Lionel Kansas City Southern F-3 rare? Can't find?!!

[FEClionel]

I just purchased a Kansas City Southern NIB at a train show for a rediculas price. I was wondering why this F-3 is so hard to find and why I got such a great deal on it. I know that KCS was a small line that is now international(mexico & canada) however, its an archived number 2388 piece that truly beautiful. I would love to find the passenger cars to match this item but a quick search has turn up nothing. I'm considering making a freight set out of it if I can't find passenger cars to match this set. I chose these F-3's w/o cars over the Wabash Post-War set - did I make the right choice?

[Algonquin]

I purchased my KCS F-3 AA set about a year after they came out. I also got it for a significantly reduced price. The KCS set did not sell well and was discounted by many retailers. I personally think the set has one of the best looking color schemes of all the F-3s (The SP is nice too). I think the problem with the KCS is that it came out in a year when Lionel released a lot of F-3 sets. In the 80s, lionel issued one F-3 set each year. In 2001 Lionel issued several F-3 sets. I think the collector market was saturated with F-3s.

I did not by the passenger cars, I did not care for the colors. So I run mine with freight. I have been looking for the matching B unit and have had little luck finding one.

As far as whether its purchase was a good choice; that depends on whether or not you are happy with it. I love mine, pulls great, sounds great and I love the colors. For me, as of now, the KCS F-3s are my favorite F-3 set. It is currently on my layout pulling a string of about 30 lionel freight cars.

Regards,

Tim Pignatari

[lionelsoni]

You might keep looking at Ebay. A set recently went for $350 there. See
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3159334967&category=4148 .

A description of the locomotive and cars is at
http://www.lionel.com/Products/Catalogs/catalog_2000_v2/kansas_city.htm .

[FEClionel]

I too have been looking for a B unit to match my set. I have only seen the passenger cars in the catalog so I don't know if I like them or not. I like the color combo and I think it would be a great freight set. I will only be running a limited number of car anyway - making a mock archive freight set with Post War Celebration and Archive cars. If any one knows where to find the passenger cars or the B unit please post for me and Tim!

[FEClionel]

The only passenger cars I can find is the 2 pack add on. Here is my question could I run the 2 passenger cars with frieght or is that un prototypical? I know I can run whatever I want together and I should buy what I like but , I like to make complete "sets " for all my engines. What do you think?

[Algonquin]

I have started running my passenger sets with Lionel's new milk cars. They look great between a scale steamer and heavy weight passenger cars. I have not added freight cars to my diesel powered streamlined sets. But I run what I like. If it looks good to me I run it. If you really like the look of the KCS F-3s with the matching passenger cars, you may want to pick up the two car set now. Eventually the four car set will show up. I built my 6 car C&) set that way. It took me a longer time to find the matching two car set as compared to the four.

Regards,

Tim Pignatari