Can someone please explain this?

way to much money and free time...bet they both stiff seller

Not sure on this one but brass does bring good money...It only takes two...

+I can only think that it must be a very special unit from a very limited run. But being brass, being a tender that usually isn't offered by itself, and one wants to run 2 tenders and so the bidding goes up. It looks old as snot and maybe the engine went off the table but the price seems in line for other brass objects it size. Looking at it  again it does look like from the 60's. and I didn't even see if it came with the original box.

Mental patient with small inheritance, on week-end pass?

hmm, maybe its made of gold?

Tenders are strange little beasts.  Alone they don't seem to be worth much. But 

if united with the correct locomotive they not only provide functionality, but they obviously enhance the value of the locomotive.  I just purchased two tenders on Ebay for a bit more money than I thought I would have had to pay. But I did so, because I had two locomotives missing tenders.  I had been looking for both for a long time, so I was quite pleased to win the auction.  I assume someone out there had the correct locomotive for that brass tender. 

Lew Schneider

Wow...them there are some big bucks.