The 2341: So Rare It Shouldn't Be Run?

A number of years ago I was in Germany for work and when my business there was completed I had the luck / opportunity to stop in at a local car show / picnic.  There were a few Mercedes Benz 300SLs present, gullwing and cab variants.  One of the gullwings was actually a bit dirty - in nice condition, but clearly driven -- dirty wheels, bugs and tar on the nose, some road rash in the front and along the lower quarters.  I was talking a little of my broken German with an older German gentleman -- his English was better -- and I commented that I liked seeing the 300SL that looked driven.  He agreed, told me he was an employee of Mercedes Benz when those cars were built, and that yes, they were meant to be driven.  I lack the means to own and daily drive a 300SL but if that were to change, I would drive one.  And probably track it at vintage events too.

 

I respect different views of how to approach any hobby.  But my personal view is that this gentleman's advice is applicable to the train hobby as well -- they were meant to be used and enjoyed, so run 'em all.  You only go around once.  No practice tries.

Ah yes, Carail T-1's in white...and blue...saw both at Carail!!!

Here is my take on the "rare"  " collectable  issue.
A couple of years ago, I asked my son what he wanted for Christmas.
He was a big Titanic fan.

He said that he wanted a model of the Titanic that sank and broke in half just like the real one.
I said that if it existed, Santa would get it for him.
Little did I know what I was getting into.
Turns out that a book with a scale model was published in 1969 for only a couple of years.
It was also the 100th anniversary of the sinking.
After losing several on EBay, I finally got one mint unopened and sealed in shrink wrap  with a bargain bin price tag of $5.99 on an original $19.99 MSP. I paid about $500.00 for it.
Most had been previously opened. The only one similar was on Amazon for $1,300.00
I told my son that if he opens it, he may regret the decision when he is 18 and wants to buy a car because it will lose all of its unique collectors  value.
He tore right into the package and ran upstairs to sink it in the tub.
My younger daughter them opened up a Barbie Harley Davidson that I got for $89.00
following week, a biker at work said it was worth about $300.00 because it is one of the best detailed models and guys collect them.  Sans Barbie of course.
Best Christmas ever. And the both still believe in Santa and they are 11 and 8.

But who knows if anyone will even want them or trains in a couple of generations.
I say do what makes you happy.
Like my kids, I prefer to run everything.
And if I send one crashing to the floor or into another, it does not really mater.
I just epoxy or bend them back into shape, re paint them, detail them, upgrade them to TMCC or just admire them on the shelf till I get them running again.
But I rarely buy new, and even then, just about everything I ever bought either needed some tweaking or repairs right out of the box or I did it just because I wanted to.
My new thing is collecting and building as many different versions of General Models Corp, ALL-NATION Scale NW-2's.
Painted most to match PRR prototypes.
Except now I am building a CNW TR2 because the PRR did not have any.
If you build it yourself, they are truly unique and rare.
And priceless to me.

FMH

hello Fiffreddd.........

 

Very well said .................. The important part is that the kids enjoyed it and are happy.

 

the woman who loves the S.F.5011,2678,2003,200

Tiffany