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 Horse Car No. 3356LIONEL TRAINS OPERATING HORSE CAR No. 3356

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Lionel Trains Operating Horse Car No. 3356 Variation A
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Lionel Trains Operating Horse Car Platform No. 3356
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Lionel Trains Operating Horse Car No. 3356The Operating Horse Car No. 3356 would unload horses into the corral and the vibrator located in the corral would load them back again into the car. Lionel liked "things" that "vibrated," and they used this mechanism on many of their accessories and operating cars.
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In addition to the powering the corral vibration, power was also applied simultaneously through the track connector that would trigger a coil mechanism that would open the car doors. This would allow the horses to enter and leave the car. A picture of this coil is shown below.

OTC LockonspacerNo. 3357 Box End
Interior View showing coil that opens the doors
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No. 3356-79 Parts Envelope

Produced from 1956 until 1960 and again from 1964 until 1966, this car and corral came with either bar-end trucks with tabbed couplers, or AAR trucks with disc couplers.
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The component parts that were needed to operate this car and corral were enclosed in envelope No. 3356-79. A picture of this envelope is shown above right and the contents are described in more detail below.
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The horse car in this set was not enclosed in a box. Instead Lionel housed the car inside a fold in the box liner. In 1956 and 1957 they did produce a late classic box (No. 3356-2 / OPERATING / HORSE CAR) for this car that was sold separately. The box end for this car is shown below.
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Also produced during these years was the (Corral No. 3356-2) that was also available for separate sale. This corral box also contained a box of horses No. 3356-100. The value of both of these separate sale components is in the boxes which are difficult to find today.
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There are three variations:

Variation A: Came with bar end trucks with tabbed couplers. With "BLT 5-56" date. 1956-1960 Production. The brake wheel is to the right side when looking at the operating doors side.
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Variation B: Identical to Variation A except the brake wheel is to the left when looking at the operating doors side.
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Variation C: Came with AAR trucks with disc couplers. No "BLT 5-56" date. This is the 1964 to 1966 production and this variation slightly harder to find today.
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The Operating Horse Car and Corral came with nine horses in a No. 3356-100 classic box for those cars that were issued between 1956 and 1960. The 1964 to 1966 issues had these same horses in a plain white box with only the number stamped on the sides that opened. Again, like the car that they accompanied these white boxes are harder to find.

Separately Sold No. 3356-2 Late Classic Box End

The horses were operated with the use of a OTC Lockon that was attached to the track in front of the platform and a 364C Controller switch.
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When the OTC lockon is wired into the circuit with the platform, the end doors on the car would lower and the vibrator in the platform would activate at the same time.

Close up of the Built Date on the A & B Variation

The horse car and corral came with instruction sheet No. 3356-78 dated 9-56 and printed with DARK BLUE ink on WHITE paper.
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Below is Front and Back page of the this printing from 1956. Also, shown below is "Special Instruction Sheet" No. 3356-112 issued 10-66 that concerns the proper operation of the corral should it become misaligned during shipping.
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No. 3356 Individual Horse No 3356-100 Horses Box End
Front Page of No. 3356-78 Instruction Sheet
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Back page of No. 3356-78 Instruction Sheet
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Special Instruction Sheet No. 3356-112
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