AUSTINBURG, Ohio – DeFina Auctions hosted the sale of the lifetime collection of Lionel model trains from the estate of the late John Brenner early in January.
Brenner’s exceptional collection included pre-war and some postwar accessories with many ‘0’ and ’00’ scale trains.
More than 300 lots were offered with 20 sets of passenger and freight trains and a large number of 800, 600, 2600, and 2800 series cars presented for bids.
Rounding out the sale were a number of engines including 254E, 225E, 260E, 1688E, 252, 1662, 263E, 249E, 228 (with bell tender), 238E, 259E, 258 and others as well as a few postwar engines.
The sale’s featured engine was the Lionel 763E gunmetal gray Hudson with a 226 tender. This set sold for $9,350. Prices include a 10 percent buyer’s premium.
Also selling well was the Lionel 0031 and 0034, “00” gauge track outfit, two rail with its box. In like-new condition, the set sold with a Lionel 0032, “00” gauge straight track sections, two rail, with box; a Lionel 0031, 0032, and 0034, two rail “00” gauge, as well as three 0031 curved and one 0034 curved transformer contact track. The grouping brought $2,320.
A Lionel 2814 boxcar that was flat orange with a brown roof, rubber stamped in black, sold for $1,760. Having automatic couplers, this extremely rare car was also in like-new condition.
A Lionel 228 engine with a 2228B tender complete with its original box sold for $1,540. Two 710 Pullmans and a 712 observation car made $1,210. The cars were blue with dark blue roofs, 6 wheel trucks and copper journals.
A Lionel 0001, three rail locomotive with its box in mint in-box condition sold with a Lionel 001W tender, “00” gauge with box for $1,320 for the pair.
An American Flyer “Green Diamond” green and yellow streamliner, Illinois Central with three boxes and some track brought $1,100; a Lionel 2955 Sunoco tank car, black semiscale with box, $935; and a Lionel 437 signal tower, dark orange and yellow with Mojave base with orange trim with box, $825.
