Lionel I-12 Cabooses

These are gorgeous little cabooses; there are probably ten different ones in various combinations of Chessie/BO/CO... I have the Chessie heritage version and the Polar Railroad.

Many of the eBay prices are indeed WAY too high, and if you check completed listings you'll see they're not selling.  I think I paid around $70 each for mine.

Again, they're lovely... but not $150+ lovely. 

EDIT:  Perusing the completed listings myself, it appears someone paid $190 for a red B&O.    I'd say that's an anomaly.

The same guy has them for $170+. There are "fools" pretending to be Sellers trolling for unsuspecting buyers. There is also a brass version for less!

Thank you for the information. 

These cab's are TRUELY GORGEOUS!! I drool everytime I look at the detail on ebay. I'd LOVE to collect the red B&O,blue /yellow B&O,well all these! Ha Ha!! But until I can sell my HO&N collctions,it's a no buy deal. But I can't even consider buying if all my other things did sell,at the prices they want.

Does Lionel still manufacture the I-12's?

Thank you,Al

Does Lionel still manufacture the I-12's?

The I-12 does not look to be in the Lionel catalog that came out today.  However, they have been cataloged several times since they were introduced a decade ago and I would expect to see them again in future catalogs.

So far the highest MSRP has been $89.99.  I wouldn't pay more unless you really want a particular version.  Very few modern era Lionel items are truly rare.  If you are willing to wait you should be able to find one you want at a reasonable price.

FWIW, I agree that some of the auction asking prices are, well, ...very speculative.  If it's not comfortable to you, I wouldn't buy it. 

Because....

Lionel still has the tooling.  Idle tooling makes no money.  Lionel would like to make lots of money.  (Can we all say 'Duh!?')  Ergo, patience is what we need in the meantime.

Here's another speculative idea/possibility....   Perhaps one of the national clubs...TCA, LCCA, TTOS, et al...perhaps a historical group, or even a bankrolled large hobby shop!...might contract Lionel to make a special run of the I-12's in a very desirable scheme.  Although they were unique and original to the Beano, they went through a few color/lettering perturbations/combinations during that road's singular history, and then into several merger schemes thereafter...until the demise of cabeese was condoned everywhere.  Paint and pad-printing dies are relatively cheap in the production scheme of things. 

I have the I-12 in Lionel's orange-and-blue....it's VERY "Lionel', IMHO!  I also have the Beano red and Beano blue versions...but I NEVER paid three figures for any of them!  Nor would I ever in the future!

So, keep your eyes/ears open for a palatable price and/or special product announcement in the meantime.  And, there's always Lionel's NEXT catalog!

KD

I've got one of the Lionel red wagontop cabooses and they are beautiful models. Had Lionel not issued these, I would definitely have purchased one of the brass models.

I watch all the B&O stuff that comes up on eBay and I too have been stunned at the asking prices (I think I got mine for about $65 when they first came out). I have seen some of the Lionel models priced at what the brass models sell for.

Jim

Try Nicholas Smith Trains:

http://www.nicholassmithtrains...-B%26O-I-12-CABOOSE/

You're not going to find them cheaper. I bought a Chessie System (WM) Northeast caboose recently from Nicholas Smith Trains for the same price and couldn't be happier.

I did purchase a Chessie System (B&O) I-12 caboose on eBay and paid about $30 over the retail price which I think was like $85. A lot, yes, but there is no way I could reconcile paying more than that.

Insanely detailed cabooses, by the way.

Lionel 6-17647 B&O I-12 caboose

Lionel 6-27609 B&O I-12 caboose

LIONEL 6-27635

These are beautiful,cabooses & that's putting it mildly. Does the blue cab#2424 have numbers on the ends?Thanks,Al

My daughter took my Chessie heritage I-12 off the shelf yesterday and said to me, "hey, did you know the doors open on the ends?"

Actually, I didn't!  A spring-loaded door--what a cool feature. 

Road numbers are on each end

While 3rd Rail did make a brass version of this caboose, it is no where as nice as Lionel's version.  I own both and find the Lionel version is the nicest O gauge caboose I have ever seen!  Brass or plastic!

I find it interesting that people will say the seller on ebay is asking way too much at 169 but one sells for 190.

Happy railroading,

Don

I love the beauty of I-12 cabooses and the B&O - CSX heritage is my favorite of the 9 different B&O ones that I have.

I also find it interesting to see them on e-bay for the high $$, can't really see it myself.

The Lionel I-12 is simply the finest three rail caboose ever manufactured PERIOD! Lionel has hit several home runs in the caboose line with prototypical accuracy with detail, with the I-12 being the best.  Even the interiors are nicely done, lighting and 3 rails considered.  The steps, end platforms, fine wire handrails are awesome!  

I believe that the Alaska RR also ran a few I-12's.  Perhaps they were purchased from B&O.

It is a little like Lionel's PS-1 series of boxcars.  That piece of rolling stock set a high standard for three rail rolling stock yet to be equaled.  Dick Maddox had an English gentleman doing the design for some of these highly detailed accurate pieces of rolling stock.  Too bad the management team after Dick did not hang on to the fellow.  I forget his name, maybe another poster will know.

I'm waiting for my first wood sided reefer.  I think those boxcars also raise the detail bar.  Ditto but not quite as nice, I await my first wagon top boxcar. 

MTH may well deserve the credit for the many fine pieces of rolling stock being released at Lionel.  What I imply by that is that Lionel had to reinvent themselves to become a genuine competitor for MTH, and Atlas.  MTH ate Lionel's breakfast and lunch for many years.  Even some of the hoppers and tank cars are superb!  

The I-12 certainly would make a 2 rail scale guy do a double take!

Does anyone have a red B&O they would sell?  I'm looking for one for a fair price myself.  I love the looks of these!

Doug responded "I find it interesting that people will say the seller on ebay is asking way too much at 169 but one sells for 190."

A fool is still a fool!

Train World has 2 of them in stock.

Chessie/C&O CSX Heritage I-12 Caboose $59.99  

http://www.trainworld.com/manu...-i-12-caboose-27652/ 

Clinchfield CSX Heritage I-12 Caboose $49.99

http://www.trainworld.com/manu...-i-12-caboose-27654/

Several years ago Trainbuddies" had a write-up about the Lionel B&O I-12 cabooses.  I wish I had saved it (or saved it but can't find it).  They stated that the the original releases represented the prototype paint schemes from the first release to very late in their career. 

The original paint scheme was the rarest on the secondary market and commanded a higher price.

Jan