I bought this wonderful set earlier this week from the original owner's son. He lives in Tucson and called about old Lionel Standard Gauge trains. He said there was a steam loco and three cars plus some other cars including a floodlight car. When he told what he wanted, I asked him to send me some pictures with his cell phone. He wanted a lot, but he said the trains were gorgeous. If he was down the street from me, I would have went over without thinking, but he's a 200+ mile round trip.
When his granddaughter sent me the photos a few days later, I called to set up a meeting time. I told him if both sides of the trains looked like the sides in the pictures and there was no casting damage I'd pay his price.
He came back with his price was just for the loco, and wanted a higher price for all the trains. When I balked, he said he had someone else interested in the trains. I told him he should see the other guy and then call me.
Another few days later and he was back. He said the other collector had offered him $300 more than my topline price, but he'd sell me the trains if I'd raise my offer by $200. I figured he was lying and I could talk him down a few hundred and get back to where I wanted to be so I made an appointment.
Call me stupid, but once I saw the set, I wasn't leaving without it.
A gorgeous set with a few original owner changes - The loco has a chugger unit added, the tender has an early banana whistle unit added, and the observation deck has been cut so a coupler could be added. One original pilot wheel deteriorated, and has been replaced by a turned steel wheel. The boiler front has expanded and won't open without breaking.
I oiled the set and put it on the track. It runs great. Here's a video of it running alongside my other 392E pulling a bunch of 500 series freight cars:
This 1932 set comes with the new for '32 392E steamer, the 384T tender with green stripes, and passenger cars 310 baggage, 309 pullman, and 312 observation in two tone brown. These cars are called "Baby State Cars."
Car boxes are all dated 1931, loco box dated 1932, tender box not dated. Note tender box has X. This might refer to a different drawbar for the 392E loco rather than the 384?
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