A Marx 4499 Military Cannon Caboose.  My brother had this on his high priority list of Marx cars he wanted and I saw one that seemed very reasonably priced at a local show.  I thought it would be a great Christmas present for him, but I wasn't sure this was the exact one he wanted.  I called my wife to see what I had down for him in our home computer and this was what he wanted.  Unfortunately, by the time I got back to the booth is was sold.  My brother died from cancer the following January.

Shoulda bought it when I first saw it.

This is a tough one Tom!  Just one?  I guess I must say that for the last several years I have been blessed to pretty much get every train I wanted.  That was not always the case in my nearly 50 continuous years in this hobby now.  However, the 1951 Super Chief is certainly one that could be on my list, but I have a good sense that it will be rerun here in the not-too-distant future.  Perhaps in the next couple of years.

Thinking through this a little deeper, I would say the Sunset Krauss Maffei.  I saw the sample model on Scott's test track in CA and it blew me away at how nicely rendered this locomotive was.  I didn't have any involvement in the project so no vested interest in it, yet I should have immediately put my name in for a standby order on a 3 rail SP unit but did not.  I'm not sure I'll we'll see that one run again any time soon if at all.  While it is way out of what I model, it was just such a nice model of a rare, yet iconic locomotive.

Simple, the gold PE...

it's happened too many times. I'll share one big one.

I was at a train show and saw a table of Charles Ro with their USA Trains Bigboy and Hudson on it. Each was marked down big time. As I got closer to see them my wife grabbed my arm and said don't even think about it. That was many years ago and it still hurts. I would have grabbed the bigboy or if she complained enough, I would have settled for the Hudson.

3rd Rail/GGD RDG FP7 AA diesels. Walter

Hines 2 rail Mikado...200 bucks, but this was in the late '80s, before I thought I could "swing it".

Mark in Oregon

MTH PS3 GN EMD F7

Back in early 2016 I attended a Du Page Co. show and came across a Precision Scale Milwaukee Road F6 for $1500, what a beauty. Do to the fact that it was a two rail loco and converting it to three would have been a chore (not to mention a sin for some) I passed on it. Still it would have been quite the handsome shelf queen. There going for twice that and more now.

I already mentioned an engine above, but there was also a car - a Yuengling Reefer club car from LOTS. Talk about crying in your beer I later joined LOTS so as to not miss out on any other goodies.

MTH Rocky Mountaineer GP-40s with matching passenger cars. 😞

3rd Rail FL9 in Amtrak

3 rd rail Santa Fe freight engines

The MTH 64' woodsided reefers in CNJ.  There were 2 3-car sets and a single add-on coach.  I have the 3-car coach set and the add-on coach purchased in the secondary market, but not the other 3-car set with the combine and observation. 

I'll bet Lionel eventually does a CNJ set in these cars, with a much higher prices, but I still want the MTH ones. 

I was glad to be able to get the Raritan River cars that Beth at the Public Delivery Track commissioned.

Reading T1 4-8-4 when in came out in 1988.  Took a pass when it came out in 1988 because it required 072 curves.   Eventually bought one in 2022.

Weaver New Haven I-4.

Too young to get it when it was manufactured, and then missed out on one online ~6 years ago when my internet cut out with < 3 minutes left in the auction. It went for less than $700, and I haven't seen one below four figures since.

~Chris

3rd Rail Train of Tomorrow.

I wish I  kept bidding on a matched pair of headlight and tenderlight from a real DMIR Yellowstone at a Stouts Auction a few years ago.

"woulda, coulda, shoulda".  Grab it when ya see it! (Unless l want it, too...) One of possibly numerous procrastinations is a chance to buy a loose 3rd Rail coal fired Vanderbilt tender at an lndy O scale show, since l want all Vandies for my locos.  I thought a lot for a tender that l would have to modify, and walked. Remorse.

@C.Vigs posted:

Weaver New Haven I-4.

Too young to get it when it was manufactured, and then missed out on one online ~6 years ago when my internet cut out with < 3 minutes left in the auction. It went for less than $700, and I haven't seen one below four figures since.

~Chris

With an online auction, you should make your bid the most you are willing to pay.  It doesn't increase the bidding unless someone else bids.  If it goes over your bid, then it wasn't meant to be.

Remember to bid with your head, not with your heart.

Weaver MEC Pacific #470

Weaver Tennessean.

Still could, but too much ($) - 3rd Rail Sunset

VGN Late ALLEGHENY

Should have bought a complete PW Lionel 682 Turbine under 200 bucks thought at that time was to much should have bought.

@SouthernFan56 posted:

Weaver Tennessean.

Sorry I sold mine 20 years ago when I still had my shop. Was 'downsizing'  :-(

A Western Maryland scale K 2 Pacific by 3rd Rail.    I saw this loco at an all brass show back around 2013 .. perhaps even before that.    It was pre-owned and had a price tag of just over somewhere in the mid $500. range.  I asked the vendor if he had any room to negotiate and he graciously said "no".  ( I don't blame him! ) At that time I couldn't substantiate paying that much money for a locomotive, especially a pre-owned one.  Since the Western Maryland is one of the railroads that I model,  I have kicked myself countless times for passing up this deal!    

MTH tinplate monorail reproduction.