Postwar Collection

The trains are not from 1956.
The VW transformer was made in 1948 and 1949.
The 671 locomotive with a 2671W tender was made in 1948.
There are a bunch of variations on 671 locomotives, and Lionel reissued the 671 as 671RR during the Korean War materials shortage. Some of these engines are marked "671RR", and others are not (the "RR" is under the "671").

Generally, the 671 was made between 1946 and 1949. The 671RR was probably 1952 (not positive).

You can use the Tandem Associates web site to identify the trains.

The value of the trains is dependent on the condition.
The last private party purchase I made was all boxed stuff, but every piece had something wrong with it. So boxes are not always an indication of the condition of the trains themselves.
In the world of collecting, items in "good" condition are not particularly valuable.

Can you post some photos, preferably showing all sides of each piece?

 Tell him $300, see what he says.  Probably wouldn't get any more from a dealer.

I'd probably only do $225 if it was me.

I agree with el classico, sounds like the stuff is average condition at best.  And you probably have some potential for repair needed on the engine and tender unless you have tested it.

Some pretty generous numbers here..... put that "collection " on here for sale at $300....its going to sit for a very long time

all items are very common, and none are that expensive. without pics I'd say no more than $200.

I remember when some of those items were desired.  Not knowing the condition, it is a hard call.  I do not even know anybody who would want it.

So when are you posing the items for sale ??  The whole lot in one bunch or individually ??

$200 tops depending on condition.

Tin

  I do not even know anybody who would want it.

IMHO, there is no shortage of people who would want the set. The key pieces are the locomotive/tender, and the VW transformer.

The 2420 is a work caboose with an operating searchlight. It's a nice car that came in either dark or light grey. I forget which is considered more desirable. The roof and/or toolboxes are often chipped.

I believe the 2460 is a six wheel crane. Nice car, but the booms / cabs are often damaged.
I last purchased one about 2 years ago at the Springfield, MA train show. It was dirty but complete, cost me $15.
It cleaned up just fine.

The 3472 milk car came with two different style doors: plastic or metal. IMHO, 027 milk cars with damaged doors have almost no value. In my area, a nice one would probably go for under $20, with the platform.

2461 is a transformer car. It should have four insulators on top. The transformer came in black or red. The insulators are often damaged. Another nice car if the insulators are original and undamaged. Reproduction insulators were made. Not certain how they are installed. The originals were trapped between the two halves of the transformer before it was glued together. Maybe the repro's were just glued to the outside?

Prices do seem to vary quite a bit across the country.
But it seems to me that some of the suggested offers are well over retail.

By the way, I don't think the original poster is looking for suggestions on pricing to list the trains here or anywhere else. I thought he was looking for some guidance on what to pay his neighbor to buy the trains for himself.

that's how I took it.not that these items are undesirable, just common enough most already have them.

Like any for sale trains, condition is where it is at.   A train guy here on the forum will be looking at these trains with a different eye than a non train guy/gal.

It really isn't possible to provide any estimates for many of these items without pictures.  The color and condition of the 3459 dump car could make it worth between $20-$250, so there's no point in commenting until you post some photos, or give us more detail.  

GENERAL, thoughts:

• Steam Turbine Locomotive w/smoke chamber #671 - $100-250 depending on condition
  Tender with whistle #2671W (I included this with engine)
  
  
• Operating Milk Car #3472 (one door needs work) $20 (assume this is salvageable)
  Milk car platform #3462P (I included this included with 3472)
  
  
• Operating Generator Car #2461 (red gen $50, black gen $25, broken insulators, $10)
• Operating Searchlight Car #2420 ($25-50 depending on condition)
• Operating Crane Car #2460 (needs work on crane lift) (grey or black? How much work? $20 if black)
  
  
• Automatic Dump Car #3459 (black, green, or alumuminum)? If black/green how well-scratched is it?) If aluminum, this could be a $150 car. If black/green, need photo to price).
  
  
• Hopper Car #6456 – Color? Condition? Not possible to price this with out it.
  
  
• Operating Coal Loader w/coal #397 – What color engine cover, yellow or blue? Assuming blue, $20 not working, $40 working.
  
  
• Trackside signal #153-3, $15
  
  
• VW-150 dual-handle transformer (assume 75 watts per side?) - $35-40
  
  

Very roughly speaking, that totes up to $320, which is what your friend could hope to get if he put it on eBay or brought them to York himself and sold all.  It's his choice to do that if he doesn't like your offer, if you make one.

Since you're in this either to sell them yourself or to enjoy them, I'd say $150 if you plan to sell, $160-175 if you want them on your own shelf.

If you've got some of the rarer items (aluminum 3459, yellow-engine cover 397, red LV hopper, etc.,), then the above could go up by a few hundred dollars, but there's no way to tell at this point without photos.

All of the above is officially "FWIW" and "YMMV".

Steven J. Serenska

On the retail market the parts of this would bring about 400 to 500 dollars, as a boxed set maybe a little more. It is a set that is from the late 1940's it was pretty common, Lionel sold a lot of those Pennsy turbines.

The devil is in the details of condition and exact names, colors, etc of the components. see http://www.tandem-associates.com/ for some id and value help.

Bogie

Another common problem: broken steps on the tender. The 2671W is a desirable tender, but all four steps have to be intact. Some 2671W tenders have a back-up light consisting of a light bar mounted inside the back of the tender shell, with little lenses stuck in the "portholes" on the back wall of the tender, and an old school light socket mounted to the tender floor.

Madison Hardware sold kits to add your own backup light for many years. These parts  may have been original Lionel factory parts. Don't know for certain.

And be certain to check the cowcatcher for bends. I've seen a large number of turbines with bent cowcatchers.

I have two 2761s, one has all its steps, the other one broken step. One tender is marked on the bottom 2761W the other WX ??   What is the difference ?  They look the same.

The 2671W is "Pennsylvania", the 2671WX is "Lionel Lines" on the shells.  That is how you tell which one you have.  If the name on the shell is the same, on both frames, one was a replacement.

OK, they jive. thanks. No back up lights though !! I love the 6 wheel trucks but I like the older, smaller tenders with coal loads.

A safe figure would be $200. No more. You have no idea of the condition. Like Burfle says the 2671W could be a mess.1 broken step and the price goes down $75.