Explore Lionel’s 9400 Series boxcars from the MPC era, with model-by-model details covering the 81 cars produced from 1978 through 1986, including catalog years, railroad names, set-only releases, uncatalogued specials, production variations, packaging, and collector notes. The guide also traces how the 9400 Series followed Lionel’s 9700 boxcars and became one of the defining freight-car series of the later MPC years.
About the Lionel 9400 Series
By the late 1970s, Lionel had developed a dedicated following among collectors and was producing a large line for both collectors and the mass market. Boxcars have always been a key component of Lionel's freight car lineup, but in the 1970s and 80s they dominated the catalog like never before.
When it took over Lionel train production in 1970, Model Products Corporation (MPC) inherited Lionel's famous 6464 boxcar series. These cars, introduced in 1953, were a mainstay of the Postwar Era until the MPC takeover. In fact, several early 6464s were reissued in 1969. In 1970, MPC introduced their own version of the 6464s, the 9200 series. Two years later, the 9700 series took over and was quite popular. But by 1977, Lionel had produced so many different boxcars so quickly that they were running out of numbers. So in 1978, the 9400 was introduced.
Eighty-one different 9400s--the exact same number as in the 9700 series--were produced from 1978 to 1986. Unlike the previous 9700s, of which nearly all were catalogued and available for separate sale, the 9400s were full of cars sold only in sets or were uncatalogued specials. This makes assembling a full set of 9400s challenging, but a lot of fun.
About This Guide: Originally written in 2009, this article has been updated for readability and presentation while preserving its original collector research and observations. References to rarity, availability, popularity and market value reflect the model train market at the time of the original article and should be considered historical rather than current market information.
Lionel 9400 Series Boxcars
Lionel 9400 Series: 9400–9419
Lionel 9400 Conrail Boxcar
Lionel 9401 Great Northern Boxcar
Lionel 9402 Susquehanna Boxcar
Collector NoteScarcer than many of the early regular-production 9400s.
Lionel 9403 Seaboard Coast Line Boxcar
Lionel 9404 Nickel Plate Road Boxcar
Lionel 9405 Chattahoochee Industrial Boxcar
Lionel 9406 Denver and Rio Grande Western Boxcar
Lionel 9407 Union Pacific Stock Car
Lionel 9408 Circus Stock Car
Lionel 9411 Lackawanna Boxcar
Lionel 9412 Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Boxcar
Lionel 9413 Naiperville Junction Boxcar
Lionel 9414 Cotton Belt Boxcar
Lionel 9415 Providence & Worcester Boxcar
Lionel 9416 Minnesota, Dakota and Western Boxcar
Lionel 9417 CP Rail Boxcar
Set ConnectionIncluded only with the 1979 #1866 Great Plains Express set.
Lionel 9418 Famous American Railroads Boxcar
Special ReleaseUncatalogued special commemorating Lionel's Famous American Railroad Series.
Lionel 9419 Union Pacific Boxcar
Lionel 9400 Series: 9420–9439
Lionel 9420 Baltimore and Ohio Sentinel Boxcar
Lionel 9421 Maine Central Boxcar
Lionel 9422 Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Boxcar
Lionel 9423 New York, New Haven & Hartford Boxcar
Lionel 9424 Toledo, Peoria and Western Boxcar
Lionel 9425 British Columbia Railway Boxcar
Lionel 9426 Chesapeake and Ohio Boxcar
Lionel 9427 Atlanta and St. Andrews Bay Boxcar
Lionel 9428 Toledo, Peoria and Western Boxcar
Set ConnectionIncluded only in the 1980-81 Cross Country Express set.
Lionel 9429 'The Early Years' Boxcar
Series ConnectionFirst car in the six-car Joshua Lionel Cowen commemorative series.
Lionel 9430 'The Standard Gauge Years' Boxcar
Series ConnectionPart of the six-car Joshua Lionel Cowen commemorative series.
Lionel 9431 'The Prewar Years' Boxcar
Series ConnectionPart of the six-car Joshua Lionel Cowen commemorative series.
Lionel 9432 'The Postwar Years' Boxcar
Set ConnectionJoshua Lionel Cowen series car sold only in the #1071 Mid-Atlantic Limited set.
Lionel 9433 'The Golden Years' Boxcar
Set ConnectionJoshua Lionel Cowen series car sold only in the #1070 Royal Limited set.
Lionel 9434 'Joshua Lionel Cowen' Boxcar
Special ReleaseUncatalogued end-of-year special completing the Joshua Lionel Cowen series.
Lionel 9435 Central of Georgia Boxcar
Lionel 9436 Burlington Route Boxcar
Lionel 9437 Northern Pacific Stock Car
Lionel 9438 Ontario Northland Boxcar
Lionel 9439 Ashley, Drew and Northern Boxcar
Lionel 9400 Series: 9440–9459
Lionel 9440 Reading Boxcar
Collector NoteSold only in the 1981 #1159 Maple Leaf Limited set; among the most in-demand 9400s.
Lionel 9441 Pennsylvania Boxcar
Collector NoteSold only in the 1981 #1159 Maple Leaf Limited set; among the most in-demand 9400s.
Lionel 9442 Canadian Pacific Boxcar
Lionel 9443 Florida East Coast Boxcar
Lionel 9444 Louisiana Midland Boxcar
Lionel 9445 Vermont Northern Boxcar
Lionel 9446 Sabine River and Northern Boxcar
Lionel 9447 Pullman Standard Boxcar
Lionel 9448 Santa Fe Stock Car
Collector NoteIncluded only in the #1153 Reading Yard King set; among the more difficult 9400s to find.
Lionel 9449 Great Northern Boxcar
Lionel 9450 Great Northern Stock Car
Lionel 9451 Southern Boxcar
Lionel 9452 Western Pacific Boxcar
Lionel 9453 Maryland and Pennsylvania (Ma & Pa) Boxcar
Lionel 9454 New Hope and Ivyland Boxcar
Lionel 9455 Milwaukee Road Boxcar
Lionel 9456 Pennsylvania Boxcar
Lionel 9400 Series: 9460–9479
Lionel 9460 Detroit and Toledo Shore Line Boxcar
Special Release1982 uncatalogued special made for the Lionel Collectors Club of America.
Lionel 9461 Norfolk Southern Boxcar
Lionel 9462 Southern Pacific Boxcar
Lionel 9463 Texas and Pacific Boxcar
Lionel 9464 Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Boxcar
Packaging NoteIts boxes were mislabeled 'North Carolina and St. Louis' instead of the correct road name.
Lionel 9465 Santa Fe Boxcar
Lionel 9466 Wanamaker Railway Lines Boxcar
Collector NoteWanamaker's Philadelphia special; hard to find.
Lionel 9467 Knoxville World's Fair Boxcar
Lionel 9468 Union Pacific Boxcar
Lionel 9469 New York Central Boxcar
Production DetailMade using a body mold from Lionel's full-scale Standard O line.
Lionel 9470 Chicago Belt Line Boxcar
Lionel 9471 Atlantic Coast Line Boxcar
Lionel 9472 Detroit and Mackinac Boxcar
Lionel 9473 Lehigh Valley Boxcar
Lionel 9474 Erie Lackawanna Boxcar
Lionel 9475 D&H 'I Love New York' Boxcar
Series FirstThe first of Lionel's popular 'I Love...' state-car line.
Lionel 9476 Pennsylvania Boxcar
Lionel 9400 Series: 9480–9492
Lionel 9480 Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Boxcar
Lionel 9481 Seaboard System Boxcar
Lionel 9482 Norfolk Southern Boxcar
Lionel 9483 Manufacturers' Railway Boxcar
Lionel 9484 Lionel 85th Anniversary Boxcar
CommemorativeLionel 85th Anniversary commemorative release.
Lionel 9486 Grand Trunk 'I Love Michigan' Boxcar
Special ReleaseUncatalogued 'I Love Michigan' state car.
Lionel 9490 Lionel Employee Christmas Boxcar
Collector NoteLionel employee Christmas car; reportedly only a couple hundred were made.
Lionel 9491 Christmas Boxcar
Special ReleaseUncatalogued Christmas boxcar from 1986.
Lionel 9492 Lionel Lines Boxcar
Lionel 9400 Series Rarity & Collector Notes
As a group, the value of the 9400 boxcars peaked in the 1990s and has dropped somewhat due to the proliferation of newer and similar cars on the market. Exact values of the cars vary, but as a general rule the series can be divided into three classes:
Common
Class 1: This is all of the common, regularly catalogued 9400s available for separate sale. All are relatively easy to find, though the ones made in 1980 (9420-9426) are a bit less common. If the car's number is not listed in one of the two classes below, it is part of this group.
Set Only
Class 2: These are 9400s that were catalogued but only available in sets. Most are still pretty easy to locate, but may command a slight premium. Some have die-cast trucks in place of the more common plastic design. This class includes the 9408, 9411, 9417, 9428, 9432, 9433, 9436, 9437, 9440, 9441, 9448, 9461, 9468, and 9474.
Uncatalogued
Class 3: These are uncatalogued cars. They vary in relative rarity, but overall these are the hardest 9400s to locate. The uncatalogued 9400s are the 9418, 9434, 9435, 9460, 9466, 9467, 9475, 9486, 9490, and 9491.
The 9490 is by far the most difficult car in the series to find, followed by the 9466 Wanamaker's and some of the cars included only with sets, like the 9461 and 9448.
Notable Lionel 9400 Cars
These examples explain why certain 9400-series cars stand out to collectors, including difficult-to-find releases, set-only cars, uncatalogued specials, packaging errors, and unusual production details.
Hard-to-Find & High-Demand Cars
These are among the more difficult, scarce, or sought-after 9400-series releases discussed in this guide.
Lionel 9490 Employee Christmas Boxcar
The 9490 is nearly impossible to find, as it was made especially for Lionel employees. Reportedly only a couple hundred were made. This photo is of the only 9490 we have had at Trainz.com.
Lionel 9466 Wanamaker Railway Lines Boxcar
The 9466 was made at the request of Wanamaker's Department Stores, which has a long-standing relationship with Lionel. The car was originally only available through Wanamaker's Philadelphia store. It is hard to find.
Lionel 9448 Santa Fe Stock Car
The 9448 Santa Fe Stock Car is among the more difficult of the 9400 cars to find. It was included in only one starter set, the #1153 Reading Yard King set. Like the 9417 and 9428, it does not have an original box.
Lionel 9440 & 9441 Maple Leaf Limited Boxcars
9440 and 9441 were only sold as part of the #1159 Maple Leaf Limited Set in 1981. Because of their Northeastern road names and nice appearance, they are among the most in-demand of all 9400s.
Lionel 9402 Susquehanna Boxcar
The 9402 Susquehanna is among the scarcest of the early regular-production 9400s.
Set-Only & Special Releases
These cars stand out because of how they were distributed, including set-only releases, club specials, and uncatalogued issues.
Lionel 9417 CP Rail Boxcar
The 9417 CP Rail was only included with the Great Plains Express set (#1866) from 1979. The previous year, this car was numbered 9729, so for a collector to get both cars, they had to buy the set twice. Needless to say this tactic did not go over well and was not repeated.
Lionel 9418 Famous American Railroads Special Boxcar
The 9418 was an uncatalogued special made to commemorate Lionel's Famous American Railroad Series, which consisted of five top of the line sets made between 1979 and 1984. Six FARR cars are in the 9400 series--9419, 9449, 9450, 9451, 9456, and 9476.
Lionel 9428 Cross Country Express Car Boxcar
The 9428 was only included in the Cross Country Express Set from 1980-81. Like the 9417, the set was packed in a box with a liner, so it does not have an original, marked box.
Lionel 9460 Detroit & Toledo Shore Line Boxcar
9460 was an uncatalogued special made for the Lionel Collectors Club of America in 1982.
Lionel 9475 D&H “I Love New York” Boxcar
The 9475 turned out to be the first of the popular 'I Love. . . ' line of Lionel state cars, a series that continued well into the 2000s.
Series, Packaging & Production Oddities
These examples highlight commemorative series, packaging mistakes, and unusual production details that distinguish individual 9400s.
Lionel 9429–9434 Joshua Lionel Cowen Series
9429 through 9434 were part of the Joshua Lionel Cowen series, a set of cars made to honor the 100th birthday of Lionel's founder. 9429, 9430, and 9431 were all available separately, but 9432 and 9433 were only available in sets (the 1071 Mid-Atlantic Limited and the 1070 Royal Limited, respectively) and the 9434 was an uncatalogued end-of-year special. Interestingly, the 9434 is a bit more common than the 9432 or 9433. The first three cars in the set are very common.
Lionel 9464 Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Boxcar
All of the boxes for the 9464 were mislabeled 'North Carolina and St. Louis' instead of the correct 'Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis.' Whoops. . . .
Lionel 9469 New York Central Boxcar
Although part of the 9400 series, the 9469 was made using a body mold from Lionel's 'Standard O' line of full scale-sized cars.
Lionel 9400 Series Variations & Overstamped Cars
Why Variations Are Limited
Compared to their 6464 and 9200 predecessors, virtually no factory variations other than overstamped cars and factory errors exist for 9400s. The reason for this is that Lionel had perfected their decorating techniques by the late 1970s, and the in-production alterations that created factory variations were almost completely eradicated.
Shorter Production Runs
Another reason was shortened production runs. Whereas many 6464 boxcars were catalogued for several years and were produced several times, most 9400s were produced only one year, and often were produced in only one production run. Even cars that were catalogued for more than one year were made in one run, as the cars were re-catalogued to sell the remaining inventory. (For a fascinating look at how Lionel made trains in the 1970s, see Volume 4 of The Lionel Collector's Guide and History by McComas and Touhy, which has a chapter showing Lionel's plant and assembly line circa 1979).
Overstamped Collector Cars
Throughout the 1970s and 80s Lionel and some private individuals overstamped some 9400s for collecting organizations. By the mid-80s, this practice had largely given way to cars made specifically for the occasions. The 9400s were good candidates for these projects as their large flat sides lent themselves well to special lettering and decoration. Here are some of the overstamped 9400-series cars:
Known Lionel 9400 Overstamped Cars
These examples show how the large flat sides of 9400-series cars were used for special lettering, club markings, and commemorative decoration.
Lionel 9401 Great Northern Season's Greetings Boxcar
Lionel 9414 Cotton Belt LOTS Boxcar
Lionel 9420 B&O 'Guinness Book of Records--World's Longest Model Train' Boxcar
Lionel 9423 New Haven NETCA Boxcar
Lionel 9445 Vermont Northern NETCA Boxcar
Lionel 9486 I Love Michigan 150th Anniversary Boxcar
Lionel 9400 Series Boxes & Packaging
White & Orange Retail Boxes
9400 Series cars came in three types of boxes. Until around 1983, most were packed in white boxes with black and red lettering. In 1983, Lionel began using an orange box with blue lettering, reminiscent of the boxes used during the Postwar Era:
Gold Limited Edition Boxes
Six cars included in limited edition sets, the 9436 Burlington, 9437 Northern Pacific, 9440 Reading, 9441 Pennsylvania, 9461 Norfolk Southern, 9468 Union Pacific, and the six Joshua Lionel Cowen cars (9429-9434) were packaged in special gold-colored boxes with black lettering:
Markings, Shipping Cases & Set Packaging
End-Flap Markings
Separate-sale 9400s always had the number and name of the car stamped in black on the endflap. Some 9400s included in sets, such as the 9411 Lackawanna, came in boxes with no markings on the ends.
Factory Shipping Cases
9400s were shipped from Lionel in cases of 12. Unopened cases show up occasionally on the collector's market.
Cars Without Individual Boxes
Lastly, it should be noted that three cars in the series--9417, 9428, and 9448-- do not have original boxes. They were all sold in sets packed in cardboard liners.
Conclusion & Credits
Conclusion
In 1986, the Lionel train business was sold by Kenner-Parker to Detroit real estate developer and train collector Richard Kughn, who formed Lionel Trains, Inc. (LTI). The new company developed an entirely new numbering series for the line, and the 9400s were replaced by the 19200s.
The 9400s continued the development of the collectible train market, and the cars were a mainstay of Lionel's line during the best years of the MPC era. They laid the foundation for subsequent boxcar series.
The 9400s are an easy series to begin collecting but a challenge to complete. Many 9400s were also decorated in road names of short lines that have not been reissued by Lionel, giving the series a unique appearance.
Tommy Feldman
General Manager, Trainz.com
June 2009
Credits and Acknowledgements
The photos in the article were all taken at Trainz.com between 2001 and 2009.
Much of the information in the article was attained through observations and notes taken here at Trainz. David Doyle's Standard Catalog of Lionel Trains, 1970-2000, Roland LaVoie's Greenberg's Guide to Lionel Trains, 1970-91 (Volumes 1 and 2), and Touhy and McComas' Lionel: A Collector's Guide and History, 1970-80 were very helpful in filling in some gaps and confirming some of the information included in this article.
--Tommy (Circa 2009)
Where to Go Next
The 9400 Series is only one chapter of Lionel collecting. Continue with more historical guides, browse MPC-era freight cars for sale, or explore the wider Lionel MPC lineup.
Move on to more Trainz collector guides covering Lionel series, locomotives, rolling stock, history, and other corners of the model train hobby.
Shop Lionel MPC Freight CarsLook for boxcars, stock cars, cabooses, operating cars, and other MPC freight equipment as collections are added to Trainz inventory.
Explore the Lionel MPC EraShop across the MPC years with Lionel locomotives, train sets, rolling stock, accessories, and other vintage models from 1970–1986.
The original 9400 Series research was built from years of Trainz handling these cars firsthand, photographing examples, comparing variations, and documenting collections as they passed through our doors.