Model railways aren’t the most expensive hobby, unless of course you have one of these…
For trains, the most expensive I’ve come acrossis a solid Gold train shown in the US in 2010 (see below) which went for $150,000, roughly £100,000. Many would argue that this can’t be classed as a genuine train for model railways but it was a model train.
Trumping this, is a genuine model railway by one of the most well known railway enthusiasts – Pete Waterman. The music mogul is selling his model railway collection for £1million as reported here.
Then of course there’s this‘Railway resort’ home in Oregon, which recently went on the market for $3.5million (approx. £2.3million at time of writing). The garden railway runs around a19.67 acre estate, passings through tunnels and over bridges and includesa station, a miniature rail yard to service the trains.
But these don’t touch what is surely the most expensive.
Worth a staggering £10million (€15million), Miniatur Wunderland in Germany is by far the biggest and most expensive model railway in the world.
The Hamburg based layout has been constantly growing since 2001 and now has seven areas, including recreations of Hamburg, the Alps, America, Switzerland,Scandinavia and a fully operational airport with 930 trains and14,450 wagons running over13,000 Meters of track.
Watch this video just a hint of this amazing creation:
Andy is a lifelong modeler, writer, and founder of modelrailwayengineer.com. He has been building model railways, dioramas, and miniatures for over 20 years. His passion for model making and railways began when he was a child, building his first layout at the age of seven.
Andy’s particular passion is making scenery and structures in 4mm scale, which he sells commercially. He is particularly interested in modelling the railways of South West England during the late Victorian/early Edwardian era, although he also enjoys making sci-fi and fantasy figures and dioramas. His website has won several awards, and he is a member of MERG (Model Railway Electronics Group) and the 009 Society.
When not making models, Andy lives in Surrey with his wife and teenage son. Other interests include history, science fiction, photography, and programming. Read more about Andy.
FAQs
The single most pricey model train is the Lionel Train sold in 2006 at an auction in America for $250,000.00.
What is a 1957 Lionel Train set worth? ›
At auction, this set would probably sell for, depending on how well it could clean up, between $7,000 and $9,000.
What model trains are worth money? ›
Variations in colour, a unique number or rare feature will also help model locomotives to fetch a higher price. Popular types of model trains for sale include brands like Airfix, Bachmann, Bassett-Lowke, Dapol, Golden Age, Hornby, K'sLeeds, Lima, Rivarossi, Tri-ang, Slaters, Mainline and Wrenn.
What is the most popular model train set? ›
The HO Scale is 1:87, half of the O scale. They run on a gauge of . 625 inches. Because of its small size, the HO Scale has become one of the most popular scales for model trains.
Are old Lionel trains worth money? ›
Lionel Trains Value
The pre-war Lionel trains cost around $20 to a few thousand dollars. The starting price of post-war Lionel trains was $10, going up to several thousand dollars. The value depends heavily on the model and features of the train.
Do model trains hold their value? ›
Keep in mind that price is tied directly to demand, modified greatly by condition and scarcity. Most toy trains were produced in huge quantities; so not all old trains are necessarily scarce or sough after by collectors. Still, almost everything has some value, even if only for its parts.
What is the most famous Lionel train? ›
The Lionel Santa Fe F3 is the very image of postwar Lionel. It ranks up there with Mickey Mouse and “I like Ike” as a symbol of America in the 1950s. We think it's the best of the best, the most important and most memorable locomotive of Lionel's golden era.
What can I do with old Lionel trains? ›
- Cash sale and/or Consignment to a (local) hobby shop. A: Least effort – job lot sale of readily-resaleable items – secure payment. ...
- Rent a table at a model railway flea market or antique/collectible store/show as applicable. ...
- eBay or other internet market (if of real potential antiquarian value, a reputable auction house)
HO-Gauge: Lionel HO products work with all HO gauge systems. With a track gauge of 16.5 mm and a scale of 1:87, HO is the most common model train size today. Lionel has manufactured HO trains several times in its history.
Why do Lionel trains have 3 rails? ›
Early toy trains used two metal rail tracks like most real trains. However, manufacturers quickly found that using a center rail for electric power and the two outer rails for common or ground made electrical contact much more reliable and less prone to short circuits.
The world's 10 most expensive rail construction projects in 2022
- Singapore Cross Island MRT Line, Singapore: $10bn (SGD13.3bn)
- Southern California Optimised Rail Expansion Programme, US: $10bn. ...
- Greater Cairo-Aswan Railway Line, Egypt: $9bn (£E272.6bn) ...
- Xiong'an-Xinzhou High-Speed Railway, China: $8.8bn (CNY57.2bn) ...
Seven Stars in Kyushu, Japan
Often referred to as the world's most luxurious train, Japan's Seven Stars train brings old-school luxury to a technologically advanced railway. It lays claim to being the country's first luxury sleeper train, with its first run in 2013 and a refurbishment in 2022.
What is the highest train price? ›
The Maharajas' Express is considered to be one of the most expensive trains in India as its package cost for the presidential suite goes up to Rs. 20,90,760/-pp* or USD 24,890/-pp* on twin sharing basis for a 6 nights/ 7 days journey.
