Lionel PostWar Number 50 Gang Car

Lionel first produced the Number 50 Gang Car in 1954 and it still remains a big hit with Lionel’s fans.  

1954 Type I number 50 Gang Car

The number 50 was Modeled after railway M.O.W. cars ( Maintenance Of Way ). The 50 Gang Car was made to run on both "O" and "O27" gauge layouts.    

Lionel more recently reproduced a modern version of the gang car which appeared in the Lionel catalogues in 2008 and again in 2012. The production run was part of their train "Postwar Celebration" series.   Shown in photo above is a 1954 Postwar Gang Car.

The Number 50 is not always printed on the side of the gang cars.  Like Lionel's Trolley cars, the car runs in one direction depending on where the sliding directional plate on the unit is located. When it strikes a bumper, the plate shifts, and the unit reverses direction until it hits another bumper. A crew member at the rear of the unit moves when direction changes. 

Number 50 Gang Cars with orange colored bodies and dark blue heat stamped lettering, ornamental horn with three rubber  crew members seated on the unit is the most commonly found type. 

The original postwar Gang Cars comes in a few types / Versions:

1954 Type I Number 50 Gang Car top view

• Type I: ( shown above and left )The earliest production in 1954 has bumpers that are grey in color. Has a two-piece horn that is centered, fixed position crew men that are olive and the rotating crew man is dark blue in color.     

• Type II: Same as variation I but has bumpers that are blue in color. 
• Type III: Also has the 2-piece horn, however the stationary crew men are dark blue in color DARK while the rotating crew man is olive in color.   
• Type IV Has a one-piece horn that is positioned to the right side of the brush plate, BLUE bumpers, and fixed crew men that are DARK BLUE and the rotating crew man is OLIVE. This is the most common variation. 
• Type V: has an inverted "L" shaped bumper plate.

There were differing instruction sheets issued during the span of production. There was only one electrical center rail pick-up on this motorized unit so this unit (  like many Postwar trains ) do not negotiate switches or crossovers at a slow speed.

1954 Type I Number 50 Gang Car with Original Box

  A 2008 / 2012 Lionel "Postwar Celebration Series"  Made to reproduce the type II Gang Car is shown below:

Next post, we will review some of the postwar trolley cars