Beginners Ask Trains Lionel O gauge Disney cars

Lionel O gauge Disney cars

By Angela Cotey | July 6, 2007

| Last updated on November 3, 2020

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The names Lionel and Disney have a unique history. Modern toy production techniques have made the most of Walt Disney’s colorful animated characters like Mickey and Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck.
Q: I have a Lionel O gauge no. 18311 Disney electric-profile EP-5 locomotive. I would like to collect all the cars that go with it, but have no idea where to find a listing of them. – Tony Jones, West Milton, Ohio

A: Tony, we researched the Lionel consumer catalogs from 1990 to 1998, as well as the Greenberg reference books and came up with the following roster.

The no. 18311 locomotive was cataloged, along with the no. 19723 extended-vision caboose, in 1994.

We found a total of 13 hi-cube boxcars that apparently go with them, made from 1991 to 1996.

The production sequence of the hi-cubes went as follows: 1991: nos. 19241 Mickey Mouse 60th Anniversary car and 19242 Donald Duck 60th Anniversary car. 1992: 19245 Mickey’s World Tour car, 19246 Disney World 20th Anniversary car. 1993: 19256 Goofy car, and 19261 and 19262 Perils of Mickey cars. 1994: 19264 Perils of Mickey car, 19265 Mickey Mouse 65th Anniversary car. 1995: 19270 Donald Duck 60th Anniversary car, 19271 Minnie Mouse car. 1996: 19280 Mickey’s Wheat car and the 19281 Mickey’s Carrots car rounds out the list.

While we have not seen pictures of the first four uncataloged hi-cubes recently, we believe they were intended for the locomotive.

The other nine certainly were – they all have the same “family look.” Since 1996 Lionel has made additional Disney cars.

Judging by appearances, not all of these newer cars were designed specifically to go with your locomotive, but they would work well in this generally light-hearted theme.

Prices for some of these cars may be higher than similar non-Disney cars because you’re competing with Disney collectors as well as Lionel aficionados.

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