Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present 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.
About 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.
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