Here’s a link to the show. The engine appears around the 30 minute mark: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/episodes/denver-botanic-gardens-chatfield-farms-hour-2/
Thanks Rene!
This reminds me of the time one of our club members brought his Lionel 700e to one of our “Show n’ Tell” meetings. He was asked “How much did you pay for it?” His answer?
“Too much!” 
Anyone else cringe when the guy said “4-6-4 truck configuration?”
Seriously though, what a beautiful loco. And I agree Becky, $3,000 seems a bit low, although as it isn’t in the best shape I could see it going for less.
If it helps any, consider the original price of the locomotive in terms of the dollar value of gold in 1940…
Quite true. If I remember reading in 1940 the price of gold was pegged at $35 an ounce.
And considering relative values, the 1940 retail price of that 700e was $75. That same $75 would have gotten you a Winchester 30-30 rifle AND a Colt .38 revolver and you’d have had $5 change coming to you!
No doubt about it, a 700e was a toy for the VERY advanced hobbyist or rich kids! (Although it wasn’t the only high-end O Gauge model, there were others.)
For a fascinating look at just what was around in the high-end model railroading world prior to WW2 check out this YouTube channel.
You’ll be amazed!
I give them points for explaining the history behind the model and why it was an important item. Roadshow tends to be conservative with their prices. I’m a regular viewer of the show and it had been a long time since I’d seen anything train related. Not everyone wants to see pottery or paintings. 
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That is one of my favorite Youtube channels! I tend to look for the stuff that’s even older, like Carlisle and Finch and Voltamp, but the O stuff is interesting, as well. He has some truly remarkable pieces.
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Ooooohhhh yeah! I can just imagine that one of these days he’s going to have the yard sale to end all yard sales!
The wife and I have been regular viewers of “Antiques Roadshow” since its inception and love the program! I suspect the appraiser being from Bertoia Auctions was being conservative with his pricing as the toy market (Bertoia’s specialty) is a bit soft right now and has been for the past several years.
I noticed he brought up zinc pest which did show knowledge of old die-cast products. If I was him though I’d have added that if zinc pest hasn’t happened by now (80+ years) it’s not likely to and shouldn’t be much of a concern.
(I use the Roadshow pottery and painting segments as an excuse to run to the kitchen for a cup of coffee and a snack! 
)
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that just because you’ve seen 80 years without zinc pest, it can’t happen.
At least some ‘zinc pest’ in pressure-die-cast alloys is a crystalline phase change, not ‘corrosion’, and that phase change is triggered by low temperature, for example storage even briefly in an unheated room or attic during cold weather. There is a similar problem with cracking in porcelain pocket-watch dials.
I can’t do streaming so if I’m lucky I’ll be able to catch it on broadcast WVIZ. But I remember the appraisers saying once that they prefer to give “insurance” values based on replacement cost rather than speculate on “free market” collector valuation.
If someone can search them out I remember them appraising a prewar Lionel speed boat and a complete boxed 400E Blue Comet set. For more fun Frank from American Pickers bought a State Set but it was sold for less at an auction that hadn’t been publicized to it’s proper collector market
From 2007 here’s Antiques Roadshow appraiser Leila Dunbar with a Lionel Standard Gauge Blue Comet set.
(I won’t go into Leila’s rusty Lionel history, she’s a sports specialist after all!)
And from 2006 the Lionel Speedboat with appraiser Noel Barrett
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