400E How many do you have?

I have four. An obligatory black with brass (my first Std gauge purchase), a navy in B&O livery with matching blue comet cars, a New York Central in grey with white trim with matching passenger cars and a Southern Pacific in Daylight paint.  They can be quite addicting.


John

I am not even aware of all that have been produced. However it seems endless and I hope to hear from those who have embraced this loco and show to tell of the ones they have accumulated. Thanks for being the first.

I have one so far.  It is the black version with the blackened boiler bands.  I usually run it with my green state passenger cars.

I have an early MTH black w/ copper bands and the new red and chrome ones, looking for a crackle black and SP Daylight.

I WOULD LOVE A CRACKLE BLACK 400E.

 

I only wish that I got into tinplate early enough to have acquired one when they came out.

In order of appearance:

 

Chessie System

LeHigh Valley

Blue Comet

Gloss Black with 500 series freight

Great Northern with coal drag

Southern with State cars

Crackle black traditional with 18-19-190 cars.

 

david

 

 

Hojack/David - you just blew my mind.  I don't think I will ever be the same person again after seeing your video.  Now, THAT is a toy train layout.  Wow!  What a package you've put together.  In short, Bravo!

Hojack, that video is like Standard Gauge porn

Professionally, I have had as many as 24 400e's in stock at the same time, but personally, I have one black with brass trim.  I use it to pull 500 series freight and most recently I purchased this set of chrome "comet" cars to go with it.  I think they go well together.  Almost need sunglasses to view it!

 

David that is just plain spot on awesome.  That's how our toys were meant to be run.

Agreed, It simply makes you smile. And what a collection of 400E. Did you just accumulate them over the years or do you specialize in them?

Just one........

 

 

None.................yet. If the new catalog has no set that strike my fancy, maybe I'll pop for a 400. Can't afford it all.

 

Steve

I think the crackle finish looks great, but being as my layout is in the garage, I'm afraid keeping it clean would be near impossible.

 

Steve

 

Had an original black with brass trim. I like to run my trains, and this engine just overwhelmed my 7x11 layout so I let it go, with minor regret.

 

Biggest I have now - and will keep - are the Lionel 392 and the Flyer 4694.

I think would be cool if a few collectors got together and took a "cover shot" of several 400E in their various paint jobs sitting around a turntable or something. Kinda reminiscent of the NS shot with all their heritage diesels.

Two, a Circus 400E and a Harley Davidson 400E, which is the closest thing MTH made to a Milwaukee Road 400E as the black and gray with orange stripe colors are right and HD has its headquarters in Milwaukee.

 

Bob 

 

Circus 400E

 

Harley Davidson 400E

Blue brass bands, matching comet cars. Space issues prevent me from buying more....maybe.

 

rat

None. I prefer the 392E - it just strikes me as being better proportioned. 

Did the original 400E Blue Comet have brass trim or nickel?

I have the MTH Red 400e w/matching 3 car comet set and an MTH Black w/brass trim with assorted 200 series freight cars and an apple green 418 set.

 

Sunrise

I have a few and an nyc 2 tone grey on the way ,tery 

 

I have a 400E in Crackle Black. At home it is used to pull a work train of 200 series cars. 2 dump cars, searchlight car, 2 Gondolas, Crane car and Caboose. At SGMA shows this was the beast that pulled more than 40 200 series cars.

 

My other 400E is a Black with brass trim. It pulls Green State cars, Apple Green 418 cars and 200 series freight.

I have two:

 

The "Lionel Classics" dark gray 2-400E with diecast whistle in tender and an electronic horn relay!

 

The MTH "Tinplate Traditions" Proto 2.0 Blue Comet with nickel trim and black drive wheels. 

 

NOTE: I purchased the 2-400E MIB and discovered the electronic relay while lubricating the whistle motor. It appears to have been factory-installed (Samhongsa, Korea).

Some very nice pictures and videos! I haven't taken the plunge on these larger engines, but do have one of the mth Lehigh Valley stg sets(2-4-0) we use at Christmas and have several original Lionel sets, but I really have no place to run them or display them....  Still very tempting!

Excellent videography David. Well done sir! I have focused mainly on post-war and not paid much attention to tin plate, but your vid opens my eyes a little. Thanks for sharing. 

Also none, and I agree with your assessment regarding the 392E of which I own only one.

They should include a crane to lift these things on and off the track! I think that's part of their appeal. You feel like your handling a big piece of iron.

I have three with one on the way.

 

I agree that I prefer the slightly smaller 392E's to the 400E's.

 

 

 

The one on the way:

 

I will get my 3rd one when MTH makes it with a coal pile tender. Has to come in one of these catalogues.

why not a 400e with a coal tender,,and a 392 an oil tender,,,,,mike ??????

Jim, do you think that would require designing and making an entirely new 12-wheel coal tender to go with the 400, or is there an existing Lionel tender with proportions adequate to fill the bill?

 

david

 

 

 

I am fortunate to own 2 of these beauties: a Blue Comet and Orange/Blue version.  I am holding my hopes for a remake of that set that sold for a record $250,000 a few years ago.

I think that it had the black 400E with green and black passenger cars.   I continue to hold my breath for this set--my last one.

Norm

David. I think it would be a whole new tender. When the SGMA did a show in Pittsburgh we had the opportunity to visit the John DeSantis collection. He has a prototype 400E with a coal pile tender from Lionel. Pretty sure the frame was larger than the oil tender. The tender itself was larger than a 392E tender.

I think Norm should share photos if those mentioned are prewar.  I would love to see them.

After reading again, I think Norm was talking repros.  I would really like to see some original prewar pieces and notes about how they run for you.   An original mint Blue Comet has to be nearing holy grail territory I would think.  For me anyway.

That sounds very cool.  Thanks for the reminder, I had forgotten, there's a shot of John's tender in the Tinplate in Action video #3. Looks fairly massive.

 

I don't know much about marketing, but it sure seems that would be a very low risk, high potential item.  They would sell a lot of 400's just because they had the coal tender... Also making the tender available as a separate sale item in generic black, everybody here would buy one, yes?

 

 

ok,I have a spare 392 tender so I just ran down and put it with a 400e ,would be super great,,needs to abit bigger but separate sale item indeedie,enjoy terry