Illinois Central Monday Morning Rail

e*Train Issue: Oct 2008 | Posted in: 1970-now Modern Era, Collecting

By Mike Stella

I started buying Lionel as an adult in 1970. A new beginning for me having modeled in HO since the early 1960’s. It was also a new beginning for Lionel having been taken over by General Mills and folded into their Model Products Corporation (MPC).

The first catalog folded out into a wall poster and contained a number of sets and one that never saw production, the Illinois Central hauled by a very pretty GP9.

The 1972 IC set

We would have to wait a year before it actually was produced but the wait was worth it. A great set, it was cataloged again in 1972 with a large amount of track and a 90 watt transformer that was the old post war 1044.

The 1972 Illinois Central set came with six freight cars. In 1971 Lionel started a program whereby they created a Service Station Special set and the Illinois Central GP9 was the first locomotive used to pull this special set. It contained FIVE different boxcars from the “Famous Name” series, and a matching caboose.

The 1971 SSS set

The set came without a transformer but did include “O” gauge track! Years ago in a weak moment, I sold a new boxed 1971 SSS that I would love to have back. The 1971 SSS pulls FIVE boxcars.

The ITT Cable Hydrospace set most have never seen!

Not well known at all is the Cable Hydrospace set that was custom produced in the early 1970’s by a small company in San Diego. I have set #1 of the 25 projected sets produced. This set utilized the Illinois Central GP9 along with the dummy and the dummy HAD A HORN! This was the first Lionel GP to have a horn.

Lionel began a great policy of producing a dummy unit to match all the early GPs and the Illinois Central was no exception. This final picture shows my three different Illinois Central sets and the dummy unit too.

An overall shot of three sets with IC Dummy on track 4— A lineup of great looking Illinois Central trains

I am glad I started collecting early Lionel MPC when it was first starting out. There are many sets and individual pieces that are great looking and still available at remarkably LOW LOW prices.

The first train featured in this article was purchased in February, 2008!

Happy Collecting to all and try running those trains you’ve had in boxes for years.

Shop Amazon and Help TCA

TCA members who shop at Amazon.com can have each of their normal purchases generate a modest payment to TCA! And it won’t cost you anything!

The Train Collectors Association is now a participant with AmazonSmile, which is a special website operated by Amazon that lets customers enjoy the same wide selection of products, low prices and convenient shopping features as on Amazon.com.

The difference is that when customers shop at AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), the AmazonSmile Foundation donates 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to the charitable organizations selected by customers.

The process is simple. Just search for and select Train Collectors Association when you sign up and shop at smile.amazon.com.

You use your regular Amazon.com username and password, but when you log in to smile.amazon.com, you’ll see that you are supporting TCA with your purchases:

Note that if you just log in to the regular amazon.com, this benefit does not operate.

There are no costs to either you or TCA, but TCA benefits!

This is a great way for TCA to earn extra cash to offset costs, so sign up today to help support TCA.

* Note: TCA is not a party to any of your Amazon transactions, and does not endorse any products or vendors.

Helping TCA with your ebay purchases when you use PayPal

If you’re an ebay user and have a PayPal account you use to make payments, you can designate a donation for TCA when you’re checking out — any amount, small or large.
If you’re a regular seller on ebay, you can pre-designate a percentage of your sales to be donated automatically in your name to TCA as long as the purchaser pays with their PayPal account.

In both cases, you will receive a donation receipt from the PayPal Giving Fund, and enjoy applicable tax advantages.

How to do it:

Click on the image above, or use this link. This will take you to ebay, where you will see the following page (log in to ebay if you are not already):

This offers TCA as an option. Click on the “Add to My Charities” button where indicated with the red arrow. Thereafter, when you make a purchase, at checkout you will be offered the option to make a donation to TCA in any amount of your choosing. Small amounts add up, larger ones are great! It’s always up to you!

The option will appear at the lower part of your checkout page, something like this:

If you’re a regular seller on ebay, you can allocate a portion of your sales proceeds to be donated to TCA. Look at the green arrow marked “Optional” above to see how to do it. Details on how ebay calculates the donation may be read here. This is a wonderful way to share the financial benefits of your hobby with the organization that promotes it!

An added benefit to TCA is that these donations are not subject to normal processing fees, so that makes your donation work harder!

* Note. TCA is not a party to any of your eBay transactions, and does not endorse any products or vendors. PayPal issues the receipts to you for your donation, not TCA.

Illinois Central Monday Morning Rail

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