My Unique Train Item

[starfire700]

In the interest of gaining more participation, I am starting this thread. It targets a subject that has been discussed elsewhere.
It is my belief that every Train Collector has at least 1 item that he / she thinks the rest of us have never seen.
This is one of the main inspirations for collecting, to own unique items.

We ask any and all of you to post that item.
Any of the senior members will be glad to assist you if you have difficulty posting your pictures.
They can be cell-phone photos, but have to be reduced in size, some phones will even do this.

My first unique item is not very exciting or flashy, it is a piece of track.
This is a 2-7/8" gauge Lionel crossing track, made before 1906. I am also showing the catalog cut from 1905 describing it.
It is 2-rail ribbon-rail mounted to a wood base.
I believe it is fairly unique, because one was not even available to show in the Lionel Trains Standard of the World book.
This is my unique item, and I ask if anyone else has one. Also that you post your unique item.
It can be a magnificent set, a piece of track or anything in-between.

[Terry]

Here's a unique caboose:

 

It's an 822 caboose lettered with the 801 lettering set.

Here's the end:

 

This is what it should look like:

 

[early0electric]

Nice stuff guys! Terry, I knew about yours and saw it at York before Doug sent it to auction along with the 802 Stock car that was end stamped UNION STOCK LINES. My unique item is the earliest known Lionel catalog, brochure, flyer, what ever you want to call it. You can read the story in the TCA Quarterly of Jan 2017, vol 63 no 1.

 

 

[starfire700]

The 822 stamped 801 and the Early Lionel 2-7/8" catalog are certainly unique if not as rare as hen's teeth. Glad to see some participation.
Someone else out there must have a real rarity.

[Terry]

Here's something cool:

 

It's a Lionel WHITE arm 152 crossing gate. When the TCA book came out in the 1970s it only listed the gate in aluminum or gray. Shortly after the book came out I found a 1666E set with a side terminal 164 log loader and a white arm 152 gate.

The 164 log loader was only shown in the book with top terminals. That was two items that were NOT listed in the TCA book from the one purchase. That's really what started me on the search for odd items.

Based on my observations the 164 with side terminals is much harder to find than the white gate. But with the crossing gate you can see the difference without it being pointed out, and I don't look at every log loader closely.

This crossing gate should have a small pedestrian arm that is missing. I got it a few weeks ago in a box of junk I dragged out of a hoarder's home. I have a nicer pair - including the one I found in the 1970s - on the O gauge layout. Over the years I've had four of these. Not unique but quite rare.

[starfire700]

I have a white 152 also, certainly is a rarity. Glad that you posted it.

[starfire700]

On subject of 1933 Century of Progress......
I have an American Flyer 534 Automobile boxcar, Hummer series, that has Century of Progress surplus litho for a floor. It was facing inside, I just faced it out. The trolley is now as rare as hen's teeth, although they reportedly sold over 100,000 the first week of the Chicago Expo. (p. 21 of Greenberg AF O Gauge book). Since they had surplus litho as evidenced by this car, they must have over-produced this little gem. I had to borrow an image of the trolley with OB, thanks Glenn Ralston, as I do not have one in my collection.

[early0electric]

Terry, I also have the olive and dark green 901 gongolas. A lot of items are listed under Collectors Corner that could possibly be posted here e. g., NYNH&H caboose, 600 orange, 600 olive, 820 ATSF. Do want redundant posting?

[Terry]

Mike - Jim posted the gondolas. We all have those. I had three of the olive ones because I can't pass one by, but just sold one this week.  We all searched for them for a while.

I think we can post anything, but are more likely to maintain interest with fewer repeats.

Here's a new one:

 

 

Lionel 1100 Mickey Mouse Handcar from 1934-37 rubber stamped on backside for Bloomingdales. I don't know whether the store or Lionel did the stamping. Might be unique. My dad bought it in the late 1960s and I've never heard of another.

That's a 22 year old photo, and it's still as fresh as the day I took it. I paid $700 for my first digital camera. This camera I'm using now was $35, and has lots more features.  I don't squeak as loudly when I drop the newer camera on the floor either.

[starfire700]

I did not realize the 901 gondolas were so common, I removed them. Don't want redundancy.

[early0electric]

I don't think I'd call the olive or dark green common. They are hard to find, like the Pennsylvania and command a premium...or they should, but nowadays?

[Terry]

I got $275 for an olive gondola with a loose soldier joint, but otherwise very nice just last week.
Based on condition that's about what I paid for the first one I found. I looked for it for decades. I'd say it's as rare as any of the brown roof 4-wheel cars.

I found the dark green gondola many years ago at a train meet for a few dollars and never really looked at them again, but don't think I've seen many for sale either. In fact, if I'd been thinking of it as an expensive car, I would have been looking at them to see if I could make a buck.

[early0electric]

I have a couple dark green 901 gondolas.  One came with a boxed Outfit 290. I've also had a couple Olive Green 901's. I've kept one and sold the other, strangely also with a loose solder joint.

[Terry]

Here's something that isn't unique, but being one ofa few is close enough.

This is an IVES 3250 Loco that has added slots and 3252 plates.  It looks like the loco was lettered and then slotted and repainted.  I think the 3252 locos with plates have embossed recessed squares on the doors that the plates sit in.

 

 

I took one of the plates off to see what is underneath.

 

 

 

This was one of my earliest ebay purchases from about 1998. This loco was in a lot with a Lionel 82 semaphore with a nice peacock base I wanted  for my layout and some other items including IVES freight cars that are long gone.  I bought the whole lot for $40. That might even have been postpaid!

This has just been sitting on the shelf for decades. I did see a similar one on eBay in the past 10-15 years so it's not unique.  I think the other one I saw was maroon, but I'm not sure.

[starfire700]

I guess there used to be some deals on Ebay