What does “postwar” mean?
The term “postwar” refers to the era of Lionel trains following the end of World War II, spanning from 1945 to about 1969. Hence the term “postwar”. In contrast, the era of Lionel trains prior to World War II is known as “prewar”. Prewar trains tended to be more toy-like while postwar trains were more realistic looking. Postwar Lionel trains were made in the USA and the craftsmanship and quality was second to none. This was the golden age for electric trains and pretty much anything from the postwar era is a collectors item. Some postwar Lionel trains that are still in good condition can be worth a good chunk of change. After 1969, Lionel’s quality went down and the trains were not as good as they used to be. Fortunately, as I mentioned on the home page, the new century has become a new golden age for electric trains. High quality trains are back in production and some of the new stuff that Lionel is cranking out is just as good or even better than the original stuff. The only differen
