Vintage Lionel 8801 Blue Comet 4-6-4 Hudson w/ 4 Lighted Passenger Car

The listing

Offering this die-cast Lionel 8801 Blue Comet set with the 4-6-4 Hudson steam locomotive and 4 lighted passenger cars from 1978-1980. I have all the original boxes in VG/P6 condition and all flaps intact. A couple of car boxes have partially loose/unglued plastic windows and show what could be dried mold spots. The loco Styrofoam case is solid showing dirt/grease spots. I, also, have the original instruction sheet. See box pictures for loco features. NOTE: The instructions show a 2 wire connection from engine to tender for sound features; but, this loco, along with many others from this era, has only a 1 wire connection. The wiring circuit is completed via the tender wheels and outer track rails. In addition to the 8801 Hudson, you will get the following passenger cars: - #9537 HALLEY Passenger car - #9538 FAYE Passenger car - #9539 WESTPHAL Passenger car - #9540 TEMPEL Observation car TESTING: I tested the loco on a 12’ test track with no curves. The loco runs F-N-R with some hesitancy and occasional E-Unit sticking. The headlight works as does the smoke unit. I heard NO engine sounds and NO whistle (see below). I tested the car lights by placing them on track and, also, by touching power leads directly to the wheels and center rail rollers. All 4 cars would light; however, lighting was intermittent. I am guessing the wheels need cleaning. Technical Note (Found Online): The electronic "Sound of Steam" / Whistle unit in the tender is currently silent (a common background hum changes pitch when the transformer whistle button is pressed, but no audio plays). This is a textbook symptom of degraded vintage 1970s electrolytic capacitors on the sound circuit board. Fixing the sound requires swapping out three standard, inexpensive radial capacitors (470µF, 47µF, and 22µF) on the tender circuit board. I was, also, told that changing the 22µF to 47 would increase the sound volume slightly. I changed out the 3 capacitors (see before and after pictures) making sure to keep positive & negative leads the same; but, it did nothing to help the sound. CONDITION: The loco and cars look EX for their age. They show some light dust and age dirt. I see no noticeable dings/scratches, cracks, breaks, or missing parts. See pictures as part of the description. The magnetic couplers work; but, do not “pop open”. They will latch closed and open under load as necessary. This a heavy engine at 4 lbs. 6 oz. With 6 drive wheels and Magna-Traction, it should pull some big loads or up steep grades. Asking $450, cash only, $20 bills or smaller.