Lionel JLC Silver GG1 and 18" Congressional CArs

If you are looking for an investment, then all modern model trains are a bad investment.  How much is it worth to you to have and perhaps operate?  

In answer to your question, I believe the engine is worth about $800 and the cars about $100 each.  The rail sounds dinner is perhaps a little more - $150.

Joe

Interesting question, Matt.  But more importantly, do YOU like it? 

As we've often discussed here on the forum, today's toy trains are best purchased to be enjoyed by the buyer rather than as collectibles per se.  If the overwhelming reason to purchase is driven by your perception of whether other enthusiasts find something desirable, then you may be setting yourself up for disappointment down the road as interests wane.  Aside from a few sellers who always like to push the price envelope, even the diecast ES44's are pretty much topping out in the market these days and have enjoyed their day in the sun, so to speak.

Best of luck!  The JLC Silver GG1 is a sharp paint scheme and goes well with the silver Congressional passenger cars. 

David

OK David, anybody that knows me knows I'm in it cuz I like it, not for the "investment". I like to run my trains tip the wheels fall off. I think the train is sweet, especially with that silver GG1 with the big PRR Keystone on it. I was more curious to see what they are actually worth cuz this guy wants full blown retail. 

Doug?

Yup Jon, im intrigued and want to get it but he doesnt make deals

No, he doesn't, but good luck. I wonder if that set wasn't part of the IIIRail inventory? Faded boxes? 

I do believe so, i dont want it bad enough to pay that

Maybe ill buy another Casey Jones

Nor does anyone else, which explains why it's still there, along with 95% of all the rest of his stuff.

Oh goodie.

From the sounds of other posts in this thread, apparently the dealer is playing "head games" with toy train enthusiasts in his territory. 

That JLC silver GG-1, while very nice, is solidly "n-1" generation technology.  So that alone should shave a couple hundred off the asking price easy.  If the "collectible" factor were in play nowadays -- which it largely isn't, then I could understand his holding out for MSRP.  But given the operators market of today, a scale Lionel GG-1 at $899 MSRP is gonna sit on the dealer's shelf for a very long time.   I really don't understand these guys. 

Unless you're holding out for THAT particular GG-1, MTH has some terrific Pennsy GG-1's with PS-3 now.  And dealers are pricing them to move -- especially MB Klein.  MTH didn't do the silver paint scheme in their most recent batch of scale GG-1's, but they did several of the Pennsy variations... any of which would work well with Lionel's 18" Congressional Passenger cars.

Speaking of the passenger cars... they are certainly not a good deal at MSRP, as they can often be had for much less on the secondary market.  Generally speaking, a 4-pack of MINT Lionel 18" aluminum cars goes for $450-$500, the 2-pack goes for $225 or so, and the Stationsounds diner often goes for north of $200 on its own.

David

Yeah i can get a silver mth gg1 for like $550 and i just bought a JLC GG1 single strip for $400 so im out at retail

As nice as the JLC GG1's are, still they are older technology with TMCC and not Legacy. There are enough of them out there at realistic prices that anyone wanting full retail is pipe dreaming!

Are you talking about a 'dealer' somewhere or a seller here on the forum perchance? I'm thinking of one fella here who still asks full price for 15 year old Lionel and MTH PS1 locomotives!

Not to go off topic here Sam, but what would you expect a Legacy GG-1 to do that the JLC GG-1's with Railsounds 5.0 don't?    True... the JLC versions are admittedly "n-1" generation technology with TMCC -- which is why I mentioned earlier that TMCC alone is worth a price-reduction.   But practically speaking, a JLC GG-1 should run smooth as silk with a Legacy system controlling the works. 

I'm not saying we'll never see a Legacy GG-1 -- just that I'm not sure the Legacy version will have any features driving owners of JLC-class GG-1's to make the upgrade (aside from having the IR sensor for use with the new LCS Sensor Track).

David

I have all of the JLC GG1's.

They are superb but cannot run under catenary.

The only one of the bunch that has collectible value to any significant degree is the Penn Central version.

Which is weird cuz Penn Central is the red headed step child of railroads

Those are the ones -- the real ones that is  -- I'd often see on tracks that paralleled the PA Turnpike, and then of course also driving down the Schuylkill Expressway to 30th Street Station in Philly... where more than a few of those real-world gems could always be seen on tracks outside the station.  Admittedly this goes back a few decades.  Don't look for any now.    Seems like yesterday though! 

David

David,  I would concur with you about operation using the Cab2. I had one for awhile and it ran very well with my Legacy controller. I'm sure Lionel will eventually bring some of these out with Legacy and just in doing so will 'dilute the market' of JLC G's, possibly reducing the value of the first generation somewhat...

Mine runs well on my legacy and with my phone, Legacy doesnt change the fundamental TMCC commands it only adds an additional features like variable smoke. Even legacy locos run with TMCC commands

Where did you find the JLC GG1 for $400? Great price.

OP,

As it relates to worth & value, the Congressional's & GG-1 for me are priceless. When I traded for the Tuscan JLC GG-1 that I have, I was on cloud nine. IMO, the trade benefited both parties as we both had Loco's that each of us were looking for, and I got the GG-1 for an equiv. value of about $450.  I found the Congressional 4 PK at Nassau Hobby for I think $400, being that they were New Old Stock. New In Box, but old inventory. I have looked high and low for the 2 PK add-on, and have had no luck. Just this Fall, in early Nov., I found the SS Diner on the Dash Marketplace. Was still NIB, and had a crazy low opening price. I ended up winning the auction, and paid about $145 inc. shipping for the Diner.  

So all in thus far, I have spent roughly $1K on building the Congressional Consist.  Has the money been well spent, heck yeah. I would love to find either the 2 PK, or one of the GGD 4 Car Sets, that was recently run. The story behind why the Cons/ GG1, is priceless, is b/c my Mother has told me several stories about when herself, my aunts, and my Grandparents rode from DC to NYC, to visit family, when my mom was a little lady. My Grandfather loved riding on Trains, but especially the Congressional's. So in a way, having the Cons on our layout, is a way for me to connect with my namesake, and also a way to help my Mom, relive memories from her childhood. Win Win for me. ;-)

Though the GG-1's are TMCC, and thus they are "old tech" whereas Legacy is "new tech", they are mighty fine pieces of equipment. I would still like to add the Silver one to my road.  And if/when Lionel offers a new & improved Legacy version, I will definitely add those to my road too. 

Good Luck, with whatever you decide to do. 

Gentlemen,

   I am waiting for the Legacy version of the GG1 Big Silver Engine & Silver Congressional Cars to come out, I will be making that purchase for sure.

PCRR/Dave

In my opinion, considering the type and volume of sound produced by a GG-1 in model form, the Legacy version will be a very small improvement in the TMCC version. I will tell you why. UNLESS

1) Unless the Legacy version has operating pantographs that run under catenary, the sounds will be roughly the same. A quilling GG-1 horn will be better.

2) The JLC GG-1 accelerates very smoothly. Legacy will improve that a bit

3) Price of a Legacy (JLC level of detail) GG-1 will be north of $1,299.

Worth it?

A tough call.

Originally Posted by Matt Makens:

I don't believe that the issues with the real Penn Central Railroad correlates with model trains.  The scale PC GG1 was made in much smaller numbers than the other versions.  After release, the PC was tough to find for much less than double the retail price.

But I did pre-order the Lionel Congressional set with the add on and station sounds diner.  If you overlook the stick on windows it's a beautiful set.  I ended up getting a MTH silver GG1 as one of the engines to pull it.

I too have the full Lionel Congressional set of seven 18" passenger cars.  The windows are a non-issue and have been overblown to be much ado about nothing.  I've currently paired an MTH Pennsy 5-stripe Tuscan GG-1 with the set, and it looks perfect.  The Tuscan GG-1 nicely complements the Tuscan stripes on the passenger cars, so all is well.  If the JLC silver GG-1 comes my way at a nice price, I'd certainly entertain grabbing it... but not at $899.  Would need to be in the low- to mid-$500's (MAX) in L/N or MINT condition for me to even consider it.

BTW, my first Lionel JLC GG-1 should be arriving soon, as I just purchased it on the forum here.  That one will be paired with the 18" Madison cars (that have detailed interiors) from Lionel's re-issue of the 50th Anniversary set which I already own (re-issued in the early 2000's).  The set came with a J3a Hudson, but the JLC scale-length GG-1 (Pennsy #4725) will allow me to replicate a "scale version" of the classic Madison car train that ran on the subway line of Lionel's 1949 Showroom Layout in NYC.  Should be nice.  

David