What Is it like?
Bob C.
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I have only seen pictures of the Postwar boys train.
As I understand the subject, only a handful were made.
I don't think a value can really be placed on the set. It would be whatever the sales price was of the last one sold.
Funny you mention it. I was just thinking about it overnight. Like I guess I do a lot, since I now understand why. When I was young, there was one at a rummage sale in Upper Michigan, north of Houghton. I remember the general area and the day the whole family was out for a rummage saleing cruise. It was before I knew much about trains, my parents didn't know either. We thought it was a goofy repaint. Cars and all. Of course now I know better. I can still see it on the table. There's no doubt what it was.
Me too, only in pictures.
Peter
the last number I recall was 40,000
an excellent picture
Found this on Liveauctioneers site:
Jerry
Attachments
Didn't LCCA do a remake?
Peter
I guess I don't know what a Boys Train is. I thought is was an all blue train, engine, cars and caboose. 12 sets were made as salesman samples the year after the 1950's Girls Train debacle. Having suffered through trying to sell Girls Trains the year before, Lionel dealers were not interested in another specialty color set, even if it was all blue. The Boys train set was never manufactured, however it is believed that as many as four of the sets did survive. Dom Schwab, a past TCA president, told me how everyone laughed and rolled in the floor when he bought his set for $700 in 1971. He invited me to see his set, which was on display in the Metaire, Louisiana Train Museum. I detoured there on a family vacation and sure enough it was the first thing displayed when you entered the museum. Each car was on a protruding pedestal so you could see the white athletic tape on the bottom of each car with the proposed Lionel car model number. I think Dom said a previous set had auctioned at a Greenberg auction for $88,000, but that was back in the 1980's.
The LCCA did not make a re-make. Lionel did under the Postwar Celebration Series in the early 2000's
I guess I don't know what a Boys Train is. I thought is was an all blue train, engine, cars and caboose.
I think I've read that the few boy's train sets that exist all have a blue locomotive and tender. But the rest of the cars are not consistent from set to set.
Greenbergs Guide to Lionel Trains: Volume 5 - Rare and Unusual has a photo of another "set" headed by a 2018. As CW pointed out, the cars are not consistent. The most common theory is the freight cars were paint samples that actually predate the Girls Set. In addition to the Lionel remake of the set in 2002, repro Boys Train freight cars have been made. The same book has photos of the repros, which are shown in late 1970s Lionel boxes.
I've seen this set. A friend has the locomotive and tender, and a few other pieces, maybe the entire set. It's been a few years since I was at his house. Definitely something different.
I knew Dom Schwab (mentioned above) back in the early 1990s when we opened the train department in our hobby shop. His place was The Kenner Train Museum which was near the New Orleans Airport. Metairie is between the Airport and urban New Orleans proper. He showed me his Boy's Train as well. Always thought it was an 'ugly critter' and made no sense to me. As I got to know him, we discovered that his son had a music store in the 1960's in New Orleans where I traded all my childhood American Flyer stuff for a 'Supro' (El cheapo Deluxe) electric guitar & amp!
The TCA QUARTERLY published an article last year that provided a pastel context for the Girls Train. Sales were falling, and a Girls Train was produced to fill that niche.
I've got the 2000's Boys Set and some add on cars. The remake has a starter set can motor and the engine can't pull all of the cars I have for it. As I recall, back on the old forum when this set came out, Coil Coupler ranted a bit about this cheapo chassis, and I think the 746 remake too.
Does anyone have any photos from Dom's museum showing his Boys train?
TRW
The set I saw was in very nice condition and the same consistent blue on each car. Before I went to see it someone told me to look for the white tape with black numbers. It should look old, faded, and have a course, thick grain to it. It was there and looked very old like my mom used on big cuts with gauze bandages. I didn't take any pics but the other stuff in the museum was outstanding
Back in 1957 Lionel made and sold the Girls set to get girls into trains. The engine was a 2037 steam engine. The set went over like a lead balloon. They decide to try another sales tactic and make the blue Boys set, that was even a worst idea. To recover from the failed sales, Lionel repainted black the unsold girls pink engines. A friend/dealer in southern Pa. I spoke w/ a few yrs back said there's only a few Boys set known to exist. He has all the cars except the engine.
Lionel did a remake in 2001 of the Girls Train set PWC #31700. The following yr 2002 Lionel did the remake of the Boys set #31701. These engine shells are the same as the post war 2037 steam engine. Lionel also came out with two add on cars for each set.
My granddaughter has the remake Girls set w/ the two add on cars and my Grandson has the Boys set w/ the two add on cars.
