The Postwar Canadian Pacific F3 is the hardest to find of thee F3's but why?
1. It's not ugly
2. Was it the fact it was only offered in a set?
3. It's a foreign locomotive?
4. Bad marketing?
I always wondered about this one
Scott C.
Original Post
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The following is the pretty well-known and accepted explanation. At that time there wasn't much interest in Canadian roadnames, the set was expensive, sales were not good and therefore production numbers were low, and the set was only produced during one year.
" History The 2373 Canadian Pacific F3 AA units of 1957 are unquestionably the most desirable and sought-after postwar F3 diesel. It was Lionel's first attempt to produce a non-American roadname on a premium diesel -- in this case a premium set with super-O track and four aluminum passenger cars -- in hopes of increasing foreign sales. Unfortunately, it had lack-luster sales and was cancelled after only a single year of production. The combination of a premium set with minimal sales has elevated the 2373's to an extremely hard-to-find status."
The market was changing, too. TV was taking more and more family time. People sat and watched instead of running trains. Also, an economic recession began in 1957 and lasted into 1959. In 1957, Lionel's sales were down to $18,700,000 with a net profit of $842,000, down from $1,500,000 in 1956. In 1958, Joshua Lionel Cowen retired at age 78. Sales fell to $14,400,000. For the first time in years, Lionel sustained a loss of $469,000, though 70% of that loss was attributed to Airex, a Lionel fishing equipment subsidiary. - LIONEL: A COLLECTOR'S GUIDE AND HISTORY, Tom McComas and James Tuohy, Vol. II, p. 135.
In 1957, Lionel was beginning a long slide downward and would not recover until General Mills, the breakfast cereal company, bought the rights and tooling to manufacture Lionel trains in 1969-1970.
The CP set was magnificent. It had 3 dome cars and an observation. Two coaches were available separately. All cars had accurate names. But it didn't sell well, and Lionel had no reason to keep it in the line.
How well or poorly did the Postwar Celebration set, 21759 sell? Given the poor reception in the 1950s, it became very collectible. I saw that it sells for a high price on EBay now. Did history repeat itself on a poor re-issue reception?
If a Conventional Classics or Neil Young signature reissue came available, I might jump at it.
To the explanations already given above, I'd add: it was just plain hard to find when it was introduced. As a kid, the only place I ever actually saw a CP F3 set in the Fifties was in the catalog pages. Maybe they were more plentiful in the major metropolitan areas, but in my locale, the CP F3s were wishful thinking.
I bought one of the MPC CP AA sets in the Seventies, just so I could have one in the collection. But it's a single-motor, hornless locomotive with rubber tires, and I've been looking for years for a suitable postwar F3 2-motor MagneTraction chassis to swap into it.
I saw the 1957 CP set on the top track on a "wall of trains" in Martin's Hobbies, 641 Walnut Street, Reading, PA. It was the most beautiful set I had ever seen. At $100, it was also the most expensive.
Never saw one until I attended a TTOS Cal Stewart meet in 1975. Also saw a mint Congressional at that same meet. Both were in original boxes.
The first one I ever laid my eyes on was in Al Cox's basement collection in Seattle. I believe he had 4 sets all in LN or new condition on the shelf.
TEX
Steve
I have the PWC version, as the original would never be in my price range. Lionel did a nice job on the colors of the engines. Looks pretty dead on from the originals I have seen. I love it. Very pretty set
I have no doubts that there are more now then ever made by Lionel. Lots of fakes in post war trains.
Rob
Speaking candidly, I don't think the PWC version of the CP set is that hard to find at all. The original Lionel postwar set is another story.
For the PWC version, you may need to check around for the extra add-on items that came out after the boxed set itself -- stuff like the two extra 2-packs of coaches along with a StationSounds diner, extra B-units, etc... But even that stuff is not that difficult to locate.
David
Originally Posted by oldrob:
I have no doubts that there are more now then ever made by Lionel. Lots of fakes in post war trains.
Rob
True. That's why the flat channel version of the all-silver cars have always been so popular. One of those + repro stripes = a CP or a Congressional or a Santa Fe or a Presidential car!!!
The remnants of a yellowish glue on most originals may be a bit unsightly, but it's a good test of originality.
Jim
