SAN FRANCISCO, CA.- Turner Auctions + Appraisals will be presenting The Paul Jarosz Collection of Model Trains on Sunday, June 11, 2023, at 10:30 am PDT. The auction features over 275 lots – almost all O gauge and mostly Lionel – from a Northern Californian train enthusiast who collected for decades. The sale presents a variety of desirable train offerings from the 1970s and later – several mint stock, many barely used, and most in their original boxes. These include locomotives, switchers, tenders, and cabooses; numerous groupings and sets; and a wide selection of train cars, including passenger, diner, baggage/mail (Madison and Heavyweight among them), box, freight, flat, hopper, tank, ore, rotary gondolas, husky stacks, autocarriers, and more.

There are also Christmas and holiday trains and cars, sets and train cars for girls or boys, and Thomas & Friends offerings. Also on offer are many accessories: besides FasTrack and a legacy control system, the sale features a colorful selection of Department 56 and Hawthorne Village buildings and village collections to enhance train modules. Most lots are Lionel model trains; other manufacturers in the sale are K-Line, MTH, Rail King, Atlas, Williams, Sunset, Right of Way Industries, RMT, Weaver, and others. Rounding out the sale are groupings of Virginia & Truckee Railroad shipping/waybills from years past from another collector.

Paul Jarosz & His Collection

Born in Detroit, Paul Jarosz received his first electric train, as many children do, for Christmas, when he was seven years old. This gift launched a passion for model trains that has had multiple iterations through the years. Although his boyhood enthusiasm initially waned as he got older, Paul began to collect Lionel trains, starting in the 1970s for about 10 years. He then moved on to other gauges and manufacturers, including N, HO, G, and MTH.

About 20 years ago, Paul returned to Lionel O gauge trains and has been a committed Lionel collector ever since, acquiring his model trains from train shops, mail order, train shows, and swap meets. In fact, his hobby became an important part of his later life: he worked for seven years in The Train Shop in San Jose; was a member of multiple model train groups, including serving as President of the Golden State Toy Train Operators (GSTTO); and helped showcase train modules for the public’s enjoyment in various venues such as the Vallco Shopping Mall and a local airport.

As times change and Mr. Jarosz’s interests have evolved, trains have taken a back seat, so to speak, to other priorities, including more people-focused activities at his church. Now, as his expansive collection goes to auction, Lionel enthusiasts will be eager to get on board.

Here are some highlights of the upcoming sale (see details in the online catalog):

·Lot 75: Sunset Models 3rd Rail. Die Cast O Scale NYC 4-6-2 Mercury (3 Rail) in original packaging. Estimate $400-$600.

·Lot 88: Lionel O Gauge 6-81094 Conrail Big Blue Hi-Cube Boxcar Set, in original shelf worn set box. Includes: Conrail SD70MAC #4133, Two Conrail 86' Hi-Cube Boxcars, Grand Trunk 86' Hi-Cube Boxcar, Norfolk Southern 86' Hi-Cube Boxcar. Estimate $300-$600.

·Lot 8: Lionel 6-81152 O Gauge Legacy Alaska SD70MAC Road Number 4005, in original box and shipping carton. Boxes have shelf wear. Estimate $300-$500.

·Lot 41: Lionel O Gauge 6-18381 Pennsylvania BB1 Electric Locomotive. Road Number 4751. In original box. Estimate $300-$500.

·Lot 47: Lionel O Gauge 6-82209 Norfolk Southern Legacy ES44AC #8056, in original shelf worn box with shipping carton. Estimate $200-$400.

·Lot 146: MTH O Gauge 20-90867 Kansas City Power & Light Coalporter Hopper Car with Coal Load 6 Car set. In original box and shipping carton. Estimate $200-$400.

·Lot 63: Williams O Gauge HD027-3 Chessie System - Semi Scale Hudson & Tender, in original box. Estimate $200-$400.

·Lot 212: Lionel O Gauge New York Central Heavyweight Passenger Cars. 6-15539 New York Central Heavyweight Baggage Car #3323 in original shelf worn box; 6-15541 New York Central Heavyweight Diner #370 Station Sounds Dining Car - no box; 6-15523 New York Central Heavyweight Pullman "Centstar" Sleeper in original foam but no box; 6-15538 New York Central Heavyweight Passenger Car 2-Pack shelf worn box only - no cars. Estimate $200-$400.

·Lot 46: K-Line K3270-5335 O Gauge NYC Hudson Semi-Scale Die Cast Steam Engine & Die Cast Tender in original shelf worn box. Estimate $200-$400.

·Lot 39: Williams O Gauge W-SG-3001 Scale GG1 Locomotive Pennsylvania 5 Stripe Tuscan Cab # 4877, in original box with shipping carton. Estimate $200-$400.

·Lot 239: Five Lionel O Gauge Christmas Cars, in original boxes 6-29637 Candy Cane 2-Dome Tank Car; 6-39334 Coca Cola Christmas Boxcar; 6-36108 Candy Cane Single Dome Tank Car; 6-26752 Christmas Aquarium Car; 6-39357 LRRC Christmas Boxcar - with shipping carton. Estimate $100-$200.

·Lot 242: Nine O Gauge Girl's Train Freight Cars in original boxes. Lionel
6-29235 New York Central Pacemaker Girl Boxcar; 6-29236 M-K-T Girl Boxcar 6-? M-K-T 6464-350 Pink Girl Boxcar - original Lionel box with number blacked out; 6-39353 LRRC 6464-700 50th Anniversary Santa Fe Girl's Boxcar - with shipping carton; 6-29622 #6445 Fort Knox Mint Car – Lavender; 6-36172 Bubble Yum Single Dome Tank Car; Williams STM-LT500 Classic Freight Car Pale Blue NYC Pacemaker Boxcar; Atlas O #2001612-1 O Pullman-Standard 4750 West Central (UTCX) #43835 [3 Rail] Pink 3-Bay Covered Hopper; #3001358-4 PS-4427 Low Side Hopper; TDLX - Louis Dreyfus #5992 [3-Rail] Pastel Blue. Estimate $100-$200.

·Lot 248: Department 56 Buildings Dickens' Village Royal Stock Exchange Christmas in the City Series: Paramount Hotel, Garden Gate House, Foster Pharmacy, Baker Bros. Bagel Bakery. All in original foam and worn sleeves. Estimate $50-$100.

·Lot 84: Lionel O Gauge BNSF Ice Cold Express Set. AC6000 Locomotive Reefer with Ice Cold "Smoke" Reefer with generator sounds. Reefer with interior load. Extended vision caboose. In original boxes and original set box. Estimate $500-$700.

·Lot 60: Lionel 6-82205 BNSF Legacy ES44AC #7695, in original box and shipping carton. Estimate $350-$700.