What have you found Unexpectedly?

Was at a Greenberg show last year and stumbled on a remake of a postwar

6464-series boxcar in Santa Fe El Capitan decoration that I had coveted as

a kid, but never bought.  Plus it was in like-new condition and had the box.

     Hoppy

Found my Polar Express Baggage car at a Linens 'n' Things liquidation sale.  It was the last train-related item on the shelf, and was only $10.00.  I grabbed it knowing it was only a matter of time before I officially became involved with O gauge trains (I already had my Conrail GP38 at this time).

I guess I should add my Dreyfuss Hudson that I got at a local train show last year to my list.  I knew it would be the perfect engine but never thought I would ever actually own one!

Aaron

I was raking smooth a dirt floor garage. When I moved near a wall, the tines caught some nasty card board buried in the dirt, and I yanked. Under it was a hollow space, so I carefully lifted the remaining cardboard to reveal a MARX Commador Vanderbuilt set in great condition (minus a few items that were 100% rust dust. Nothing but the paint still in the shape of a box car etc  . It seems to be an un-cataloged one, strange smoke bulb and internal shrouding, different paint.  My Great-Grandmother was killed by a Detroit trolley. While crossing get a good picture of it, her foot got lodged between the road and the track. Because of the small crowd around her, the driver failed to stop in time, ignoring the peoples frantic waves. Her Christmas train was never brought out again, forgotten, over time completely buried in dust and dirt. After the find, and learning of the story behind its neglect, the train was kept from the sight of any family members who would be emotionally affected by it. Since they have passed on now, its actually the only thing with a physical connection to her that our family has, so now it sees run time around the tree, during the holidays, as a reminder of who she was.  

Just before we moved a older neighbor stopped in to say good by. We lived in our house for almost ten years and didn't see these neighbors much as they live over half the time up in the Sierras. Dick said he heard I liked trains and would I want a set he had given his son years ago. The set was a Lionel space set from the 70's I think. I'm a scale guy and didn't know anything about the set. He said they were going to dump it if I didn't want it so I took it. After we moved I looked the set up and found it's worth a lot of money. You never know. Don. 

This is a great thread. I've enjoyed reading these experiences.  Thanks for sharing!

Sunrise

The one that got away-

In the 1970s, it had been a few years and the Atari display had taken the place of the Lionels at our local Sears. Being a bored, cuious kid, I would occasionally look into the storage below the display cabinets till chased off by a sales rep., one day I found a brown box stamped with a black number stamped on the end. It was at the back of a drawer, underneath a redone ribbon display. The tape was cut on the box, so I fished it out to look and see what it was. I thought it was a speed control pedal for sewing machines. They fascinated me, durable, heavy, well made, but I was holding an un-run #520 with a missing pantograph. I slid it back to its hiding place, and got to Mom asap, and she agreed to its purchase. Not being able to find a current price listing, we were told to return the next day and complete the sale. The next day the train was no longer there, and the store manager said "it must have been stolen", not knowing our neighbor was the sewing depts. manager. She said that he took the box out of the drawer as he arrived that morning. Me shouting, Liar! Liar! Pants on fire!- That's how I left Sears for quite awhile always making eye contact with him

40 years later and Im still mad..... Time to take a break and run the GG.

 So if the 520 box cab ever did have a box, I say it was plain brown with a black #520 on it nothing more, not even Lionel name.

I think I failed to post this in the last 520 thread. Forgot. Sorry, Allen. 

the other day I took a pair of pants off the hanger and after I put them on I found $40 in my left side pocket.

Thanks for sharing everyone.  I have enjoyed reading about the train items you have found! 

Adriatic, your finding of your Great-Grandmother's MARX Commador Vanderbuilt set is something you and your family must treasure.  It stories like yours and others within this hobby that provide long lasting memories to families which makes this a great hobby!  Again, thanks for sharing. 

Ken

My keys.   Sorry.  Where do you go at 66.

Dennis

This Williams 43162 Pennsylvania Congressional 72' Scale Streamlined Passenger Set for $139!

Mint in unopened box!

• 1 Baggage car
• 2 Coach cars
• 1 Observation car
• Car Length: 18" each
• Minimum Curve: O-42
• Factory Sealed

I also found cash. At a local train show, walking back to my car I found two twenty dollar bills on the sidewalk, paid for what I had earlier bought.

Fred

While looking in the closet where I keep some train stuff & parts I found a operating Log Car I didn't know I'd bought.

Jim

Hey that was mine. Tell you what keep one send me the other.

The check is in the mail. Fred