Explore Lionel’s 9700 Series boxcars from the MPC era, with model-by-model details spanning the series introduced in 1972, including catalog years, collector classifications, production variations, overstamped cars, boxes, and packaging. The guide also follows how the 9700 line grew out of the earlier 9200 Series and eventually gave way to Lionel’s 9400 Series as the decade progressed.
About the Lionel 9700 Series
When General Mills took over the production of the Lionel trains in 1970, the toy train hobby was at a low point. By the mid-1960s the Lionel line had shrunk to a shadow of its former self. Model Products Corporation, the division of General Mills charged with reviving Lionel, began searching for ways to not only make Lionels popular toys once again, but to also start tapping into the rapidly growing collector's market that began to evolve in the latter part of the 1960s.
When it took over, 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. When MPC took over in 1970, they introduced their own version of the 6464s, the 9200 series.
Fifteen different 9200s were produced from 1970 to 1972. In 1972, the Lionel 9200 Series was succeeded by the new 9700 Series.
The 9700s formed the backbone of Lionel's freight car line throughout the 1970s. Lionel produced the 9700s at such a fast rate that they began to run out of numbers after only six years. In 1978, the 9700s began giving way to the Lionel 9400 Series. The last 9700s were catalogued in 1979, except for a straggler that was made in 1982.
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 9700 Series Boxcars
Lionel 9700 Series: 9700–9719
20 CarsLionel 9700 Southern
Lionel 9701 Baltimore and Ohio Automobile
Lionel 9702 Soo Line
Lionel 9703 CP Rail
Collector NoteProduced primarily for the Canadian market and still seen less often than most other early 9700s.
Lionel 9704 Norfolk and Western
Lionel 9705 Denver and Rio Grande Western
Lionel 9706 Chesapeake and Ohio
Lionel 9707 MKT Stock Car
Variation NoteTCA documents a built-date placement variation; a white-door example has also been reported as a possible factory error.
Lionel 9708 US Mail
Lionel 9709 State of Maine
Lionel 9710 Rutland
Lionel 9711 Southern
Lionel 9712 Baltimore and Ohio Automobile
Lionel 9713 CP Rail
Lionel 9714 Denver and Rio Grande Western
Lionel 9715 Chesapeake and Ohio
Lionel 9716 Penn Central
Lionel 9717 Union Pacific
Lionel 9718 Canadian National
Lionel 9719 New Haven
Coupon CarAvailable by sending Lionel two proofs of purchase and $5.
Lionel 9700 Series: 9720–9739
16 CarsLionel 9723 Western Pacific
Lionel 9724 Missouri Pacific
Lionel 9725 MKT Stock Car
Lionel 9726 Erie Lackawanna
Lionel 9727 Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia
Production DetailSerial-numbered on the bottom; the article identifies it as the only MPC-era car with this feature.
Lionel 9728 Union Pacific Stock Car
Lionel 9729 CP Rail
Lionel 9730 CP Rail
Lionel 9731 Milwaukee Road
Lionel 9732 Southern Pacific
Lionel 9733 Airco
Production DetailContains a tank-car body molded inside the boxcar body.
Lionel 9734 Bangor and Aroostook
Lionel 9735 Grand Trunk Western
Lionel 9737 Central Vermont
Lionel 9738 Illinois Terminal
Series FinaleThe last 9700-series car produced, made in 1982 for the Continental Limited set.
Lionel 9739 Denver and Rio Grande Western
Collector NoteThe Rio Grande 9739 was also used for a TCA North Texas Chapter overstamped car.
Lionel 9700 Series: 9740–9759
17 CarsLionel 9740 Chessie System
Lionel 9742 Minneapolis and St. Louis
Coupon CarAnother Lionel coupon car, and much more common than the 9719.
Lionel 9743 Sprite
Set ConnectionPart of the Coca-Cola Train Set with the 9744 Tab and 9745 Fanta cars.
Lionel 9744 Tab
Set ConnectionPart of the Coca-Cola Train Set with the 9743 Sprite and 9745 Fanta cars.
Lionel 9745 Fanta
Set ConnectionPart of the Coca-Cola Train Set with the 9743 Sprite and 9744 Tab cars.
Lionel 9747 Chessie
Lionel 9748 CP Rail
Lionel 9749 Penn Central
Lionel 9750 Detroit, Toledo and Ironton
Lionel 9751 Frisco
Lionel 9752 Louisville and Nashville
Lionel 9753 Maine Central [Pictured with incorrect box]
![Lionel 9753 Maine Central [Pictured with incorrect box]](https://trainz.co/%7Etrainzco/articles/9700Pics/9753.jpg)
Lionel 9754 New York Central Pacemaker
Lionel 9755 Union Pacific
Lionel 9757 Central of Georgia
Lionel 9758 Alaska
Lionel 9759 Paul Revere
Set ConnectionPart of the 1975 Liberty Special set.
Lionel 9700 Series: 9760–9779
18 CarsLionel 9760 Liberty Bell
Set ConnectionPart of the 1975 Liberty Special set.
Lionel 9761 George Washington
Set ConnectionPart of the 1975 Liberty Special set.
Lionel 9762 Toy Fair
Lionel 9763 Denver and Rio Grande Western Stock Car
Lionel 9764 Grand Trunk Western
Lionel 9767 Railbox
Lionel 9768 Boston and Maine
Lionel 9769 Bessemer and Lake Erie
Lionel 9770 Northern Pacific
Lionel 9771 Norfolk and Western
Lionel 9772 Great Northern
Lionel 9773 New York Central Stock Car
Lionel 9774 TCA 'Southern Belle'
Lionel 9775 Minneapolis and St. Louis
Lionel 9776 Southern Pacific Overnight
Lionel 9777 Virginian
Lionel 9778 Season's Greetings
Collector NoteOne of the true rarities among the uncatalogued 9700-series cars.
Lionel 9779 TCA Philadelphia Convention
Lionel 9700 Series: 9780–9789
10 CarsLionel 9780 Johnny Cash 'Ridin' the Rails'
Lionel 9781 Delaware and Hudson
Lionel 9782 The Rock
Lionel 9783 Baltimore and Ohio Timesaver
Lionel 9784 Santa Fe
Lionel 9785 Conrail
Lionel 9786 Chicago and North Western
Lionel 9787 Central of New Jersey
Lionel 9788 Lehigh Valley
Lionel 9789 Pickens
Lionel 9700 Series Rarity & Collector Notes
The value of the 9700 boxcars peaked in the 1990s and have dropped somewhat due to the proliferation of newer, 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: The largest group, this is all of the common, regularly catalogued 9700s available for separate sale. All are relatively easy to find. 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 9700s that were catalogued but only available in sets. They 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 9726, 9729, 9732, 9734, 9738, 9743, 9744, 9745, 9759, 9760, 9761, 9772, 9773, 9775, 9776, and 9789.
Uncatalogued
Class 3: These are uncatalogued cars. Some, like the 9742, are common, but others, like the 9778, are true rarities. The uncatalogued 9700s are the 9719, 9727, 9728, 9742, 9733, 9757, 9762, 9774, 9778, 9779, and 9780.
Notable Lionel 9700 Cars
Selected cars with unusual distribution, production details, set connections, or collector significance.
Lionel 9703 CP Rail
The 9703 CP Rail was produced primarily for the Canadian market and for some time was considered one of the rarest of all cars in the series. Over the years some have flowed back into the US, but the 9703 is still seen less often than most other early 9700s.
Lionel 9719 New Haven
The 9719 New Haven was a 'coupon car'; you had to send two proofs of purchase and $5 to Lionel to get it.
Lionel 9727 Tennessee, Alabama & Georgia
All 9727 TA&G cars are stamped with serial numbers on the bottom. It is the only MPC-era car with this feature.
Lionel 9733 Airco
The 9733 Airco has a tank car body inside of it. The body can be trimmed out and installed on a frame.
Lionel 9738 Illinois Terminal
The 9738 Illinois Terminal was the last car produced in the series. It was made in 1982 and was part of the Continental Limited Set from that year.
Lionel 9742 Minneapolis and St. Louis
Like the 9719, the 9742 Minneapolis and St. Louis was a coupon car. For whatever reason it is much more common than the 9719.
Lionel 9743, 9744 & 9745 Coca-Cola Cars
The 9743 Sprite, 9744 Tab and 9745 Fanta were all part of the Coca-Cola Train Set, which included the 8473 diesel switcher and 9073 caboose. These cars do not have original boxes.
Lionel 9759, 9760 & 9761 Liberty Special Cars
The 9759 Paul Revere, 9760 Liberty Bell, and 9761 George Washington were all part of the Liberty Special set from 1975. Like the 9743-45, these cars do not have original boxes.
Lionel 9790 & 9791 Numbered Cars
In 1991-92 Lionel produced two boxcars, the #19243 Clinchfield and #19244 Louisville and Nashville with 9700-series numbers printed on them (9790 on the Clinchfield, 9791 on the L&N). They are generally not considered part of the 9700 series.
Lionel 9700 Series Variations & Overstamped Cars
Compared to their 6464 and 9200 predecessors, there are very few major variations in the 9700 series boxcars. Some of the cars have minor variants, such as slight changes in the shade of paint, but larger, more noticeable variations in cars are few and far between with the 9700s. Why is this?
Improved Painting & Decorating
First, throughout the 1970s Lionel perfected painting and decorating techniques that were not available in the 1950s and 60s. New paint and decal applications meant that Lionel had better control over how the cars would ultimately come out once completed, preventing the 'trial and error' methods that caused many earlier variations. The number of cars with variations dropped dramatically beginning around 1973-74, right about the time the 9700 series was hitting its stride.
Shorter Production Runs
The second and more important reason was shortened production runs. Whereas many 6464 boxcars were catalogued for several years and were produced several times, most 9700s 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).
Early 9200-Series End Stamps on 9700 Cars
The only significant production variation occurred in a few of the early 9700s. All 9700 cars have small flat boards molded on the ends of each car. Most say '9700 Series', but a few early 9700s are stamped '9200 Series' instead; this was Lionel using up leftover 9200 bodies in 1972. The 9700 Southern, 9702 Soo Line and 9705 Rio Grande show up most often with this variation, which also provides a clue that these were the very first 9700s made.
Known Lionel 9700 Production Variations
A couple 9700s have easy-to-identify variations. Here are a few:
Lionel 9701 Black Body Variation
Some 9701s were made in black like the 9210 B&O boxcar. Black 9701s are very uncommon.
Lionel 9701 TCA Door-Color Variation
A few 9701s also have different-colored doors. These were post-factory alterations made for a Train Collectors Association [TCA] meet. While not true factory production, they are neat.
Lionel 9730 White vs. Black Lettering
The 9730 was first made with white lettering and was later switched to black, which showed up better on the silver car. The black-lettered version is a bit less common.
Lionel 9700 Series Overstamped Cars
Throughout the 1970s Lionel and some private individuals overstamped 9700s for collecting organizations and to commemorate the Christmas Season. The 9700s were good candidates for these projects as their large flat sides lent themselves well to special lettering and decoration. Here are some of the 9700-series overstamped cars:
Lionel 9713 CP Rail Season's Greetings
Lionel 9730 CP Rail Season's Greetings
Lionel 9740 Chessie--TCA Great Lakes Division
Lionel 9754 New York Central--METCA Division
Lionel 9739 Rio Grande--TCA North Texas Chapter
Lionel 9771 N & W--TCA Museum Dedication
Lionel 9700 Series Boxes & Packaging
Red & White Retail Boxes
9700 Series cars came in three types of boxes. The primary two were red with black and white lettering, and white with red and black lettering. The change from red to white boxes happened in 1976-77, and some 9700s from those years show up in both types of boxes, such as the 9768 Boston and Maine:
Gold Limited Edition Boxes
Three cars included in limited edition sets, the 9732 SP, 9734 Bangor and Aroostook, and 9738 Illinois Terminal, were packaged in special gold-colored boxes with black lettering:
Markings, Shipping Cases & Set Packaging
End-Flap Markings
Separate-sale 9700s always had the number and name of the car stamped in black on the endflap. Some 9700s included in sets, such as the 9789 Pickens car, came in boxes with no markings on the ends.
Factory Shipping Cases
9700s 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 seven cars in the series--9729, 9743, 9744, 9745, 9759, 9760, and 9761-- do not have original boxes. They were all sold in sets packed in styrofoam liners.
Conclusion
In 1978, after six years of dominating the freight car pages of Lionel's catalog, the 9700s were superseded by the 9400s, and the last 9700s disappeared from the catalog after 1979. Apparently Lionel planned to fill in the remaining numbers in the series with limited edition cars, but only one, the 9738 Illinois Terminal, was made in the 1980s.
The 9700s were key to developing the collectible train market. The strategies Lionel developed to sell the 9700s are still used today. Limited editions, uncatalogued specials and convention specials all made their first appearance with the 9700s.
Today, the ubiquitous 9700s are a common sight, and no collection is complete without at least a few of these boxcars on the shelves or on a layout. They are a part of Lionel's enduring legacy and are a great starting place for the beginning collector.
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)
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