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LCCA 50th Anniversary


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The Lionel Collectors Club of America (LCCA) is home to one of the most prominent member organizations of model train collectors in the world. Our site offers news, photos, videos, and event information to all Lionel train enthusiasts, and our worldwide membership of nearly 10,000 enjoy additional benefits including an exclusive network to buy, sell, and trade Lionel model trains and other brands. 


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History of LCCA Convention Cars

Jun 6, 2024, 23:12
On this page is the history of the first 25 LCCA Convention Cars offered from our first convention in 1971 through our 25th anniversary in 1995. This comprehensive review of these cars was written by Bill Button (3835) for our 25th Anniversary Celebration.
Title : History of LCCA Convention Cars
Sort Order : 5
On this page is the history of the first 25 LCCA Convention Cars offered from our first convention in 1971 through our 25th anniversary in 1995 and continuing through 1997. This comprehensive review of these cars first published in The Lion Roars starting June 1989, was written by Bill Button (DM 3835) for our 25th Anniversary Celebration.

The LCCA's earliest convention cars started out as standard SKU cars offered by Lionel.  These cars were purchased, sent to a third party for selective LCCA provided overstamp images, forwarded to a fulfillment house that distributed them to members.  In fact, the two earliest cars were transformed from standard product to a club convention car with a manual stamp on the bottom of the car.  Otherwise they were not distinguished from their source SKU.  A lot has been written in TLR on how to determine the authenticity of these cars and prove their pedigree.  Because of this, these earlier cars did not have their own numbers as more recent cars have assigned to them by Lionel.  As an aside, this process is similar to convention registration gifts, on-site cars and other offerings.  

Another difference between earlier cars and more recent offerings is in the way they were distributed.  For years, the convention car was physically available at the convention and given to members who had purchased them.  Remaining cars were then mailed. This was practical then because of the somewhat lessor lead time to overstamp an existing car than to order and manufacture cars with today's extended timelines and delivery schedules.  All LCCA convention cars have some LCCA cachet, date of convention and year mostly discretly added.  Most cars come in boxes Lionel currently had available.  Later cars came in boxes deco'ed exclusively for the LCCA

Over the years, the LCCA upped their game, got away from modifying existing product and started to define, spec out and build LCCA cars each carrying their own Lionel SKU number.  In fact, some cars like the 1979 Airco box car with internal tank and the 2012 US forces lighted box cars were quite unique.  The LCCA thought in terms of "decade trains' with one engine and one caboose each decade.  As new cars and engines are issued, this theme continues - ie the recent Texas Special offerings and the current UP offerings.

Bill details in his articles so much more on each of the first 25 Convention Cars offered by the LCCA.  Read them, come back for reference and enjoy some of the history of the LCCA.  Click Here To see more LCCA Convention Cars and Special Offerings.

History of LCCA Convention Cars - The First 25 Years


Year DescriptionClick Here to Read More
  
  1972   
 9210 Automobile Car 
 

Part 1 - June 1989

Reprint Here


  
  1973
  1974
             9727 TAG Box Car -  9110 Corning Hopper               

Part 2 - August 1989

Reprint Here


  
  1975
  1976
9155 Tank Car - 9212 Flat Car with Vans

Part 3 - October 1989

Reprint Here



  
  1977
  1978
9259X Caboose - 9728 UP Stock Car 

Part 4 - December
 1989
Reprint Here
  
  1979
  1980  
9733 Airco Box Car - 9358 Sands of Iowa Quad Hopper

Part 5 - February 1990

Reprint Here


  
  1981
  1981
                8068 - RI GP20 Diesel - 9435 CG Box Car          

Part 6 - April 1990

Reprint Here


  
  1982
  1983
9460 DTS Box Car - 6112 Commonwealth Quad Hopper

Part 7 - June 1990

Reprint Here



  
  1984
  1985
7403 LNAC Box Car - 6567 ICG Crane 

Part 8 - August 1990
Reprint Here
  
  1986
  1987
    6323 Virginia Chemical Tanker - 17870 ECH Boxcar          

Part 9 - October 1990

Reprint Here


  
  1988
  1989
9155 Tank Car - 9212 Flat Car with Vans

Part 10 - December 1990

Reprint Here



  
  1990
  1990
18090 DRG Steam Engine and 17880 DRG Caboose 

Part 11 - August 1991
Reprint Here
  
  1991
  1991  
 17887 and 17888 Flat with Trailer

Part 12 - October 1991

Reprint Here


  
  1992
  
 52023 NASA Tank Car

Part 13 - December 1992

Reprint Here


   
  1993
52023 DTS Center Flow 2 Bay Hopper

Part 14 - June 1990

Reprint Here

  
  1994
52038 Southern 3 Bay Hopper

Part 15 - December 1994

Reprint Here

  
  1995
52074 IBP Box Car

Part 16 - October 1995

Reprint Here

  
  1996
52090 PM Double Door Standard O Box Car

Part 17 - October 1996

Reprint Here

  
  1997
52110 CSPM&O Box Car

Part 18 - October 1997
Reprint Here
News Categories :
  • Members
Categories :
Tags :
  • Current

Featured News

History of LCCA Convention Cars

Jun 6, 2024, 23:12
On this page is the history of the first 25 LCCA Convention Cars offered from our first convention in 1971 through our 25th anniversary in 1995. This comprehensive review of these cars was written by Bill Button (3835) for our 25th Anniversary Celebration.
Title : History of LCCA Convention Cars
Sort Order : 5
On this page is the history of the first 25 LCCA Convention Cars offered from our first convention in 1971 through our 25th anniversary in 1995 and continuing through 1997. This comprehensive review of these cars first published in The Lion Roars starting June 1989, was written by Bill Button (DM 3835) for our 25th Anniversary Celebration.

The LCCA's earliest convention cars started out as standard SKU cars offered by Lionel.  These cars were purchased, sent to a third party for selective LCCA provided overstamp images, forwarded to a fulfillment house that distributed them to members.  In fact, the two earliest cars were transformed from standard product to a club convention car with a manual stamp on the bottom of the car.  Otherwise they were not distinguished from their source SKU.  A lot has been written in TLR on how to determine the authenticity of these cars and prove their pedigree.  Because of this, these earlier cars did not have their own numbers as more recent cars have assigned to them by Lionel.  As an aside, this process is similar to convention registration gifts, on-site cars and other offerings.  

Another difference between earlier cars and more recent offerings is in the way they were distributed.  For years, the convention car was physically available at the convention and given to members who had purchased them.  Remaining cars were then mailed. This was practical then because of the somewhat lessor lead time to overstamp an existing car than to order and manufacture cars with today's extended timelines and delivery schedules.  All LCCA convention cars have some LCCA cachet, date of convention and year mostly discretly added.  Most cars come in boxes Lionel currently had available.  Later cars came in boxes deco'ed exclusively for the LCCA

Over the years, the LCCA upped their game, got away from modifying existing product and started to define, spec out and build LCCA cars each carrying their own Lionel SKU number.  In fact, some cars like the 1979 Airco box car with internal tank and the 2012 US forces lighted box cars were quite unique.  The LCCA thought in terms of "decade trains' with one engine and one caboose each decade.  As new cars and engines are issued, this theme continues - ie the recent Texas Special offerings and the current UP offerings.

Bill details in his articles so much more on each of the first 25 Convention Cars offered by the LCCA.  Read them, come back for reference and enjoy some of the history of the LCCA.  Click Here To see more LCCA Convention Cars and Special Offerings.

History of LCCA Convention Cars - The First 25 Years


Year DescriptionClick Here to Read More
  
  1972   
 9210 Automobile Car 
 

Part 1 - June 1989

Reprint Here


  
  1973
  1974
             9727 TAG Box Car -  9110 Corning Hopper               

Part 2 - August 1989

Reprint Here


  
  1975
  1976
9155 Tank Car - 9212 Flat Car with Vans

Part 3 - October 1989

Reprint Here



  
  1977
  1978
9259X Caboose - 9728 UP Stock Car 

Part 4 - December
 1989
Reprint Here
  
  1979
  1980  
9733 Airco Box Car - 9358 Sands of Iowa Quad Hopper

Part 5 - February 1990

Reprint Here


  
  1981
  1981
                8068 - RI GP20 Diesel - 9435 CG Box Car          

Part 6 - April 1990

Reprint Here


  
  1982
  1983
9460 DTS Box Car - 6112 Commonwealth Quad Hopper

Part 7 - June 1990

Reprint Here



  
  1984
  1985
7403 LNAC Box Car - 6567 ICG Crane 

Part 8 - August 1990
Reprint Here
  
  1986
  1987
    6323 Virginia Chemical Tanker - 17870 ECH Boxcar          

Part 9 - October 1990

Reprint Here


  
  1988
  1989
9155 Tank Car - 9212 Flat Car with Vans

Part 10 - December 1990

Reprint Here



  
  1990
  1990
18090 DRG Steam Engine and 17880 DRG Caboose 

Part 11 - August 1991
Reprint Here
  
  1991
  1991  
 17887 and 17888 Flat with Trailer

Part 12 - October 1991

Reprint Here


  
  1992
  
 52023 NASA Tank Car

Part 13 - December 1992

Reprint Here


   
  1993
52023 DTS Center Flow 2 Bay Hopper

Part 14 - June 1990

Reprint Here

  
  1994
52038 Southern 3 Bay Hopper

Part 15 - December 1994

Reprint Here

  
  1995
52074 IBP Box Car

Part 16 - October 1995

Reprint Here

  
  1996
52090 PM Double Door Standard O Box Car

Part 17 - October 1996

Reprint Here

  
  1997
52110 CSPM&O Box Car

Part 18 - October 1997
Reprint Here
News Categories :
  • Members
Categories :
Tags :
  • Current