value of set

[Dave Farquhar]

The Allstate transformer is Marx, not Lionel. Marx labeled the sets it sold to Sears as Allstate, since it sounds vaguely railroadish and at the time Sears owned Allstate.

Pure speculation, but I'm guessing that the original Lionel transformer that came with the set went belly up, so either the owner picked up the Allstate secondhand, or bought it at Sears--I have no idea if Marx transformers were ever sold loose, without sets.

Mixing Marx and Lionel was fairly common. My dad and his brother had a Lionel layout when they were growing up in the early 1950s. They had two Lionel starter sets, to get the prestige of Lionel, but they had at least as much Marx track as they did Lionel, and the switches were Marx, so they got an aristocratic-sized layout on something resembling a working-class budget.

I'll echo what everyone else said about your train being best enjoyed, rather than sold for what little money it will fetch. I'll bet it'll look good around your Christmas tree, especially if you happen to have some of the holiday village buildings that are all the rage these days. Not coincidentally, they're sized about the same scale as Lionel trains.

[FJ and G]

in all likelihood, the value of an old set is less than what it cost in 1950 dollars.

the real value is in the find and play

you likely won't get rich anymore off finding old trains, unless you find the Tom Thumb or something buried in a corn field.

[brianel027]

Boon, unless you have a service manual or repair guide, I wouldn't pull the Scout motor (the encased black plastic housing that has the drive wheels in it) apart. Those things are a challenge for those who have worked on them.

Those Scout locos run notoriously rough, especially over uncoupling tracks and turnouts. If yours does run, one thing you can do to improve operation greatly is to remove the inside rail pick-up shoes off the loco, run a feeder wire from one of the clips to the tender where you would insert a roller pickup assembly. I've done this and it does make a world of difference with those little Scouts.

I'll more than second Elliot's suggestion of sharing the set with a kid! Set up a holiday display at a local shop or something. Believe it or not, there are still kids today who go just as ga-ga over trains as we all once did (heck, and as many of us - although older - still do!)

[Big_Boy_4005]

Well, you had a chance to have something a little more unusual with that gondola, however black is most common. Blue is also common, it's yellow or silver that are unusual.

That is a set to be played with and enjoyed, and if you can share it with a child that's even better. Have fun.[:)]

[Anonymous]

Hi!
Thanks for the welcome...
The Gondola is black...
I don't know if it runs...[C=:-)]
I haven't gotten that far...

I'll let you know

Sue

[Big_Boy_4005]

Hi Boon, [#welcome] to the forum. The set you have was made in 1950, and the pieces in it are very common. They should be

• 1120, a 2-4-2 steam engine
• 1001T tender
• 1002 gondola
• 1005 tank car
• 1007 caboose

In good to fair condition, maybe $50. Little demand for such sets. Does it run?

What color is the gondola????

[Anonymous]

Hi!
I am new here, but recently found an old Lionel train set & have no idea of it's value. It's in the original box (rough) Lionel Scout 1113 set.
The cars Are in good to fair condition & have their individual boxes (also rough).

Another box full of 027 track, an allstate transformer, a Lionel whistle switch & another lionel unmarked switch...

I have pretty much determined that it is post war...but beyond that....???

Any help?

Boon