The year was 1933, and the Great Depression was in full swing. Lionel was touting the new “Chugger” sound mechanism in its locomotives and still cataloging the landmark Nos. 396E Blue Comet and 411E State passenger sets. On the back page of the consumer catalog, Lionel introduced something new and unlike anything it had offered before — a miniature boat known as “The Lionel-Craft.”
The catalog described what Lionel designated as the No. 43 as “The Boat That Actually Steers Itself.” In actuality, anyone operating the boat needed to set the rudder so the model went straight or in a circle of varying diameters. Then, thanks to a spring mechanism on the rudder, the boat would turn around automatically after “about a hundred feet and come back to the operator.”
Lionel added the No. 44 Lionel-Craft two years later. While the 43 was considered a pleasure boat, the 44 was viewed as a race boat. The catalog for 1935 claimed the latter could reach speeds of “100 feet per minute,” which earned the 44 the title of the “fastest thing on water.”
Both 17-inch-long boats had identical hulls, key wound motors, and running gear. The 43 was designed after pleasure boats from the time; the 44 based on speed boats of the era. The 43 had a windshield, a pair of hatch doors, and an ensign flag. The 44 featured two cast racing motors.
Both models came with two keys and a cradle for display purposes. Although the 43 originally lacked any figures, by the time the 44 made its debut Lionel was equipping both boats with a pair of figures: a driver and a mechanic. Lionel priced them at $3.50 each in 1935 ($83.47 in today’s dollars).
Timeline
1933: The No. 43 is introduced on the back page of the catalog. The initial color scheme was a tan top and sides with a red bottom.
1934: The No. 43 is mentioned on page 35 of the catalog. The color scheme was a tan top with white sides and a red bottom.
1935: The No. 44 joins the 43 in the catalog on the inside of the back page. The 44 had white sides and a green bottom, with a lithographed wood grain deck.
1936: Both the 43 and 44 get a full page, on the inside of the back page.
1937 and 1938: Neither boat is listed or shown in the consumer catalogs.
1939: The 43 reappears on the inside of the back page, along with the Lionel Airplane.
1940 and 1941: The 43 is just a small feature on the bridge page of the catalogs.
