This informative and highly detailed book offers collectors and operators of Lionel trains from the postwar era a complete study of the various operating cars Lionel developed and marketed. Readers learn about the background of Lionel's engineers creating animated boxcars, log and coal dump cars, gondolas capable of unloading barrels, searchlight cars, and specialized models that delivered milk cans and cattle. Descriptions of individual models explain their appearance and operation, helping hobbyists search for and buy models to add to their layouts.