I recall they tested one in CTT. The list price, with the N8, was indeed $1800 . The street price was about $1500.
I bought mine about 6 years ago for $650. It was advertised as new. When I got it, it had been run. I complained to the seller and he knocked $300 off the price. Everything works on it and it runs just fine. It does have some blisters on the boiler, but since I got it for $350, I can't complain.
As far as the Lionel scale PRR T1 duplex, I bought one of them about 5 years ago. I figured I would dead before Lionel issues a new one.