Lionel Electric Trains Identification Guide Sub-Title
These pages are best viewed at 1024 x 768 x 32 bit monitor resolution
Bottom of Page

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

black horizontal bar

Lionel Trains Floodlight Tower No. 395 LIONEL TRAINS FLOODLIGHT TOWER No. 395

black horizontal bar

Floodlight Tower No. 395 E Variation

Lionel Trains Floodlight Tower No. 395The Floodlight Tower No. 395 was available in 1949 and 1950, and was again produced from 1952 to 1956. This tower uses four of the light sockets that are found on the No. 70 Yard Light. Two each of these lights are hooked in series and they use an No. L51 Lamp that is rated at 6-8 volts. Because these pair of lights are hooked in series if one light burns out then both of them will not light.

There were five different instructions sheets that were issued under the No. 395-37, however, they were issued with only three different dates. The first one was issued in 8-49 and used BLACK or DARK BLUE ink on WHITE paper. A variation of this sheet has "-NDEX" after the date. The next issue date is 7-53 and it also used BLACK or DARK BLUE ink on WHITE paper. The final issue shows the date 12-55 and has BLACK ink on WHITE paper.
spacer
The boxes were consistent throughout the production of this floodlight tower and shows the No. 395-35 on one end flap.
spacer
Lionel stated in their Service Manual that whatever color of these towers were available would be shipped to their dealers to fill their orders. The result was that this tower has a complex production history and five variations. These variations are as follows:
spacer
Variation A: YELLOW painted sheet metal. Produced in 1949-50.
spacer
Variation B: SILVER painted sheet metal. Produced in 1952.
spacer
Variation C: RED painted sheet metal - Produced in 1953-54.

No. 395 Variation A

Variation D: Unpainted ALUMINUM that is brighter than Variation B. Produced in 1954-55.
spacer
Variation E: GREEN painted sheet metal. Production dates on this variation are uncertain. It was certainly produced in 1955-56, however, photographs dated earlier show this color of tower so there may have been two different production runs.
spacer
The YELLOW version is the rarest of these, but the RED one is hard to find also. All of these towers had black ladders with two wire connectors on the base.
spacer
This is another accessory where the best option is to connect it to a variable voltage accessory circuit so that the illumination could be set to suit.
spacer
Dimensions: 11-1/2 inches high, Base: 5 inches square.

Floodlight Tower No. 395 Box Top

There are five different instruction sheets that were issued for this tower under the No. 395-37, but there are only three issue dates. The first was dated 8-49 and came both with and without the "NDEX" after the date on the back page. Both of these were printed on WHITE paper with BLACK ink. The following issue is dated 7-53. One of these issues used BLACK ink and the other printing used DARK BLUE ink and both were printed on WHITE paper. The last issue is dated 12-55 was printed on WHITE paper with BLACK ink.
spacer
Below is Front page of the "NDEX" printing from 1949. See the Back page of this sheet.

Front Page of No. 195-37 Instruction Sheet
Return To Previous Page

BB Home BB Privacy BB Legal BB Search BB Site Map BB Contact BB
Copyright Tandem Associates LLC Labeled with ICRA Top of Page