Window Display and Animated Window Display Cars

By Bob Mintz
(updated Winter 2013)

We have here an opportunity to help STANDARDIZE some formal categories within the hobby.

Since I was blessed with my last name, it would only make sense that I collect mint cars. Unfortunately, the collection did not stop with this series. The next obvious step would be aquarium cars.

I just received my Lionel freebie US Savings Bond car that is classified as a mint car.

Question is, is this really a mint car?

Should mint cars only be those that contain bullion or can we include paper currency too? Is a savings bond a form of currency?

If not, what should a paper type currency car be called?

Should aquarium cars only include fish or other underwater creatures?

If we consider mintcars to only be those that include either a paper or bullion currency, what do we do about the so-called “mintcar/aquarium style” load cars?

Stu Rankin has suggested that we split these into two categories as follows:

“Window Display Car”--Mint-type car containing a fixed/static non-bullion load.

“Animated Window Display Car”--Aquarium-type car where the moving scene is something other than the little fishes.

I would define a mint type car as one that has a vault plate door with combination lock; handle; and tri-spoked wheel; while an aquarium type car would contain either a vibrator or other motor or truck driven gear system that moves a continuous sprocket type film belt.

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule and this category is no exception. #16757 Johnny Lightening car hauler, which is clearly a mintcar by my definition, has the marking “3435” on it, which is the number of the original aquarium car. #52188 Carail 25th Anniversary Car Hauler with two autos  does not have a moving film belt, but has an aquarium body.

Oh well, that is what makes this hobby so interesting.

1)#16757 Johnny Lightning Car Hauler with two Johnny Lightning autos “3435”	2)#19669 King Tut Museum Car “9660”
3)#19671 Lionel Model Shop Display Car #1 “6445-01”	4)#19675 Lionel Model Shop Display #2 “6445-02”
5)#19681 “AREA 51” Alien Suspension Car	6)#19855 Christmas Aquarium Car Lionel Holiday Special “3437”
7)#19869 Alien Transport Aquarium Car "3435"	8)#26747 Happy Halloween Aquarium Car
9)#26752 Merry Christmas Aquarium Car	10)#26786 Lionelville 4th of July Operating Parade Car
11)#52188 Carail 25th Anniversary Car Hauler with two autos	12)#52280 LOTS Lionel Electric Trains with past club convention boxes
13)#52289 National Toy Train Museum 25th Anniversary Bullion Car “NTTMCC 1977-2002” which really contains a replica of the mintcar in the TCA Museum
#29606 ELVIS PRESLEY RECORD TRANSPORT CAR FROM 31728 Elvis "He Dares to Rock" Train
#52406 LCCA Horse Artillery Transportation Car	#29612 Las Vegas Poker Chip car
#26859 Christmas Parade Boxcar
#29866 Pirates Aquarium Car	#36830 Aquarium Car Halloween
#52419 LOTS 2006 Touring Layout Car	#36859 Lionel Lines Aquarium Car
#36888 CasperTM Aquarium Car	#29628 Poinsettia Mint Car
# 29624 Monopoly Mint Car	# 29626 Case Closed Mint Car
#29631 Lone Ranger Wild West Display Car (FROM SET #11162 Lone Ranger Add-on 3-Pack)	#29635 Monopoly "Go to Jail” Mint Car
#29633 Christmas Ornament Lighted Mint Car	# 29636 Vampire Transport Mint Car
#22123 Ringling Bros Lion Cage Car "36" (FROM SET # 22121 Ringling Bros Steam Circus Train Set)	#22129 Ringling Bros Tiger Cage Car "48" (FROM SET # 22126 Circus Train Expansion Pack)
#29649 Lionel Smoke Pellets Mint Car	#72511 (B) “1836” LCCA Dallas 2011 Registration Car “Remember the Alamo”
#72511(C) LCCA Dallas 2011 # 1 Volunteer Car	#37045 The Beatles "Yellow Submarine" Aquarium Car
#29328 Beatles "Nothing is Real" Aquarium Car
#29647 Gingerbread Man Mint Car	#29652 RMS Titanic Artifact Preservation mint car from #30187 Titanic Centennial Set
#29329 Peanuts® Halloween Aquarium car	#37056 Zombie Aquarium car
#29321 Ice Skating Aquarium Car	#36720 Aladdin Aquarium Car

Not to be outdone once again, RGS Limited Editions produced yet another display car in honor of beanie babies, and of course, there are two variations just to keep things interesting.

#6482 ARR Polar Bear Express