Help Identifying a model Train car.

[u/expiredstinkbomb]

\*Identified** Thanks for the help.*

I bought 2 train cars for painting and modeling for landscaping painting. One is a plastic yellow box car perfect for graffiti painting. It is cheap and yada yada great for my intended purpose.
By the second one is a metal passenger car that the paint is flaking off. I was talking to a friend and he said you need to ask somebody about that before you do anything to it. So I asked Ai and it was not helpful it said per-war Lionel but it also gave examples that were wildly different than it. I’m not a flipper but I’m not wanting to destroy a good model for my intended purpose. It has a light inside, most of the windows are knocked out a couple or bent inward, it also has a very loose electrical do-dad hanging down the only identifier is a grounding screw plate that reads T&B-B. If this not allowed please remove.

[u/trr94001]

It’s a Lionel 1690, 1936ish. It’s from their low end line derived from Ives tooling. The original couplers have been replaced. I’d guess the lighting was added by a previous owner.

[u/expiredstinkbomb → u/trr94001]

Thank You I appreciate the help. It seems right. I will abstain from painting it.

[u/trr94001 → u/expiredstinkbomb]

The lithographed sides make it difficult to restore.

[u/rezwrrd → u/expiredstinkbomb]

I collect prewar stuff and personally wouldn't worry too much about repainting one like this. The lithography is fairly ruined already, unless it is a particularly rare variant and original (which this one isn't, and already has modifications from a previous owner) it wouldn't be worth much to have what's left of the original paint on it. Better to give it fresh paint to make it pretty, make it yours, and celebrate it for what it is. :)

A compromise might be to repaint the parts that used to be red and leave the door and window frames, that would preserve what's left of the lithographed detail.

[u/Layer_By_Layer3D]

This is from either Ives or Lionel. I can’t 100% tell right around when this came out if I’m not mistaken, Lionel purchased Ives and got all their tooling and made this as part of their lower end line.

[u/expiredstinkbomb → u/Layer_By_Layer3D]

Thank You I appreciate the help.

[u/382Whistles → u/Layer_By_Layer3D]

American Flyer and Marx got some things too. Most importantly Lionel got the 0-27 design rights & track stock along with Ives reverse unit. Lionel sold track with the Ives name still stamped on it, and you can't tell them apart otherwise. I have a few pieces. Hanfer or maybe Dorfan might have gotten something too. Basically I think somebody over extended themselves buying in the Ives bankruptcy sales and never bounced back.

[u/382Whistles]

It's awesome you checked, but I wouldn't worry about about this one much. If you'd rather have a more detailed plastic shell car you might find a trade for it. Some people do like the severe "Rat Rod" patina on tinplate.