What Trains do you have you Consider Rare

It was made back in the 80's.  I have a regular production one too and the differences are interesting.  i think that the one I have was used for the catalog illustration.  I was in contact with someone that had the C&NW bay window caboose prototype.  I don't have a picture available at the moment, the engine is kind of buried in a storage tub at present.

My dad's 1957 Lionel #2339 diesel locomotive.  He drove an auto hauler truck for over 30 years.  I usually pull a consist of MTH auto carriers

Pete, can you tell me more about your one off GS-4?   Any photos you can share?  How does someone obtain a model like that?

I do have the black version which is pretty limited.

Thanks,

Nick

I love that NP tender.

My rare postwar item

I haven't seen one like that since I was a kid at a show! It only had one billboard.

 Nicer paper here too. It is supposed to be two sided right? 

This one is the 3rd color Marx Trolley I have been searching for. I will now have all 3 colors. The trailing trolley makes it even rarer.

Steve

Poppa Steve, you ever want to kick yourself for thinking something was a fake? Ooops.

I cant say I've never seen them that nice either. That was one reason I passed. I thought it was new, or a good bash. I now assume $100 wasn't really too much

here is a good test for those saying they never see their 'rare' piece up for sale.  try posting a "wanted" ad and see how fast you either get a response or suddenly see one for sale at a higher than expected price on eBay.

when Weaver was producing brass models, they brought out an 0-6-0 USRA switcher in a number of roadnames, but with only 25 of each.  i have one, but i don't consider it rare.  250+ piece production runs as some have commented about their 'rare' models?  ...don't make me laugh.

for one of a kind models (scratchbuilt, production prototypes, etc) i feel the term rare to be a bit misleading.  my interest now mostly in live steam, almost every large scale, steam locomotive i see is unique, but i'd have difficulty considering every one of them rare.

rare should also be objective across all members of a hobby.  sure the locomotive passed down from your great grandfather or the set you received for your 5th birthday is priceless to you, but it's likely not to anyone outside your family.

my idea of rare?  open up an appropriate Greenberg book and find no information on your model or see the words, "Further details requested". 

sorry for the buzz-kill.
cheers...gary

That is both cool, and a shame, your posts are missed. Glad your ok.

Picky picky.   Doesn't kill my buzz.  IMHO, my opinion is what matters most to me. 

my new best friend...

maybe rare, but i prefer well done.

cheers...gary

That would have been me. The prototype 9361 C&NW bay window caboose is on top.

I'd still love to see a photo of your loco!

TRW

Although not a train but still train related, does this Polar Express operating billboard from the LLCA qualify?

Take a look at the price guide for MTH tinplate. The 200 series NY Yankee boxcar....only 1 known to exist.

rat

I don't know if this is "rare", but it's rare to me at least. I have an extremely beat-up Marx silver litho set with this C&S reefer in it. This is the only car that has a Marx chassis, but a body with a Joy Line coupler slot. I guess there must have been a few hybrids when Marx started out.

The loco is missing, but research suggests the set had a clockwork Vanderbilt.

I'll try to dig it and the regular one up by next week.  I hope the differences show up in the photos.

Thanks, John. I look forward to seeing it.

TRW

When I had my shop I was able to do quite a bit of trading with people for new trains (1989/93) in our inventory. Was able to build of a pretty decent PW collection over the years but the only truly 'rare' items I came across were 3 the 027 Gondolas from the 1950's 'Disappearing train' set that Lionel produced to introduce Magne-Traction and the  Michigan Central Boxcar MPC built for the L.O.T.S 1st annual Convention.

When I mentioned the Marx #53941 Pa. Stock Car above, I should have mentioned the

original boxed set one came in.  The cars were pretty common on the Bay for a while,

but I have not heard of another boxed 1941 set that includes one. Does anybody else

have one..probably?

IMO, none of my Lionel trains in my collection rare as the company has the power to crank up and re-run production on any item, at any time. Lionel also made millions of trains over the course of its existence. Hardly rare by any stretch of the imagination. If you own Dorfan, Ives, and Buddy L trains then those are rare because the companies that made them closed long ago and their trains will never be reproduced. "Rare" exists only in the mind of the collector. Try to sell it and see how "rare" it s.

When it comes to prewar & postwar Lionel, rare can also be applied to some of their products even if they were reproduced by modern-era Lionel; biggest reason is because any remakes now would be done by a reincarnation of Lionel, not the original Lionel Corporation that got out of the train business after 1969 and eventually went out of business in 1993.

Buddy L trains, and toy trucks WERE reproduced by the guy from Tennessee, who used

to set up in the "Hilton" at York.   I understand he was forced out of business by the

current owner of the Buddy L logo, who decided they wanted much larger licensing fees.

I have a 1956 Wabash 2356 F3 AB I believe was made early in the year using leftover St Fe frame, trucks and shell.  As in the attached picture, the master carton is stamped with the "X" designation, painting is original as seen, and I understand I am second owner. Also have the aluminum dump car, 3rd Rail grey boiler SP cab forward someone mentioned earlier, etc.....

  But, I believe the Wabash F# AB may be most interesting.

Jesse

My mistake, or memory LOL, but the Wabash F3 is 2367.  Also, the news stand is an uncommon apple green, the operating gondola is the painted yellow, and others "rare" not shown.  Yes, is a matter of opinion based on knowledge and supply/demand.  But, it is the pleasure we enjoy that counts, and handing down to later generations to appreciate, and enjoy.

Take care, God bless...

Jesse

For me anything I can't afford 

Operating Dorfan Locomotives, 3 clockwork steamers, 3 electric steamers and 2 electric outline. Hopefully one more soon, at least I think I can get it working.

Steve

A Lionel Standard gauge caboose painted orange with maroon roof in like new condition. Must be rare, book says it is worth a bunch of $$.

Not to be construed as being sarcastic or rude my answer is big deal!

In the collector community original vs. remakes makes all the difference.  Original is original, anything else would be a reproduction or knock-off.

probably everything i own as the dealer/person at the train show/ auction site i bought it from told me how rare it is. obviously none of them would lie to me would they????

the only thing that i consider as rare is the 675 set my grandfather got me for the Christmas before i was born is priceless and 1 of a kind to me. otherwise the other things i own in reality if it was so rare who would be selling it???????

I have a pair of K-Line brown & orange Illinois Central Alco FAs. I am not sure how rare they are but I've never seen an other set.

I also have a 3rd Rail brass B&O Wagontop caboose

From 2004 Lionel Set 6-31718. This is a stock photo, mine is still sealed in the master carton. Not an easy set to find.

Cesar

A lot of neat items there, but yes.....the Wabash is very interesting!

BTW, the 2367 was 1955 production.  The single motored 2240 Wabash was 1956. Lionel seemed to really like that paint scheme....and so do I.

American Flyer #21140 4-8-4.

In the 90s K-line made several AA sets of these small Alcos, including those ICs you have and also some Northern Pacific Loewy passenger scheme models, primarily to match several baby streamliner passenger car sets Lionel made at that time. Lionel only made some small steam engines to go with their cars. These FA engines are around, but I suspect most people have them with the passenger car sets and they don't come up all that often. These are the Lionel cars they were meant to go with:

This is one of my favorites. There were four prototypes and Jeff Sohn painted this one for me. A couple of years later, he painted one for another customer with another road number.

These aren't that rare per se, but finding all six Heritage Units with scale wheels took a lot of effort and searching, and the help of three OGR Forum members. I cheated with the Katy unit and bought a re-release, but the others are the original Proto-2 units.

John23,

  You are correct, 1955 production for the 2367.  As you be able to see, the shells include portholes, where the production run came with filled portholes.  Also, the trucks are originally painted silver, as are St Fe F3s.  This is one reason why I reason this AB may have been made from 1955 leftover St Fe for use for the Wabash F3 AB.

Also, Lionel used the "X" designation on identifying unusual or "special" production items.

Jesse