Model Train Journal

All:

I have to confess this has always bugged me. In any number of products, you can find a part number (sometimes with revisions) and / or a serial number. I've even seen that on other "toys". But as far as I know, that's never been something you find on locomotives or other train cars. It doesn't seem to be a practice of model train manufacturers. And yet, limited runs of items is now pretty much standard operating procedure. Can anyone think why that might be?

Thanks,

George

Pre and post war Lionel the cab number or road number is always the part number, with a couple of glaring examples where is is not.

When you make a million of something, serial numbers can be silly.

Revisions are what keep the TCA crowd busy.....aluminum drivers, thick pilot, thin pilot, stamped lead truck or cast, four wheel trailing truck with no sideframes or two wheel Delta.

LS, outside of things like live steam, cab number and wheel arrangement often tells the story.

What are you looking at that's confusing?

ScaleCraft wrote:Pre and post war Lionel the cab number or road number is always the part number, with a couple of glaring examples where is is not.

When you make a million of something, serial numbers can be silly.

I get that the cab number is part of the part number. I don't agree that making things in quantity is a reason for not doing serial numbers. Their use appears to be a general industry practice, just not here.

ScaleCraft wrote:What are you looking at that's confusing?

I just asked out of general curiosity. I don't have a specific item in mind.

George

It seems to me that MTH was at least serializing their locos back in the day. The reason I say this is that back around 2000 I bought The Old Man a Railking L-1 that arrived DOA. I sent it back for warranty repair, and when I got it back, the serial number was different. I called them on this and they said their repair policy included the right to simply send a replacement. They’d sent me a new one as a replacement for the DOA new one...I really couldn’t gripe. They did tell me that if I insisted on the original back, I could return the replacement and when they got around to fixing the first one, they’d repair it and send it to me, but it was likely to be quite a few months before I’d get it. I took the NIB replacement.

G3750 wrote: I don't agree that making things in quantity is a reason for not doing serial numbers. Their use appears to be a general industry practice, just not here.


George

I suppose...whoever is first makes the rules.
Lionel was pretty early....they didn't, Ives, Dorfan, none of those did. None of my Doorstops have serial numbers or even identifiable part numbers.

AMT, Marx, Flyer, then we get into Half 0, Mantua, Tyco, Roundhouse / MDC, Athearn, Penn Line, English....none.

Could have been a good idea at some point, especially with theft. VIN and firearms spring readily to mind.

But my house doesn't really have a serial number unless your try the address.

I think S/N usage has proliferated for warranty tracking, and theft protection.

My old Schwinn SC 15-speed has a number, but I recall back in the mid-60's where the late great state of....decided to license bikes, and they had to stamp new numbers under the crank, as there was no list or reference material on Schwinn serial numbers to track.

Let's say you have a 1940 225E steamer...with a serial number...what does that get you?

Not like the Jag where I can order a Heritage Certificate, and possibly track down intervening owners.

It's an interesting question, and pondering such things is good exercise.

Lionel for the last few years has been using a serial number on Legacy engines. I have no idea why they bother but there is a sticker on Legacy locomotives.

The Vision Line engine always had a serial number and you register them for warranty.