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Lionel State Set Details and Catalog Prices

State sets were offered for six years. There seem to be more of the 1929 four-car sets in collections than all of the other versions combined. The Green 414 was only cataloged in 1929, yet the photo above shows one with late details that was made in 1933 or 1934. Note the rivet detail on the car ends and the brass journals. This was not a "separate sale" car -- it came in a 409E Olympian set. Many photos are linked on the "Late State Cars" page.

Set		Years		Name		Consist		Color		Length
411E		1929		Transcontinental Limited		381E-412-413-414-416		Green		9' 1"
411E		1930-33		Transcontinental Limited		408E-412-413-414-416		Brown		9' 0"
409E		1930-34		The Olympian		381E-412-413-416		Green		7' 2"
433E		1931-33		20th Century Limited		400E-400T-412-413-416		Green		8' 3"

Differences in Early (1929-30) and Later (1931-34) State Cars

Early cars have cast journals, later ones have brass journals.

Note that all 400E tenders have brass journals (The 400E was introduced in 1931).

Early cars have two-tone roofs (roof ventilators are the same color as car body)

Later car roofs were painted after the ventilators were installed (one-tone roof).

Unless they were made up to match leftover stock (see the 414 photo at the top of this page).

Early cars have no rivet detail on their ends.

Later cars (1931-34) generally have rivet detail on their ends

Early cars have a unique, large oiling instruction paper label inside their roofs.

Middle cars have a freight-car style oiling instruction paper label inside their roofs.

Later cars do not have any paper labels.

Early cars have car number plates on the left, and the Lionel Lines plate on the right.

Later cars have car number plates on the right, and the Lionel Lines plate on the left.

Greenberg Vol. 1, page 124, shows a 433E set box stamped Brown, Ivory, GM.

This indicates a Gun Metal 400E with three Brown state cars.

Greenberg Vol. 4, page 14, shows four car boxes with 1933-35 tape stamped Spec. Green, Ivory.

This indicates an Ivory-windowed 414 Illinois car was offered, although not in a catalogued set.

Pricing	Item	Car	Set of	Loco	Track &	Set
Year	Number	Price	Cars	Price	Set Box	Price
1929	411E	$17.50	$70.00	$44.50	-4.50	$110.00
1929	408E			$47.50
1930	411E	$15.00	$60.00	$47.50	-10.00	$97.50
1930	409E	$15.00	$45.00	$44.50	-4.50	$85.00
1931	411E	$15.00	$60.00	$47.50	-10.00	$97.50
1931	409E	$15.00	$45.00	$44.50	-4.50	$85.00
1931	433E	$15.00	$45.00	$42.50	-2.50	$85.00
1932	411E	$15.00	$60.00	$39.50	-2.00	$97.50
1932	409E	$15.00	$45.00	$32.50	-12.5	$65.00
1932	433E	$15.00	$45.00	$45.00	-5.00	$85.00
1933	411E	$13.50	$54.00	$35.00	-19.00	$70.00
1933	409E	$13.50	$40.50	$30.00	-20.50	$50.00
1933	433E	$13.50	$40.50	$42.50	-8.00	$75.00
1934	409E	$15.00	$45.00	$30.00	-20.00	$55.00
1934	408E			$45.00
1934	400E
1935	Cars	$15.00
1935	408E
1935	400E			$45.00

1933 was the depth of the Great Depression and Lionel was in receivership. See their price cuts in the table to the right.		1933 vs. 1930		Price
		Set	411E	-28%
		Set	409E	-41%
		Loco	408E	-26%
		Loco	381E	-33%

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Copyright © 2008 Jerry Wagner. All rights reserved. San Francisco TCA 74-6574 wagner@ourtoolbox.com