one section and the cab has a small chip by one of the steps. That's it for flaws! It is a very clean piece! An "aerial" view. Only the third time we have ever had this item for sale -- and this one is the nicest one we have had by far! The olive-drab SP-type caboose only came in a few uncatalogued sets; it is believed to be as rare as the olive-drab 3349-100 Turbo Missile Launching Car. |
| 6357 | S P Caboose | E+/OB | Yes | $ 45 | Illuminated Southern Pacific caboose from 1952-53: tile-red version with one brakewheel, no smokestack plus bar-end trucks and single magnetic coupler.
Photo of the other side. One paint chip on the roof plus the common paint loss below one end railing; that's about it for flaws! It's very clean with nice lettering! Photo of the roof. Photo of the box. Grade 7 original box (missing the inside coupler flap; stains; tears; creases). It is the correct ("Middle Classic") box for this caboose and it is decent even with the flaws as it is square with both end flaps. Another view of the box. We have had very few tile-red 6357 cabooses over the years. This one is nice in a very presentable box -- and of course, it does light! |
| 6357 | Lionel Caboose | See Notes | Yes | $ 20 | Illuminated, maroon-painted, SP-type caboose with white lettering from 1957-59: version with "6357" on the right. Has one brakewheel, black die-cast smokestack and metal, bar-end trucks with single tab coupler.
Photo of the other side. Has a few light scratches on the roof, a very small hairline crack around the smokestack plus some rust & paint loss on the rear railing. Even with the flaws, this caboose is presentable as the sides are very nice: very, very clean with sharp lettering -- and of course, it does light! Photo of the roof. A good-looking, lighted caboose for $20! |
| 6417 | Pennsylvania N5c Caboose |
E+/OB | Yes | $ 85 | A very nice, illuminated, Tuscan-painted, porthole caboose from 1954. Has metal bar-end trucks with dual magnetic couplers.
Photo of the other side. Very clean, sharp lettering, original ends, minimal flaws -- and of course, it does light! Photo of the roof. Photo of the box. Grade 9 original box (discoloration on one end flap; minor writing on the other end flap). The box is SOLID -- complete, fairly clean, square, rather brick-like and there is no tape anywhere! Another view of the box. A sharp caboose in one of the nicest 6417 boxes we have ever had! |
| 6417-25 | Lionel Lines N5c Caboose |
E+/OB | Yes | $110 | Illuminated, Tuscan-painted, porthole caboose from 1954 only. Has bar-end trucks with dual magnetic couplers. Catalogued by Lionel as "6417-25" although the caboose is actually numbered "64173" on the sides.
Photo of the other side. Box rub on one catwalk end and a little box rub on the cupola edge on one side; that's it for flaws! It is a very, very clean piece with sharp lettering plus it has original ends with no cracks. An "aerial" view. Photo of the box. Grade 9 original box (tears; mild crease). The box is the correct one for this caboose with "25" printed on the end flaps and all four sides. It is also gorgeous: clean, complete, square & sturdy -- and there is no tape anywhere! Another view of the box. Sharp caboose that is much harder to find than the 6417 Pennsylvania caboose or the 6427 Lionel Lines caboose -- and in the nicest 6417-25 box we have ever had! |
| 6427 (-60) |
VIRGINIAN N5c Caboose |
Custom | Yes | $ 75 | Interesting item that we obtained in a collection: a postwar porthole caboose that was professionally repainted and redecorated as a 6427 Virginian! Has bar-end trucks with magnetic couplers.
Photo of the other side. Minimal flaws! It is sharp -- very, very clean with sharp lettering and vibrant paint! Photo of the roof. What are the telltale signs that this caboose is not original? ~~~~~ 1) The sides are missing some of the rivet detail indicating that the shell probably started out as a Pennsylvania caboose or a Lionel Lines caboose and was lightly sanded so as to accommodate the "VIRGINIAN" lettering. ~~~~~ 2) The lettering and numbering were applied using a silk-screened process rather than being heat-stamped. ~~~~~ 3) The lettering on the custom caboose is glossier as compared to the matte-like finish of an original. Click here to see a cutaway of an original Virginian and this custom version. The 6427 Virginian was available in 1958 only and it is one of the most desirable and one of the most attractive cabooses made by Lionel in the postwar era. The individual who customized this piece did a great job and the colors are close to the original colors. From a few feet away, it is difficult for a casual observer to discern that it is not an original 6427. Here's an opportunity to purchase a placeholder for your collection or a matching caboose for your Virginian FM or Virginian Rectifier at a fraction of the cost that an original Virginian N5c caboose would command. Our Archives Page has more information on 6427-60 Virginian Cabooses. |
| 6457 | Lionel Caboose | Ex. | Yes | $ 35 | Illuminated, brown-painted SP-type caboose from 1949-51 with white lettering, staple-end trucks and magnetic couplers.
Photo of the other side. The 6457 was the top-of-the-line Lionel caboose during its time and has these deluxe features: interior light, die-cast smokestack, battery boxes, ladders, end railings, two brakewheels and dual couplers. Photo of the roof. A small chip in the cupola catwalk and another on one of the cupola rails. Overall, it is a clean piece with very strong lettering, vibrant paint, a rust-free frame -- and, of course, it does light! The 6457 caboose came in many sets and has long been a favorite with both collectors and operators. |
| 6557 | Smoke Caboose | E+/OB | Yes | $325 | The illuminated, Tuscan-painted "LIONEL" SP-type smoking caboose from 1958-59: has bar-end trucks with single operating tab coupler.
Photo of the other side of the caboose. Has white, heat-stamped lettering (with number on left) and the original smoke deflector. An "aerial" view of the caboose. Gorgeous piece with minimal flaws -- very, very clean with nice lettering and vibrant paint. Lights and smokes great! Photo of the bottle of smoke fluid and the instruction sheet. Complete with the original instruction sheet #6557-18, dated 8/58 AND the original #909 Bottle of Smoke Fluid -- items that are usually lost! The bottle of smoke fluid is about half full and the bottle is fairly clean with near-perfect lettering! Photo of the box. Grade 8 original box (tears; tape). This box is solid -- clean, complete, square, sturdy & rather brick-like! Another view of the box. We have had very few Smoke Cabooses in collector-quality condition over the years; this one is nice and it's in a very strong box! |
| 6657 | Rio Grande Caboose | E+++ Un-run OB |
Yes | $295 | Illuminated, Rio Grande (SP-type) caboose from 1957-58 that was NEVER USED! Has ladder slots and metal, bar-end trucks with tab coupler.
Photo of the other side of this very-photogenic caboose. Minimal flaws on this piece; it is stunning -- very, very clean, near-perfect decals, beautiful striping and vibrant paint! Photo of the roof. Photo of the box. Grade 9 original box (tears). The box is solid: clean, complete, square & sturdy -- and there is no tape anywhere! 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. Only the second time we have ever had an unused 6657 and this one is spectacular -- and with a very, very strong box! |
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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.
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