Lionel Route 66 Line

That's something I could never figure out either?  Just like the Vision line cars with sound like the tank cars. Big bucks now if you can find them!

Trying to find these type items makes attending train shows and swap meets so much fun.  I occasionally see some of these, but you are right that they have been going for some pretty big bucks.  Good luck in finding them.

 

Art

 

 

I'm forgetting the exact dates for these, but they may have been from before the move to China for manufacturing. 

 

If so, there is probably no tooling "just laying around" to support reproducing these.

 

-Dave

I believe the series was from '99. That would be just before the move, so if that's the reason it's a real shame that we won't see them reproduced.

Try looking for the Lionel Route 66 flatcars with autos. They are part of this program and should be a lot cheaper. There were quite a few made -- maybe 8 or so?

Also, Walther's made a "Route 66 Motel" series with several add-on pieces and these may be available on Ebay if not from Walthers.com. The motel is really fantastic.

Finally, MTH has made several funky roadside shops that work great with Route 66. I have the "My Families Nutz" building and it is neat and not too expensive. I model Route 66/desert on a portion of my layout and high mountains on the other portion.

Please give Jeff a call at the electric train depot in Ponchatoula, LA. He has what you're looking for at msrp.

I, too, seek out NOS and it is usually hard to find.  The fun is in the search, however.  I had been wanting a PW news stand and it took a few years but I got a minty one on eBay from the estate of a collector.  If you gotta have it right now, they are available at premium prices, but you already knew that.

My recollection is fuzzy, but Train Buddies had a newsletter featuring Lionel's Route 66 line a few years ago and, as I recall, mentioned something about that being the end of the line.  Trying to refresh my memory, I came across a Netherlands company, Tempting Brands, that claimed to own worldwide rights to the Route 66 trademark and went after anybody and everybody using it without a license in 2010.  Lionel's Route 66 trademark was cancelled in 2010. Perhaps somebody with younger brain cells or the old Train Buddies newsletter can verify this information.

 

 

http://www.temptingbrands.com/...Brands/About_Us.html 

 

http://www.trademarkia.com/lio...ute-66-75165076.html

 

 

 

 

What, me worry?