A note in the current issue of Classic Toy Trains magazine (published by Kalmbach) mentions that last December, a Marklin, large gauge, steam powered train set was auctioned by Christie's of London for $167,000 plus buyers premium. This set was originally sold by F.A.O. Schwartz in New York City around 1906. It was hand-crafted and may be the only such set known to exist. It had been stored, or hidden, in a barn for most of the past century. The complete train is 11 feet long and runs on track that is 5-5/8 inches wide.

Although this is an unusual situation, it does appear that large-scale trains have been gaining in popularity, particularly at train shows. That is, anything larger that O gauge, and would include the old Lionel Standard Gauge, which, I think, runs on tracks 1-3/4 inches wide, as well as the somewhat larger LGB or G scale trains. One never knows what might turn up in an old attic, storage closet, or barn. But be careful about buying the newer models, because I still see LGB trains on eBay with no bids.

In my last column, I explained that, while toy trains continue to gain respectable prices at auctions, there is evidence that prices may be declining, having peaked in 1999. One reason may be that new products are gaining the attention of enthusiasts.

Over the past several years there has been an enormous and incredible change in the toy train market. Lionel and some extremely competitive new companies, such as M.T.H., have flooded the market with wonderful new products to capture the imagination of model railroad and toy train enthusiasts. New products come in an almost unbelievable variety of styles, different sizes, levels of detail and costs. I find it difficult to call them toys with their use of digital technology to produce realistic sounds and to support intricate remote control operations. And with many of these new products and repros so attractively priced, they may be contributing to the decline in used-train prices.

I've previously mentioned Greenberg/Kalmbach publications. There is another company worthy of mention. TM Books and Video publishes a number of books and price guides that may be of interest to toy train collectors. (TM stands for Tom McComas.) For example, in 1999 TM Books published a two volume, "100th Anniversary Edition, Lionel Illustrated Price Guide and History" just slightly larger than pocket size. Both volumes (which were sold separately) are so well done and so beautifully illustrated that I think they themselves are collectible.

Volume 1, 1900 through 1969, is no longer available from TM, so if one were to turn up on eBay, it should be worth buying. TM also publishes a number of videotapes on topics such as the history of Lionel, and videos of exceptional Lionel operating layouts that are truly inspiring. TM has a Web site at http://www.tmbooks-video.com?ab, or a call to 1-800-892-2822 will probably be sufficient to get a copy of their catalog. My only reservation is that TM determines prices a little differently than Greenberg. In my experience, prices in the Greenberg guide have been a little closer to prices I have actually seen in auctions. TM Books also organizes the listing differently, so if you are looking for a particular Lionel number, you generally have to find it in the index first, then get a page number. All in all, both companies publish great books.