Lionel Electric Trains Identification Guide Sub-Title Bottom of Page

This Identification Guide for Lionel Electric Trains covers the "Post-war Era" only from 1945 until 1969.

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Lionel Trains Operating Mobile Generator Car No. 3530 LIONEL TRAINS OPERATING MOBILE GENERATOR CAR No. 3530

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Lionel Trains Operating Mobile Generator Car No. 3530 A Variation
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No. 3530-50 Separate Sale Telephone Pole Box End

Lionel Trains Operating Mobile Generator Car No. 3530The Operating Mobile Generator Car No. 3530 was introduced in 1956 and was a new design by Lionel. It would be produced for another two years. Produced on a BLUE body with a WHITE painted stripe and heat-stamped lettering.
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This generator car came with a telephone pole No. 3530-50 and a floodlight No. 3530-12. The floodlight would light up with the opening of one of the doors on the car. These were available for separate sale and included both the telephone pole with either a BLUE or BLACK transformer base and the magnetic base searchlight. A YELLOW transfomer base has been found as part of an F-3 Rio Grande Set No. 2291W that was released in 1956.

No. 3530 Late Classic Box End
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Power was connected to the light by two leads from the telephone pole. These attached to the roof of the car and the other end of these leads attached to the floodlight.
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The floodlight had a magnet in the base allowing it to adhere to any metal surface. Below we’ve shown the illustration of the two page operating instructions. This operating car has bar-end trucks with tabbed couplers. There are four variations:

No. 3530 Interior View

Variation A: WHITE stripe goes through ladder and has a BLUE fuel tank. Came with a BLUE based telephone pole.
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Variation B: WHITE stripe goes through ladder and has a BLACK fuel tank. Came with a BLACK based telephone pole.
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Variation C: WHITE stripe stops at ladder and has a BLUE fuel tank. Came with a BLUE based telephone pole.
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Variation D: WHITE stripe stopes at ladder and has a BLACK fuel tank. Came with a BLACK based telephone pole.
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No. 3530 Top View shows electrical connections to the right

No. 3530-30 Black Base Variation Pole No. 3530-30 Blue Base Variation Pole
No. 3530 Instructions Page 1
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No. 3530 Instructions Page 2
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