400e or Piper? Cadet blue photo?

Here you go. It is a very nice set. The Blue Piper rarely comes up. Yet a friend of mine bought one last week.

Thank you very much for taking the time to post the photos.  Did your friend get the Piper with Proto or traditional?

Thanks!

Sunrise

Sunrise, I have a black w/brass 400E and a black w/brass AF Piper and I'd be hard pressed to pick a favorite, they are both awesome.  But, if I had to choose one that was blue w/brass I wouldn't hesitate to get a 400E, I think in the blue the 400E  has no equal.

John.

Sunrise, in answer to your email, both of these engines are PS2 versions.  I grew up in the 70's with Lionel trains that had both smoke and sound so I want them on my trains that I buy today, the sounds and especially the smell of the smoke take me back to when I was a kid.  Everybody has to decide which is right for them, it's great that we have the choice.  You also asked if the Piper has a whistle in the traditional version, that I don't know, maybe someone here who has one can answer that.

Good luck with the decision, I'm sure your going to love which ever one you choose.

John.

Here are pictures of the MTH Wabash along with two MTH Blue Comet engines.

Scott Smith

Scott,

I check out your link to your collection of photos.  Just stunning!! Which is your favorite between the 400e or Piper?

Thanks,

Sunrise

His Blue Piper is PS-2.

I have the Black Piper PS-2 and it has a digital Air Whistle.

IMHO I would go with the Blue Piper for freight as there are plenty of Flyer Blue freight cars. In Scotts photo above I think that Piper looks really good pulling that Lionel lineage 500 series car.

To me the 400E in Blue is Blue Comet only. There are photos around of it pulling freight.

Flyer freight cars are the best.

Here's an ebay listing for an MTH Cadet Blue 3245R set:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MTH-10...;hash=item1e6c34b3a9

If buying repro, I'd buy the 3245R set, as you will probably never see an original in your lifetime, and if you did, you probably would not want to pay for it. They are pretty cool engines.

If you want a 400E in any color, or would accept a black AF Piper, I'd recommend buying an original, even if you have to pay a bit more for it now. In the end, you'll be further ahead. If you have to own a blue Piper, then MTH is the only option.

I check out your link to your collection of photos.  Just stunning!! Which is your favorite between the 400e or Piper?

The Piper is the better looking engine.  MTH never made any passenger cars to go with the Wabash Piper which came with a passenger station sound set.

 Scott Smith

In Scotts photo above I think that Piper looks really good pulling that Lionel lineage 500 series car.

Please keep in mind in order to do that you need to change out the coupler on one end to an American Flyer coupler.  You may want to check out a command version before buying; the smoke and cruise control are really cool.

 Scott Smith

Make sure you click on my Piper photo as the image is compressed. looks like all my photos are compressed.

Well, its down to the wire...tomorrow is payday...still haven't decided on a traditional blue/brass 400e or the blue/brass Piper with PS2.  I wish I could afford both...

Sunrise

Sunrise,

A couple more pictures to help you to decide.

Looks like they made 2 versions of the Blue Piper the dark blue looks different on the product locator and the numbers are different one has a SKU ending in 91 and the other 92. The photo shows one with Wabash plates and the other MTH Lines..

They never made matching cars but I think regular Lionel vintage Blue Comet cars would be quite attractive.

They never made matching cars but I think regular Lionel vintage Blue Comet cars would be quite attractive.

They do look nice with it; but you have to change out one of the couplers to match American Flyer coupler

I finally and got to see the 400e and the 4696 Piper today up close.  I'll be the first one to admit, Standard Gauge is a whole new area for me and boy do I feel stupid...  That 400e is a beast...  I'm thinking it may be WAYYYY to BIG for my 5x16 layout.  It seems like overkill.  The rolling stock seems pretty limited for the 4696 (unless I change the coupler).  The Black Dorfan seemed really nice.  What passenger cars and freight cars could go with the Dorfan?  I'm making my purchase tomorrow for sure.  When I saw the size and heft of the 400e...I really needed to think about it overnight before spending the cash.  Thanks for your help.

Sunrise

If you go with the piper you need to change out the coupler on one of your pieces of rolling stock on one end rather than the tender. That way it can be used as a transition car.

Scott Smith

Scott,

Forgive my ignorance....is it difficult to change the coupler out on tinplate rollingstock?

Thanks,

Sunrise

On rolling stock you will need to bend up the tabs on the coupler pocket (the metal holder under the car) and you will need to bend them back when you are done.

Scott Smith

Thanks Scott.

Sunrise

I finally made my purchase today! I didn't go with the 400e, it was way to big.  I didn't go with the Piper, there was a spot on the engine's finish that looked a bit rough.  Potential issue in the future.. I decided to go with the 1134 in traditional. (10-1336-0) I also picked up the 190 series caboose, gondola, and merchandise car that are in the photo.  See it in the below link. When looking at the instruction booklet, it states that the engine has a whistle function! A pleasant surprise. Its a beauty! Thanks for all your help! Sunrise

http://www.mthtrains.com/sites...s/2008TinplateV1.pdf

That was a nice choice. I have the black AF version and the Red Ives version. I came real close this past week to buying the blue with the red roof cars to match my red 1134. But I talked myself out of it. The nice things about the black version of the 1134 is that you can buy other tenders at MTH's part both and put on flyer coupler and run it with the flyer cars. I actually purchased two tenders for mine. It came with the flyer coupler so I added two tenders and put Ives couplers on them. One I have as a N&W the other one I have as a C&O. Enjoy your new purchase.

Scott Smith

Your Ives is a better looking 1134 than the AF version-yours has that nice brass colored boiler front.

Of course here is the red version.

Scott Smith

I just hooked up the engine and it growled nicely  However, the booklet states that there's a whistle..but no luck.. it must be a generic print.  I didn't see any pick up rollers on my tender. That should have been my firt clue.

Sunrise

Do you think I should put Dorfan passenger cars behind the 1134 or should I go with 418 series? The people in the Dorfan cars look really cool.

Sunrise

Dorfan does use different couplers. I like the 418 cars.

Scott Smith

There is a 3245 Electric with Black Diamond cars on E-Bay. It is a nice looking set with the Black Electric and Red/Black Chief cars AKA Black Diamond cars in the reproduction world. The correct steamer for a Black Diamond would be  Satin finished. Yours is gloss black but who cares this is is a run what you like era as Scott shows running the Red Ives steamer with the Red/Black cars and it looks really good.

Contact me if you are interested in the electric set.

Jim,

 As you hinted at the Red Ives engine with the black cars/red roof, was never offered in the standard gauge during the Ives era in standard gauge. The funny thing is that combination was offered in the O-Gauge version of the 1134 sets. Actually I think the black looks better than the blue that was offered with the red engine.

Scott Smith

Hojack, I think your history is pretty much the same as I know it. In repo land the 1134 was done in red for the circus train. I think it was Black in the original set. The original Olympian I believe was made with both cars Flyer early and Lionel late. I did not know the Black Diamond could have satin finished cars.

The Flyer President cars were done by Ives in Black Diamond colors, Olympian colors, Prosperity Special colors and the rarest of them all Green.

The late 1134 with the headlight in the smoke box and gloss black the OP purchased would make a correct Chief set.

I have no clue why MTH called there set with the Satin engine and Lionel cars a Black Diamond. Maybe, someday they will make the correct set with Satin finished cars as well.