Lionel Polar Express Train Set

Are you looking for the cheapest Polar Express train set made by Lionel?  If you are, I've done some investigating for you.

I went all over the internet, searching for the Lionel Polar Express train set, to see who has the best deals.  After searching the official Lionel site, several large toy sites and some other sites like Amazon, Buy.com and Ebay, here's what I came up with.

By a good margin, the cheapest polar express train set is sold by Amazon.  While I did see a slightly lower price on one of the toy sites, every time I looked it was out of stock.  So while perhaps less expensive, that doesn't do you any good if you're looking to buy right now!

The G-gauge Polar Express train set is somewhere around half the price of the O-gauge.  So if you want to pay the least possible, that's the set you want.

For your reference, here are the prices for the G-gauge and the O-gauge from Amazon. You can easily see the amount, and overall, I'd consider it the best bet.

OK, you do have another option which might be cheaper! And that is ebay. I've seen the Lionel Polar Express train set go for less than the Amazon price. (Unfortunately, I've seen it go higher as well. The trick is to know what the cheapest price is (Amazon), then bid just a bit less than that.)

Below is a sample of the ebay prices. Also, here's a .

It's All Aboard for the Lionel Polar Express Disappearing Hobo Car!

You have the Lionel Polar Express train set, but you know you need the add-on cars as well, to make this truly magical.

In the movie, the hobo, who appears only on the outside of the train, magically appears and then disappears, seemingly into the night.  Well, this add-on car helps you to capture the magic.

As far as track goes, the minimum curve radius is O-27 and this Polar Express car measures 12 inches long. The hobo pops up or down, depending on if you want him on top of the car...or disappeared!

This is a "must have" when it comes to building your own set.  Click to see the Lionel Polar Express Disappearing Hobo Car on Amazon!

Or....take a look below. Click the link above to see the Amazon price, then compare to the ebay prices below.

All Aboard!  Here comes the Polar Express DVD in 3D, right before your eyes!

You loved the original (2D) movie, but now instead of just watching, you can experience it!  Imagine, taking part in a journey to the North Pole on a magical train...what a wonder that would be!

The Polar Express is a story about a young boy, just old enough to doubt the existence of Santa Claus, but simultaneously wanting to believe.

As he's lying in bed on Christmas Eve, the walls and windows start to rattle...the Polar Express train arrives on his front lawn!

In his robe and pajamas, he climbs aboard a magic train to the North Pole.  And what a ride it is!  Along with other children, the train departs on a marvelous adventure.

Hot chocolate anyone?  The waiters perform all kinds of acrobatics -- it's a toss-up if the children like the hot chocolate or the jaw-dropping gymnastics better!

The train plummets, brake-less, through snow-covered mountains in a roller coaster ride.  Gets stopped by caribou.  The Polar Express  goes off the rails, skidding sideways, and snaking violently across a frozen lake.

Yes, the train does arrive at the North Pole, and the children do see Santa Claus.

And our hero hears the bells.  And believes.

The Polar Express in 3D is a wonderful movie; if you liked the original, you'll love this version!

Ready to get on board?  Click to buy the Polar Express DVD in 3D!

The Polar Express book has become a classic for the Christmas holidays.  While loved by many before 2004, this book surged into popularity once the Polar Express movie came to the big screen.

And that movie made this book practically indispensable!

The Polar Express is the story of a little boy, lying awake on Christmas Eve, who is whisked off to the North Pole to visit with Santa.

All on this wonderful, magical train.

The author is Chris Van Allsburg and please read this story from him - it will bring tears to your eyes.

"Over the past twenty-five years, many people have shared stories with me about the effect that reading The Polar Express has had on their families and on their celebration of Christmas.

One of the most poignant was told to me five or six years ago at a book signing in the Midwest, on a snowy December evening. As I inscribed a book to a woman in her sixties, she told me that it was the second copy she had owned, and wanted to know if she could she tell me what had happened to the first. "Of course," I answered.

A dozen years earlier the woman, who had no children of her own, befriended a neighbor, a boy of about seven, named Eddie. He would often cross his driveway to visit her.

She had a collection of picture books, which she read to him, but around the holidays, the only story he ever wanted to hear, over and over, was The Polar Express. One year she offered to give him the book, but Eddie declined because he wanted to hear her read it aloud to him, which she continued to do every year until the boy and his family moved away.

Years later the woman learned from a mutual acquaintance that Eddie had grown up and become a soldier. He was stationed in Iraq. Since Christmas was approaching, the woman decided to send him a gift box. She included candy, cookies, socks, and her old copy of The Polar Express. She wasn't sure what a nineteen-year-old battle-weary soldier would do with the book in an army barracks in the Middle East, but she wanted him to have it. A month later, after the holidays had passed, she received a letter from Eddie.

He told her he was very happy to have heard from her and to get the box of gifts. He had opened it in his barracks, just before curfew, with some of his fellow GIs already in their bunks. A soldier in the next bunk spotted the book. He knew it well from his own childhood and asked Eddie to read it. "Out loud?" he asked. "Yeah," his buddy told him.

Eddie, quietly and a little self-consciously, read The Polar Express. When he'd finished and closed the book, a moment of silence passed. Then from behind him a voice called out, "Read it again," and another joined in, "Yeah, read it again," and a third added, "This time, louder." So Eddie did.

He wrote to the woman that he'd stood up and read it to his comrades just the way he remembered she had read it to him."

Ready?  Click and make the Polar Express yours.

The Polar Express Diner Car add-on by Lionel is, of course, a necessity for anyone who collects the Polar Express train set.  I mean, the Lionel Polar Express train set itself is wonderful, but extra cars?  That makes it even more special!

The car is O gauge, is lighted, and shows silhouettes in the window.

Click to purchase on Amazon at a 37% discount!

Lionel did a great job on creating a diner car that mirrored the original Berkshire cars, that the original Pere Marquette passenger trains used.  So you not only have the magic of Christmas, but a tiny slice of history as well.

Enjoy your search for the Lionel Polar Express Diner Car add-on for your collection!

The Polar Express hot chocolate car by Lionel is a must-have when it comes to the Polar Express train set -- it wouldn't be a real set without it.

If you've seen the movie (and who hasn't that loves the Polar Express), you'll remember all the waiters putting on an acrobatic show for the children.  It's a toss-up as to which the kids liked better -- the waiters performing stunts...or the hot chocolate itself!

Guess what?  You can have the magic of the Polar Express hot chocolate car, too.   Click to buy the Polar Express hot chocolate car at a 16% discount!

The Lionel 25186 Polar Express Hot Chocolate Car is in O Gauge, for all you who have the train set.

For additional detail, click on the link or image above to see all the particulars (price, shipping, etc.).

But if you want it in time for the Christmas holidays, better order early as possible. Because while the Polar Express may be able to make it from Wisconsin to the North Pole in a few hours...our everyday delivery services don't operate quite that fast!

The Polar Express is a wonderful Christmas story, written in 1985. After being transformed into a movie in 2004, it's been enjoyed and loved by many more people.

Of course, could a train set be far behind? Not to worry, the Lionel Polar Express train set is a painstaking reproduction of the famous train and its magical journey.

Background

The Pere Marquette #1225 was one of 39 Berkshire types ordered by the Pere Marquette Railway. This is the steam locomotive that became known as the engine of the Polar Express.

The locomotive was built in 1941 by Lima, and was originally designed for “fast-freight” service. However, it spent most of its WW2 years hauling freight between Michigan and Indiana.

After the Pere Marquette Railway merged with Chesapeake & Ohio in 1947, #1225 kept busy, until 1951. Alas, the locomotive was retired, and that seemed to be the end of the line.

But there's still hope! In 1957, Berkshire #1225 was saved from the scrap yard by a C&O yardmaster who appreciated the locomotive’s unique “Christmas Day” road number. After being painstakingly restored, #1225 shot to fame in 2004 in the Christmas movie "The Polar Express".

Buying a Lionel Polar Express Train Set

You'll need to decide which gauge you want -- G or O. The G gauge is less expensive, but most of the add-ons are for the O gauge (fair warning).

You can buy your own Polar Express train set in one of three ways. First, is straight from Lionel itself, which is usually the most expensive option.  (I'm guessing they want you to buy from one of their vendors.)

Next, a bunch cheaper is getting the same Lionel Polar Express train set from Amazon, in one of two gauges, G or O. Here are the Amazon prices below.

Finally, you can buy your Polar Express set on ebay. This can be the least expensive option for you, if you don't mind bidding. You can also purchase immediately through a "Buy it Now" for a tiny bit more.

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