What Is The Rarest Item You Own?

Original Lionel 397 coal loader from 1946 w yellow diesel cover and lighting. Also 2 NICE 1946 aluminum 3459 dump cars. RARE Black barrel cars 3462- both versions. And More stuff.

thanks for sharing that great story!

A few of the oddball Lionel stuff: 199 Scenic Railway (complete except for the two sky backdrops), 502, 503 separate sale pines, 505 Oak trees, 510 Cannas, 111 Lamp renewal set, 49 Airport in original box, 195 Terrace, 84 Racing set.

Ron M

Adventure Comics #25-27, Detective Comics #8, More Fun Comics #15 and a few bottles of Pappy Van Winkle and William Larue Weller (antique collection).  Almost forgot - some pre-embargo Havanas. 

111 Lamp renewal set

Wood or paper?

jim sutter posted:

I had a black MTH coil cover car. I can't remember the name on it but I believe it started with a M.

 

 

Mitsui ?  

I don't know...maybe this K-Line tank car.

Hmmm....I wonder if my collection of Jim Sutter's Ltd Weaver freight car runs is rare?

C W Burfle posted:

111 Lamp renewal set

Wood or paper?

Wood case with wooden lamp containers and lamp replacement card (which lamp goes with what item).

Ron M

Wood case with wooden lamp containers and lamp replacement card (which lamp goes with what item).

Very nice!

Mike, please tell me more about that K-Line tank car, especially how I can find one...

Very cool.

Paul

Railrunnin posted:

Mike, please tell me more about that K-Line tank car, especially how I can find one...

Very cool.

Paul

Wish I knew, Paul.  Walked into the Orange Hall a few Yorks ago and saw this almost right away.  No box or anything.  I think it was made only once, about 10 years ago.  I've never seen another one anywhere, either on auctions sites or at train shows.  

Mine is more "modern rare"...have the blue comet talking diner car which is pretty hard to find. Got a good price on it too! 

A 6044-1X Nestle boxcar with the box.

One of my items, on the rare side, the painted yellow barrel car, with box, papers, all items inclusive, or a 5160 Speedway Viewing Stand with box.

Probably a LIKE NEW Marx 2002 Red Hand Car with Yellow Men. It is from the very earliest of production. 

It's fun to see all these treasures. For me, it's a #96 coal elevator - pre-war, manually operated. In the middle of this photo: 

Thanks Mike, that is one cool item. I'm going to put a WTB post up - you never know...

Paul

I have a KMT Stegmaier boxcar.  Love the Stegmaier.  Got this on eBay several years ago.  They come up for auction rarely.  The graphics are not as 21st century as the RMT Stegmaier hopper but it is just like the old bottle label.

I always tell the Mrs. its me! I'm one of a kind.

But the most rarest item I have is a Lionel prototype 18 inch aluminum Station Sounds diner car from the NYC CC2 Empire builder set. Saved if from the crusher...

I think the only rare item in my collection is the Vision Line 700E Hudson. Every time one does pop up it rigs in some pretty crazy prices. Considering what I paid for it in C7 condition, it's a steal.

MIKADO 4501

that 700E is a beauty--very nice

Bob C.

I bet finding someone who knows how to work this is rarer than the item itself.  Still, it's in unused condition and I doubt I'll be learning code anytime soon.

Bruce

interesting item

Bob C.

brwebster posted:

I bet finding someone who knows how to work this is rarer than the item itself.  Still, it's in unused condition and I doubt I'll be learning code anytime soon.

Bruce

I think you just found someone rarer lol brwebster

Besides several rare variations of Plasticville, it would be my Lionel Odyssey Demo Engines, Black Commodore Vanderbilt Hudson, and several lighted dealer only display signs and clocks.

brwebster posted:

I bet finding someone who knows how to work this is rarer than the item itself.  Still, it's in unused condition and I doubt I'll be learning code anytime soon.

Bruce

I know of a retired Norfolk & Western telegrapher.

Brewster, The J-38 keys were common as dirt on Navy Radio rooms back in the day, before they outmoded the use of morse code.  I used one the whole time I was in the Navy.  Morse code (CW) is a dying art..  I remember a few years ago, one of the Late Night TV shows pitted two teenagers against two Ham Radio operators to see who was faster in receiving the same message.  The Ham operators "Smoked" the teenagers by a lot.  Got a kick out of that!!

The rarest item I own are $20 bills. 

The J-38 keys were common as dirt on Navy Radio rooms back in the day, before they outmoded the use of morse code.

Those J-38 keys were made by a number of companies. I wonder how much of the market Lionel had.

Is it still a requirement to be proficient in Morse code to get a HAM license? My great uncle was big into HAM radio. 

Don

Lionel made the bulk of the J-38 keys, but there were others who produced them.  You should see Lionel or Lionel's characteristic "L", somewhere on the brass, to prove it was made by Lionel.  There were roughly 10 companies that made them, with Lionel the largest manufacturer.

The morse code requirement was dropped at least 10 years ago, so you only need to pass any level license with knowing rules and regulations and theory(electronic, antenna, etc.). It was mainly done to entice more people into the hobby, who endlessly struggled with the Code.  Over the last ten or so years, the Ham operators have increased from what they were.  

A link to a little history of the J-38 key:

http://artifaxbooks.com/fsj38keys.htm

http://www.radioblvd.com/telegraph_keys.htm

I think my set of K-Line 4 pac B&O 15" Aluminum Passenger Set is pretty rare as I have been looking for a long while for any cars or a second set and haven't seen hide nor hair of them, lol. Great looking cars, as well done as their much sought after 21" cars. Here is a link to the Legacy K-Line site. http://www.legacykline.com/app...ml?p_oem_sku=K-4610F

POTRZBE posted:

I have a KMT Stegmaier boxcar.  Love the Stegmaier.  Got this on eBay several years ago.  They come up for auction rarely.  The graphics are not as 21st century as the RMT Stegmaier hopper but it is just like the old bottle label.

great reefer!  i went to Wilkes College (Univ now) and was very familiar with the Stegmaier Brewery or rather they were probably very familiar with our dorm. 

cheers...gary

My custom built Canadian Wide Cab GP38-2LW and SD50f are each one of a kind. Honestly, I wish they weren't. I could use a few more with modern electronics! (Atlas, Lionel, MTH, you guys listening?) 

VaGolfer1950 posted:

I think my set of K-Line 4 pac B&O 15" Aluminum Passenger Set is pretty rare as I have been looking for a long while for any cars or a second set and haven't seen hide nor hair of them, lol. Great looking cars, as well done as their much sought after 21" cars. Here is a link to the Legacy K-Line site. http://www.legacykline.com/app...ml?p_oem_sku=K-4610F

I have this same set behind my K-Line B&O Pacific. I would not part with them for any price.

I have a couple of banquet cars for the 1993 and 2015 National TCA conventions. A Western Pacific 6464 car and Weaver silver NYC TOFC. Not sure of the number produced but would guess less than 50, maybe less than 30??

But by far the rarest is a 3rd Rail Southern Pacific GS-4 Daylight painted in the as built paint scheme. I believe its the only one done that way. All others are in the Post 1945, AFT, or wartime black paint schemes.

Pete

All the KMT Boxcars and Reefers in my collection, they are somewhat hard to find now...

Right behind the loco, an On42  5-axle AF flatcar with special pumping equipment for rocket fuel tank cars.

This two rail Chicago Surface Lines PCC streetcar.I bought the brass model from Chicagoland Hobbies and had their extremely talented painter at the time assemble and paint the model.This was over 25 years ago.It was way out of my budget range,but the model and craftsmanship of the intricate painting was too good to pass up.It is still one of my favorite models.