Why Collect Schuco Disneyland Monorails

	There are four types of people who collect these toy monorails, those who collect trains, those who collect Disney items, and those who collect Schuco or old toys. The fourth person is the one who saw and wanted one of the sets at Disneyland as a child. Since I have been collecting Lionel trains for over 40 years and also collect Disneyland items, the monorails were almost a perfect match. The only thing that could have been better for me is if they were O scale instead of HO. Unlike Lionel, Schuco only made a small amount of different trains and accessories. It would actually be possible to collect one of each item in a reasonable amount of time. Though the monorails are somewhat expensive, an average collector can probably afford to purchase everything over a period of time. The monorails are really fun to operate! Layouts are easy to build, take down, change, and rebuild again. You do not have to worry about carpet "fuzzies" getting into your monorail since it glides above the floor. The trains are well built and easy to work on. Adding a Schuco Disneyland monorail to an existing train layout is easy! The pylons take very little physical space on the surface of an existing layout and, of course, the track is above everything anyway. Wow, wouldn't this be great in the real world? Schuco designed some unique features into the monorails. By simply flipping a switch on the motor unit, you can select which rail you want that particular train to obtain its electrical power; either the top and left rail or the top and right rail. Therefore, with two separate transformers, you can run two trains on the same track, but yet have complete control of each train. If you have switches and use a #6333/26 controller, the monorails with weights (#6333/26/1) will activate the switches themselves. This leads to some very creative ways to operate the trains. At train shows I have had several people ask me where the computer is that operates the switches and the monorails. They are very surprised to find out that the trains were made in the early 60's. You can also create blocks on a layout in which the trains will stop then go when the track is clear. The monorails appear to be holding their value, though they are not as expensive as they were in the 1990's. Ebay has helped stabilize the prices and made the monorails and their accessories appear to be more available. The one fact for sure is that there is a limited supply, and eventually track, etc. will be harder to find. Because the original molds no longer exist, it is doubtful that anyone will ever make this exact complete line ever again. How many toys can you buy, play with for two or three decades, then resell them for what you paid for them? Though I would not recommend the monorails as a financial investment with the expectation of making a profit, I would recommend them as a hobby that holds its value and gives a lot of personal satisfaction.

		Return to Home Page