Lionel to Release Superman Electric Train Boxcars
Electric train maker Lionel is the foremost model railway company in the United States and is celebrating 125 years with tons of new standard, or “O”, gauge locomotive and rolling stock. Meanwhile, DC celebrates 90 Years of their iconic comics. The two companies are no strangers to collaborations with past releases, but there are special releases this year with two brand new Superman Electric Train Boxcar range.
The last Superman rolling stock Lionel released was appropriately a blue steel girder flatbed with Jim Lee art when the load is removed. This box car goes above and beyond with artwork with not just Lee’s Superman, but so much more. The blue and red boxcar has a Superman from every age – Golden, Silver, Bronze, and Modern with Joe Shuster, Wayne Boring, Neal Adams, and Jim Lee respectively. The other side features the classic Action Comics and Superman The Man of Steel typefaces straight from the covers, with Clark jumping into action and changing into Superman. The sliding door features a stamp-like retro image that could be a comic cover as well as a marker for DC’s 90th Anniversary. Batman and Wonder Woman also got boxcars like this.
Thomas Kinkade has been a regular artist on model trains and their rolling stock – like Norman Rockwell broke into a train-yard and started painting the cars instead of the usual graffiti. His piece, Superman Protector of Metropolis has been put on a red and blue boxcar. Inspired by Jim Lee’s For Tomorrow cover, Superman stands over Metropolis from an art deco gargoyle. Kinkade’s DC art is something that deserves a gallery in itself. On a canvas, these hand-painted works can really be admired. Another one of Kinkade’s Justice League pieces is also being put on a boxcar.
The Superman Electric Train Boxcar range is hitting the Lionel market this year and may soon be found on their website or at any Lionel-approved dealer for $99.99.
