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I haved searched and found nothing besides "somewhere between 50 and 75". Therefore the person on an unnamed auction site that claimes one of fifty could be right, or full of ####! Didnt invest as a possible profit. Liked the way they looked. But it would be nice if Lionel would let you know where you stand.

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I bought the Milwaukee Road S-3 on eBay years ago. Paid a pretty penny too, but was happy to get it because I liked the engine. It sits in a case on the mantle in my living room. I was lead to believe the one of fifty story, as it was the first of the pilot models. I have no idea of the quantities of subsequent pilot offerings. Suffice to say, they are all rather limited, since the market for an unpainted* engine is also pretty small. If you look closely at my avatar picture, I'm holding it, as if it was a pet.

*Actually they have a clear coat on them.

Big_Boy_4005 posted:

I bought the Milwaukee Road S-3 on eBay years ago. Paid a pretty penny too, but was happy to get it because I liked the engine. It sits in a case on the mantle in my living room. I was lead to believe the one of fifty story, as it was the first of the pilot models. I have no idea of the quantities of subsequent pilot offerings. Suffice to say, they are all rather limited, since the market for an unpainted* engine is also pretty small. If you look closely at my avatar picture, I'm holding it, as if it was a pet.

*Actually they have a clear coat on them.

I always thought that was a Cat!!

C W Burfle posted:

Why would Lionel do the planning, dedicate catalog space, and set up production lines to produce so few pieces?

It seemed to be "the thing to do" a couple of years ago, most likely as a marketing ploy.  Like the clear shell diesels.

The only difference in production is spraying on clearcoat instead of black & graphite paint and eliminating the lettering process.

Rusty

Hey, C.W. I had that engine. I bought one thinking I had a real rare engine. There where dozens at every train meet. Everyone thought they had something special. Not so! At one time they were selling for about $100. A lot of money for 1973. The gold engine was the start of MPC making "limited" production equipment. The 1776 sets were one of them. 6-8359Don

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BobbyD posted:
Big_Boy_4005 posted:

I bought the Milwaukee Road S-3 on eBay years ago. Paid a pretty penny too, but was happy to get it because I liked the engine. It sits in a case on the mantle in my living room. I was lead to believe the one of fifty story, as it was the first of the pilot models. I have no idea of the quantities of subsequent pilot offerings. Suffice to say, they are all rather limited, since the market for an unpainted* engine is also pretty small. If you look closely at my avatar picture, I'm holding it, as if it was a pet.

*Actually they have a clear coat on them.

I always thought that was a Cat!!

That was the joke. I see a few advantages over an actual cat:

  1. No litter box
  2. No shedding
  3. No hair balls

scale rail posted:

Hey, C.W. I had that engine. I bought one thinking I had a real rare engine. There where dozens at every train meet. Everyone thought they had something special. Not so! At one time they were selling for about $100. A lot of money for 1973. The gold engine was the start of MPC making "limited" production equipment. The 1776 sets were one of them. 6-8359Don

I still have that loc - and I bought it back in '73.  

I do think that my Gold Chessie is one of a kind - because it's the only one I own.  

Hey, C.W. I had that engine. I bought one thinking I had a real rare engine. There where dozens at every train meet. Everyone thought they had something special. Not so! At one time they were selling for about $100. A lot of money for 1973. The gold engine was the start of MPC making "limited" production equipment. The 1776 sets were one of them.

I remember looking at one at Savoy Merchandise for $25. Then I went down the street to Madison Hardware and spent my money on something there. The price of the engine shot up to $100-$125 almost immediately, and I kind of regretted not getting one. Years later I picked one up at a lower price. Even though I paid less than the $100-$125, if I went to sell it, I could not get my money back (mine is mint). No matter, it was not purchased as an investment, and I still like it.

Another early limited edition was the Coke set. I forget how many were rumored to have been made.
It was conceived by Andy Kriswalus, who was supposed to get the entire run. Lionel reneged, and there was some sort of settlement. (source: Andy Kriswalus).
I remember paying $40 for the set. Today they bring more than that.

I did not think the Bicentennial train set was a limited edition. It was released over the course of a few years, I think it was 1974-76. I just checked the announcement flyer, and did not see any reference to it being limited. The word on the street was that one car was made in reduced numbers, so that car fetches more money than the others. I think it was the 7612, but I am not certain. I have the set. I purchased the pieces as they were released, so I didn't pay a premium for any of it.
No production numbers were ever leaked that I know of.

Last edited by C W Burfle

"...most likely as a marketing ploy."

Uh, isn't the entire model train business, as well as all of capitalism, a "marketing ploy"?

Pilot models - which I do like, yes, and have collected, moderately - are no more or less a "marketing ploy" than decorating a locomotive for the New York Central, GM&O, PRR and so on. The model-maker in me finds them beautiful simply as models. I will buy more if offered and when financially feasible (hear that, Lionel and MTH? Niagara! J3a! P2 electric!).

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OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
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