Hi everyone!
I am a fellow collector, unfortunately I do not collect trains. I collect sports stuff. The reason why I am here is because I bought a house last year, and low and behold I found a classic (post-war) Lionel set in my attic! The instructions booklet is Copyrighted in 1946, so I can only guess that’s the timeframe it’s from. Would anyone here have the patience to give me an idea as to what I have (or possibly a rough value)? Of course I’ve taken pictures, but I wanted to see if you were all interested in helping me before I spammed you with them!
Any information would be extreemly helpful! Thanks again!
Tom
Congratulations on “inheriting” what may truly be a fine collection. I’d be delighted to see what you have, especially photographs if you can take and share them. It happens that my father bought my Lionel “O” gauge set in 1946 also. If you’d rather communicate directly with me, on our common set of stuff, just send me a PM.
But, it probably would be wise for you to move to, and continue this thread on, the “Classic Toy Train” forum, if that can still be done. Or else, start over.
Again, congratulations, Tom, and for bringing your gift to light here ! Welcome to the forums.
PM Sent. Hopefully a mod can move this thread to the correct place if it’s not. Thanks again!
Done!
Post pictures of your trains, and the numbers that appear on each of the items. You will get some good input here.
Rob
Thanks!
Here’s a link to my pictures for download:
http://www.tomsjunk.com/trainpics.zip
I figured out, with some help from the member above that I have a 1946 2111WS set with one or two additional cars and extra track. I’m still up in the air on value, especially with the condition my items are in (they’ve been in an attic for Lord knows how long).
I looked up the cars and some of the accessories individually in the Greenberg’s Pocket price guide for 2010 and the value that I might place on the set is near $800.00. However to determine a more realistic value I would need the number from the under side of the tender, as there is at least three possible tenders listed and are differant price values, could be as much as $150.00 off on the value without it.
You won’t get but maybe $500.00 if you go to sell the set, so hold on to it.
Lee F.
I forgot to mention that you need to save the cardboard boxes that came with the set, as collectors will pay good money just for a Lionel box from a certain year. Also you had some stuff that looked like Plasticville signs but hard to know without a better price guide than what I have, as it don’t list complete sets. But one thing that the price guide mentioned was having logs or pipes with the number 2411 flatcar, which I didn’t see in any photo.
With a more deluxe set in the late 1940’s it is possible to get more than just four or six straight tracks and more than eight curves. From the photos that I looked at of that set it looks like a rather high end set for that year.
Lee F.
Hi and thanks for the reply! After doing a little research of my own I believe that the set I have is the 1946 2111ws. I’m still a little vague on the price of it though.
The cars that I have are:
93
2411
3459
671
2460
2420
6454
http://www.lionel-train-set.com/1946/Lionel%20Train%20Set%202111WS%20with%20671%20Steam%20Turbine%20Locomotive%20with%20Smoke.htm
I also forgot to mention that I have 30 track pieces as well. I don’t know if that adds any additional value or not. The electronic switch doesn’t work though, so hopefully that wont de-value it too much.
One more thing. 
Sorry, but I’m new to the whole train thing so I had to figure out what the tender was you were referring to. I found on on eBay to relate to, but mine does not have a number on the bottom like the one I saw. Does that tell you anything?
The extra track won’t add that much value, including the switch, maybe $25.00. Because the switch don’t work most collectors will talk you down to at least half price for it.
Like I mentioned earlier in one of my replies, the number on the tender will greatly affect the price of the set, there must be a number stamped somewhere on the bottom of the tender in small letters about an eighth an inch tall in black or silver, all Lionel tenders have a number. Maybe the number is stamped into the metal, meaning it has letters that are raised a little.
Anyway the number that somebody else listed for that set’s tender don’t match the number in the Greenberg’s Price guide that I have for that engine. It matches a 675 steam engine and not a 671.
Lee F.
Lee and Tom,
The 2466W Tender, according to David Doyle’s Standard Catalog of Lionel Train Sets 1945-1969, the 2111WS 4 car freight set included the 671 with the Early Coal Whistle Tender, 2466W. He lists the set as Excellent $825, Like New $1,400, with a Scarcity of 7 on a scale of 1 to 8, with 8 being hard to find. This was 1 Engine/Tender Combo that Greenberg missed. A cousin of mine had that set growing up and I remembered that tender.
John
John,
Do you know where I can get ahold of Doyles guide book on Lionel?
It seems that Greenberg misses quite a few variations with Lionel very often. I have a 249E with a # 2225 tender that isn’t listed for that engine and I know it is an original engine & tender because I got it from my dad.
Lee F.
Lee,
I just checked and the book is available from www.krausebooks.com and it is currently on sale for $14.10. It is a great resource for info. The book # Z0515.
John
Hey guys,
I took some more pictures today and this is what I have.
http://s808.photobucket.com/albums/zz7/forthe4un/Trains/
So, do I understand correctly that the set consisted of 4 cars, and I have an extra 2? The pictures show the cars in fair condition, but they are actually just dirty. With a good cleaning, they would look very good. There isn’t any rust anywhere that I can see.
So, you are thinking the set I have is worth around $800? Would you suggest selling this as a set, or piecing it off? Which would bring more money?
Thanks again for all your help guys!
You ought to be aware that David Doyle actually has at least three (3) fine catalogs, to wit:
Standard Catalog of Lionel Trains, 1945-1969 (Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications, 2004)
Standard Catalog of Lionel Trains, 1900-1942 (Iola, Wisconsin: KP Books, 2005)
Standard Catalog of Lionel Train Sets, 1945-1969 (Iola, Wisconsin, Krause Publications, 2007)
I bought mine at a Barnes & Noble retail store, but they are probably also available at www.bn.com, though apparently more expensively than via Krause Publications.
McComas and Tuohy list the 2111WS set at $825 for like-new condition in the original box. That’s from the 1993 edition.
Here’s my take on Doyle: http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/p/169056/1856896.aspx#1856896