wow, train engines are alot!

Marxed · Sep 14, 2005

i was just looking though some lionel catalogs and stuff and seen the lionel commodore vanderbuilt for like $1,700

i've really liked the train, and i do have a marx commodore vanderbuilt... but wow.... $1,700

... just today someone i know told me they spent 3k on an engine before, thats enough money to buy a used car!

how on earth do these manage to get that valuable?

has anyone here bought any train engines that were over 1,000, or atleast over 500??

i really would love to se some nice shots of the lionel commodore vanderbuilt, or anyother one of these big trains they have, if anyone has pics

Dragon · Sep 15, 2005

Closest I came was a $400 HO Scale United brass Vulcan Duplex.
Wanted a nice Beyer Garratt, but the missus would "cut me off" if I spent over $1000 on an engine.

ezdays · Sep 15, 2005

Just like all products in this world, rarity and condition along with desire drives the price. Age is a factor only by virtue of these other factors. Just watch the Antique Roadshow for proof of that. If you're seeing a loco that's selling for $2,000, you can be sure it is only one of a few in existance and is wanted by other collectors. Yeah, I suspect that these high-priced locos will just sit in someone's collection since running them would have a profound affect on their value.

I've yet to spend over $100 for an engine, there are some I have my eye on in the $200-300 range, but I'm not a collector either, so if I buy them, they'll get run. Well, I do have a few LifeLike GP38's in their boxes that I haven't run that I paid around $20 for them when Model Expo went out of the train business. I'm hoping that someday, if I don't run them, they will become rare and I can make a few thousand dollars, yeah, right, someday....

spankybird · Sep 15, 2005

The most expensive engine that I have bought is this O Gauge MTH RailKing Alleghany. New price was $650.00 It is PS2 with full DCS command control.

tom

onceler · Sep 15, 2005

Like others, my engines are bought to run, not to collect. The most expensive unit I have is an Athearn Genesis Challenger & a Riverrossi Big Boy. I do, however, have a collection of pre-war era Lionel trains in their original boxes that my grandfather left me. Even though there are a lot of collectors pieces in the collection, I look at it more as a family heirloom (sp?) to be passed down from generation to generation than something that will gain in value that I can sell.

Russ Bellinis · Sep 15, 2005

That is why I model in ho and I don't have any brass.

Marxed · Sep 15, 2005

spankybird, nice engine!

i'm glad to see that everyone here soo far prefers running over storing! that's the only way to be :thumb:

tillsbury · Sep 16, 2005

Some of the really big G steam is silly money too... a regular exhibitor at the shows here runs a spectacular $2000+ G-scale steamer on a regular basis... Good on him!!

siledka · Sep 17, 2005

Pitchwife · Sep 17, 2005

I'll look at the prices that are paid for some items on eBay that I would consider exorbitant and think how much really nice stuff could have been purchased for the same amount. One item that stands out is a 1/64th Batmobile slot car. I have seen quite a few listed on eBay and the lowest price paid was $125.00.

For a slot car!

I firmly believe that a lot of people on eBay have more money than sense, but I suppose that they would say the same about us paying $20 - $30 for a little plastic building.

Oh well, each to their own.

siledka · Sep 18, 2005

just added a new thread with a pic of a couple of beautifull brass 1000-plus locs that I bought today. Well, I know it is a heap of money - but I dreamed of this one!

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wow, train engines are alot!

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