Lionel and Santa Fe, a match made in heaven??

Glad you finally got some 2343's.  However, I didn't catch the connection between the Quaker Oats set, Lionel, Santa Fe, and Heaven.

@aussteve posted:

Glad you finally got some 2343's.  However, I didn't catch the connection between the Quaker Oats set, Lionel, Santa Fe, and Heaven.

Cut and pasted the wrong sheet, go figure!!

Jeff my first Lionel set I got when I was 9 months old and was a set of 2353 AA with 2531, 2333 (2) and 2532. It took me almost 50 years to get a the proper B Unit and 2534 and both versions of the 2530 I also got the Lionel release of that set in 1991 and also picked of the MTH PS2 version from 2005. I am now currently restoring a set  of 2343 AA and 2333 AA units. So I guess the Lionel Santa Fe War Bonnet bug bite me real good. Other than that I don’t have much Santa Fe stuff.

RJT - Nice! Over the years my bride has bought me one set. The Great Northern set released one year after the 1991 SF set that you have. All about timing I guess!

It's funny that this should come up. It seems like every show I go to, there are dozens, if not hundreds of SF F3's available, many for quite reasonable prices nowadays. But yet, despite growing up in the 50's and 60's, I've never had the urge to own one.

Now, the NYC, B&O, NH F3's on the other hand ...

Always liked the B&O set, and now 70 years later, can't bring myself to spend over $1000.00 for them. But they R sweet !

In 1960 I purchased a Santa Fe 2383 set with the aluminum  Passenger cars for the princely sum of 100$. My mother almost killed me. The set had both a units powered. I think that it was a mispack from Lionel. I always wonder why the 2343, and 2353 seem to have a higher collectible value. Any thoughts. Thanks Tstark

Love'em - F7 ABBA, E6 AA, Alco PA ABA TMCC from 2000 era, and Legacy F3 ABA. Now I'm on the hunt for the E8 set from a few years back.

Santa Fe all the way!

@tstark posted:

In 1960 I purchased a Santa Fe 2383 set with the aluminum  Passenger cars for the princely sum of 100$. My mother almost killed me. The set had both a units powered. I think that it was a mispack from Lionel. I always wonder why the 2343, and 2353 seem to have a higher collectible value. Any thoughts. Thanks Tstark

The 2353 Still had portals in the side and the 2343 had portals, hand rails on the nose and screen tops and both have twin horizontal motors.

@tstark posted:

In 1960 I purchased a Santa Fe 2383 set with the aluminum  Passenger cars for the princely sum of 100$. My mother almost killed me. The set had both a units powered. I think that it was a mispack from Lionel. I always wonder why the 2343, and 2353 seem to have a higher collectible value. Any thoughts. Thanks Tstark

I think probably because the 2343s had more trim in the form of grab irons on the nose, screened in vents, clear portholes  and the correct silver trucks while the 2353s still had clear portholes and the silver trucks.  The 2383s while great runners had neither grab irons, screened in vents, clear portholes and sported the black trucks.  All cost saving measures which I think in many collector's opinions detracted  from the engine's overall superb looks.