700E 5344 1937 LOW SERIAL # - RARE - HIGH CONDITION

Pricing & History

Sold for
Start Free Trial or Sign In to see what it's worth.
Sold Date
Source eBay

This is a Lionel Prewar 5344 New York Central Full Scale Hudson from 1937. Unique to a 1937 is that all of the handrails stanchions are blackened brass both on the engine and tender. The Ornamental bell bracket is riveted to the body with a brass rivet. Lionel changed the ornamental bell bracket to a screw in 1938. The rear windows are slightly recessed inward and not as thick. You don't want to pick up a 1937 700E with your fingers by the window struts or they can break. This was one year only 1937. The rear windows are simulated to look like they would slide forward. The 1937 is the most detailed Hudson of all time. There is no warping to the engine or tender body. Draw bar chains and pins are blackened brass including the front link chain on front coupler. All the black paint on engine and tender were tested for lead content (which only Prewar engines and tenders had). This is how you can tell that it is original paint. We used a drop of lead detection on the boiler front, boiler, tender body and tender frame all tested positive for lead. The lettering on the engine and tender are rubber stamped in silver and are fantastic. All the screws that hold the wheels on the tender trucks are brass and blackened. As you can see from the photos. Booster truck wheel screws are also brass and blackened. The larger screws that hold the booster trucks and front pilot trucks to the body both front and rear are blackened brass. Every one of the 1937s we have had or have seen in the past have a weakness in the very front in the bottom of the boiler front were there is an area that is about 1" long by 1" wide that is either cracked or swelled. This has neither there is no expansion or swelling this engine body whatsoever. The only think that might have been replaced is the connector end on the wire that goes from the tender to the back of the engine. The engine has been serviced completely. It runs flawlessly in forward, neutral and reverse. Headlight works. It has the correct metal whistle with the mellow tones. This is the nicest 1937 700E we have ever seen. It was made during the 1st or 2nd day of production in late november or december of 1937. We have an original 1937 Time Life magazine that shows the 1937 700Es coming off the assembly line in 1937. This is truly a 1937. Lionel started serializing the 1937 700E with 010001. The serial # on this engine is 010270 indicating it was # 270. Finding a 1937 without any warping or casting flaws is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Reserve is fair and alot less than what they went for a few years ago. The 1937 700E was on Merrill Lynch's top ten investments in the United States for many years and still is today. The pictures were taken outside in natural sunlight with high resolution. Any flaws if there are any flaws are shown. Our opinion is it is in LN condition the best we have ever seen, but you draw your own conclusions. This is a 5 day auction. It will end on Sunday. Payment must be received within 5 days of close of auction. At the end of auction just email us or we will email you for details. The shipping method must be for delivery within 3 days. We do not charge for experienced packaging. We've shipped these items before and have never had any problems with damage or breakage. Auction is invalid if we don't receive payment within the specified 5 day period. This item will be triple boxed. We have the right to cancel any bids from bidders that have bad feedback. We have the right to end this auction at any time. We have a no return policy we are just not going to ship this fragile beautiful engine back and forth across the United States. Please only serious buyers. Review the pictures and ask questions before you bid. No buyers remorse here. We will not ship to a P.O. Box. We will ship to Alaska and Hawaii but the shipping costs will be higher. For people in Alaska and Hawaii you must provide a street address. Thank you for looking and good luck bidding on this once in a life time opportunity to won 1937 J1E Full Scale Hudson the Best of the Best. read more

Items in the Price Guide are obtained exclusively from licensors and partners solely for our members’ research needs.

Flag item for content or copyright

If this item contains incorrect or inappropriate information please contact us here to flag it for review.

If you are the originator/copyright holder of this photo/item and would prefer it be excluded from our community, contact us here for removal.