# 1920 Lionel #40 set box



## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

I have an original circa 1920 Lionel #40 passenger train set that my grandfather had as a boy. The original box has deteriorated pretty badly. The box was having trouble maintaining it's own weight. I decided that to save it from further breakdown I would flatten the box and cut out the label from the top and side and mount it in a picture frame. I realize that doing this would reduce it's collector value but I would never sell the train or it's box as it is a family heirloom. At least I can now display the box in my man cave/train room. Pics to follow.
-Art


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Artieiii said:


> I have an original circa 1920 Lionel #40 passenger train set that my grandfather had as a boy. The original box has deteriorated pretty badly. The box was having trouble maintaining it's own weight. I decided that to save it from further breakdown I would flatten the box and cut out the label from the top and side and mount it in a picture frame. I realize that doing this would reduce it's collector value but I would never sell the train or it's box as it is a family heirloom. At least I can now display the box in my man cave/train room. Pics to follow.
> -Art


How are you? 
Hope all is well, you have not been here for a while.
I did see you pop in once but you left without saying anything.

Sounds like a good ideal, save a small piece of history.:thumbsup:


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

Hey Big Ed,
All is well. This is the time of year I get back into the hobby. Train show season is here! I've been busy adding some go fast goodies on my 07 Mustang GT convertible so have not been here in quite a while.
-Art


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## imatt88 (Jan 31, 2010)

Cool, I want to see pics


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

As soon as I get home from work I will take some pics. The box was pretty bad but the labels on the top and side of the box look pretty darn good for 90+ years old.
-Art


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

*Picure*

Here is a crummy pic of my box in the frame. Cellphones take lousy pictures...hundreds of thousands of crappy pixels LOL  The kid in the picture looks a bit like Alfred E. Neuman from Mad Magazine. Looks great in my train room/man cave. The box looks way better than the photo.
-Art


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

That's a great idea to preserve the nicest part of the box. :thumbsup:

Greg


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## imatt88 (Jan 31, 2010)

Sweet! A small piece of history


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Cool, Alfred E. Neuman on an old Lionel box.:thumbsup:

Wasn't that box before his time?

Put it on eBay with a high reserve just to see how much someone would bid on it.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

I have my dad's Lionel standard gauge set from 1927, in all the original boxes including the set box.. The same kid is on the box. I believe it was Joshua Lionel's son.


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

*Much better picture!*

Here is a picture from my "real" camera. Looks much better now. The kid still looks like Alfred E. Neuman. Thanks Flyernut that is cool information to know.
-Art


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## imatt88 (Jan 31, 2010)

Art,

Wow, that cover is in really good shape. That really is a piece of history.

You should have it framed to preserve it..:thumbsup:

I still want to see pics of the set...

Cheers, Ian


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

Ian,
Here are the pics of the set:
































My grandfather kept all the Lionel boxes is great shape. I have a closet full of them. I did frame it Ian, that's what the post is about LOL.
-Art


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Art,

That's Standard Gauge. (You had inadvertenly posted the thread in the S gauge section. I'll move the thread to Other Scales.)

Very nice looking loco / cars. Quite the piece of history, especially with your family's heritage.

I would recommend you have an art/framing store cut an acid-free mat and backing for the box top ... it'll help protect it much more so than a dollar-store mat. They can cut the mat opening zig-zagged to better match the contour of the box, including the left side panel.

Cheers,

TJ


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

Ian,
Here are some of the other boxes from the 40's and 50's:








This one has the original Lionel logo paper that wraps around each car and the "master box with the $55 price on it from 1950:








-Art


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

Sorry TJ I thought "S" gauge stood for Standard gauge. Thanks for the advice I will look into that.
-Art


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

tjcruiser said:


> Art,
> 
> That's Standard Gauge. (You had inadvertenly posted the thread in the S gauge section. I'll move the thread to Other Scales.)
> 
> ...


Could also be "O".


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

His original box says Standard Gauge, and I can tell from his pics (and my Doyle catalog) that they are Standard Gauge.

(Though many Lionel prewar O electric-style trains looked very, very similar.)

TJ


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

The trains just look "small" to be standard gauge.On both my #337 and #338 cars from my 1927 standard gauge set, there are 10 windows on each side of the car... I see the word "standard" on the box but I believe they're just touting the fact that Lionel is the standard of the world... Just for comparisons sake, I'd like to see a modern day O gauge along side of them... I'm probably wrong...I know nothing of Lionel..


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Measure the wheels, an easy way to tell what it is.


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

The set is standard gauge for sure.... says so on the box LOL.
-Art


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

Artieiii said:


> The set is standard gauge for sure.... says so on the box LOL.
> -Art


I see it!!!!! Like I said, I know nothing about Lionel, just what I own....lol....


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