A Personal Guide to Collecting Postwar 6464 Boxcars – Part 7

e*Train Issue: Jan 2008 | Posted in: 1945-1969 PostWar Era, Collecting

By Mike Stella

**The most common version of the D&RGW 6464-650**.

At last the end of this 6464 train is in sight! We start this final part with the 6464-650 D&RGW. This is a much better looking boxcar then many of the most recent cars in the series. This is also the LAST 6464 boxcar that uses more then one color!

**Once again, later versions eliminated the “BLT Date”**.

A few variations exist and the first is the elimination of that “BLT Date.”

**Very light, washed out yellow, compared to brighter yellows**.

Finally there exists a D&RGW boxcar that used a different shade of yellow plastic and it is a faded, washed out yellow.

**My only 6464-700 Santa Fe back home in my collection!**

Next in the series is the 6464-700 Santa Fe. As a novice beginner, I actually sold my 6464-700 to a new friend just after I arrived in Southern California. Many years later when I was attempting to “complete” my 6464 collection, I asked if he would sell it back to me, and he did! Same $15 that I first sold it to him for. A friend then and still a friend today. I have no variations of this car because I don’t count rivets!

The 6464-725 New Haven boxcar is next and here’s the only 6464 that uses the identical scheme but comes in two different colors. (pic316.jpg)

First is the solid ORANGE boxcar and next is the solid BLACK version. The O/B always says 6464-735 on the end flaps but the car is numbered 6464-725. The Black boxcar brings a much higher price but is still easy to find almost always in great condition with an O/B.

**I wonder if somebody at Lionel was supposed to use the 6464-735 number?**

Towards the end of the Postwar era Lionel may have limited production of the next 6464 boxcar.

**The Alaska car came out in 1959. Do you know why?**

The 6464-825 ALASKA boxcar has always been in shorter supply and has always commanded a hefty price. I purchased mine as a part of the “Collectors Edition” of the Alaska set. Lionel packaged the #614 Alaska Switcher with the Alaska gondola and caboose and two other cars in their cataloged set. Collectors switched those other two cars for the Alaska hopper and 6464 boxcar to create a total Alaska set. Looks better, worth more.

**The very “rare” White lettered Alaska**.

If you see the 6464-825 with WHITE lettering you know you’re looking at a FAKE. But, it is a conversation piece and I like it.

AND FINALLY the last boxcar in the series is the 6464-900 NYC. It normally comes with matching GREEN doors but the BLACK door version did come in one or more sets.

**Lionel may have run out of Green doors and substituted Black ones**?

Different doors do make for collectable variations in several 6464 cars (Rutland, State of Maine etc.) The 6464-900 NYC is another one.

**The final grouping of “my” 6464 boxcars**.

These final 10 boxcars complete this series on collecting 6464 boxcars. Not intended to be the last word in collecting but rather a look at what happened my way over the past 37 years.

Happy Collecting to Everyone!

Shop Amazon and Help TCA

TCA members who shop at Amazon.com can have each of their normal purchases generate a modest payment to TCA! And it won’t cost you anything!

The Train Collectors Association is now a participant with AmazonSmile, which is a special website operated by Amazon that lets customers enjoy the same wide selection of products, low prices and convenient shopping features as on Amazon.com.

The difference is that when customers shop at AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), the AmazonSmile Foundation donates 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to the charitable organizations selected by customers.

The process is simple. Just search for and select Train Collectors Association when you sign up and shop at smile.amazon.com.

You use your regular Amazon.com username and password, but when you log in to smile.amazon.com, you’ll see that you are supporting TCA with your purchases:

Note that if you just log in to the regular amazon.com, this benefit does not operate.

There are no costs to either you or TCA, but TCA benefits!

This is a great way for TCA to earn extra cash to offset costs, so sign up today to help support TCA.

* Note: TCA is not a party to any of your Amazon transactions, and does not endorse any products or vendors.

Helping TCA with your ebay purchases when you use PayPal

If you’re an ebay user and have a PayPal account you use to make payments, you can designate a donation for TCA when you’re checking out — any amount, small or large.
If you’re a regular seller on ebay, you can pre-designate a percentage of your sales to be donated automatically in your name to TCA as long as the purchaser pays with their PayPal account.

In both cases, you will receive a donation receipt from the PayPal Giving Fund, and enjoy applicable tax advantages.

How to do it:

Click on the image above, or use this link. This will take you to ebay, where you will see the following page (log in to ebay if you are not already):

This offers TCA as an option. Click on the “Add to My Charities” button where indicated with the red arrow. Thereafter, when you make a purchase, at checkout you will be offered the option to make a donation to TCA in any amount of your choosing. Small amounts add up, larger ones are great! It’s always up to you!

The option will appear at the lower part of your checkout page, something like this:

If you’re a regular seller on ebay, you can allocate a portion of your sales proceeds to be donated to TCA. Look at the green arrow marked “Optional” above to see how to do it. Details on how ebay calculates the donation may be read here. This is a wonderful way to share the financial benefits of your hobby with the organization that promotes it!

An added benefit to TCA is that these donations are not subject to normal processing fees, so that makes your donation work harder!

* Note. TCA is not a party to any of your eBay transactions, and does not endorse any products or vendors. PayPal issues the receipts to you for your donation, not TCA.

A Personal Guide to Collecting Postwar 6464 Boxcars – Part 7

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