How come there are some Lionel releases that just disappeared?

The CN FPA-4 locomotive set 6-24548 was definitely made. There are currently 2 sets that have been available on eBay at (or below) MSRP for around six months.

The PC GG1 is bringing MSRP and above and the others I just don't know. 

Can't comment on these specific engines, but there are items that I have only seen once on eBay. If they're good, people do tend hold onto them.

 

Gilly

I have one of the M1bs, bought one of the last new ones from Eastside trains a few years after everyplace else sold out.

Its a great loco, a "big presence" with that tender but doesn't require 072.

 

One of Lionels best Legacy sound packages for sure with 2 full sized fatboys in that big tender,  and by far Lionels best version of a "Pennsy " whistle.

 

I rarely see one for sale but they do come up now and then. I was late to the "scale bandwagon" when I bought mine. I believe it was mentioned on the forum at some point that these weren't that popular when they were first offered and many sold for blowout prices.

 

I guess folks have grown to like them. It would certainly be one of the last ones I'd let go.

 

Having said that, the new M1a should be pretty much the same aside from the pilot, and it comes with whistle steam.

I have a set of 'modern' silver streamlined cars (6-15180) that were available one year and never see on eBay or anywhere else

Ricko I believe you are confusing the later m1b with the earlier released M1a. It was the M1a that was blown out a couple of years before the release of the M1b. Not too many M1bs were sold because of the a's blowout a couple of years prior plus a cutback on production of the M1b.

The Rock Islands and the ACL's are scarce. I saw one set of ACL's on the bay recently. The first in years.

The JLC Black PC GG1 seems to be the rarest of the JLC GG1s (and maybe all JLC engines). The Allegheny is also fairly rare.   It took me a long while before I finally found one in MIB condition.  I paid substantially above list for it.  

 

There's one on the bay right now for way above list.  6-18356

Here are a few more that fell off the face of the earth. Could never find the TMCC NYC 2-6-0 so I settled for a CN version. Sound is very cool... The E5's seem non-existent, and I wasn't a fan of the Heisler but it seems to quite hard to find as well...

 

 

I use to own the JLC black GG1, I sold it to forum member Scrapiron Scher. I have seen two of the diesels in stores.

Scott Smith

John,  I have the Pickering Heisler

I see that, I have been typing in FA not FPA....

Thanks

Everything you posted in the second group of pictures has been produced. Of the first group of pictures, only the ROCK ISLAND E unit I don't remember seeing at the store.

 

Are you actually looking for leads on any or all of these items or is this just for your own interest?

 

Charlie

In this day and age,  when it comes to this hobby,  if you really  want something,  you'd better pre-order.  This is especially true for the items made with less popular road names.

Charlie - no leads, just observations from other members.

What have you guys seen that seems to have just disappeared, and now is hard to find.

 

I had purchased a tinplate blue comet engine from a forum member and went looking for the matching cars.   These cars were cataloged in 2013.  I was surprised to see how difficult it was to find the cars.   I consider myself lucky to have found one dealer that still had one set left.

I have some "wants"  I'll probably never find,  but the hunt is fun.

My local dealer has cut back on stock quite considerably the last few years.   So much so I stopped going there.  I've purchased allot there in the past, and it used to be fun to go there,  if just to browse, but now I don't bother.

I would love to have a brick and  mortar close by where I could browse and make impulse buys instead of mail ordering, but I guess those days are gone.

The ACL E-6 set on Ebay was listed for $799 or BIN. The one linked above is the F-3 set, which are readily available. I would love a set of these E-6s but will have to make due with my MTH ACL E-8s for now. 

 

With more BTO, there will be plenty of cataloged items in the future that are made in very small quantities and will never be seen by many on this forum.

I purchased an NYC 2-6-0 over the forum in early August. I watched one sell on Flea-Bay a few months before for well over MSRP!

Yeah, usually I will wait for one to come along... wait and wait...

 

There was one of these that has only graced my layout once. The sound is eh, ok but the looks and the cars... wow... since they remade the CC 2 sharks, does that mean they can remake this one?

 

 

 

 

 

Charlie call me.  The modules are available next Saturday.