Help me decide, Ives or 400E?

Zett,

I don't think that I can really help you--pretty tough choice.  I have the red National Set: a stunning beauty.  A 400E is also very impressive.  What would you run behind it?  Chrome passenger cars?  That would look great.

I have a Blue Comet.  It was just beautiful under our Christmas Tree last year.  This year I may just bring out that National Set again.

You can't go wrong

Zett,

 

I don't think your son will mind the freight sounds in the passenger set, they're sounds and he'll think that's cool. It might bother you, but he will most certainly just get a kick out of it. It might always be pulling passenger car anyway, freight cars are an easy way to add to a set every year.

If it were me, I would lean toward the Ives set but that's just me. Go with what you want. I'm sure he will be overjoyed with either.

 

ARNO

I agree with Norm.  You can't go wrong!

 

We still have chrome passenger cars on sale, and complete Ives National Limited sets in stock.

My vote goes for the Ives set.  Bright eye catching colors are what draw a toddler's attention. Freight cars are great additions on birthdays, Christmas and other gift giving occasions as the years go by.  I might have to break down and buy a National Limited set myself.  Has anyone reproduced the Ives Patriot set yet?

Greg

400E's seem to be cataloged every year, not so with the Ives. I'd go with the Ives if available.

 

Steve

adopt me and I promise I'll be happy with either....

LOL Dave.

Good point about the 400Es and I'm sure they will be in the new catalog as well. Even though that's the case I don't see buying another std gauge in the future, so this may be a 1 and done.

The Ives National Limited is my recommendation... a very attractive, eye-catching passenger train that the whole family will enjoy!  I was extremely glad to see MTH re-issue the set, since the one from 2005-ish had become very difficult to locate.

 

David

My thoughts exactly!

 

Jeff Davis

come on man: everyone knows " Ives toys make Happy Boys".

I'll also add that the Ives locomotives look much more like real trains.

 

They are also neater to watch run, because the rods are mounted out further from the center of the drivers.  Thus you get much neater drive rod action from an 1134 than the 400, in which the rods stay very close to the center axis and just sort of bob around.

 

I say wait a bit and get him something he can actually play with! 

As he gets a little older and begins to understand what it's all about, you can give him a nice train then. 

Go with a Thomas set that needs to be pushed around. 

It will help develop his motor skills as well.

Well, your question seems to have brought out most of the Ives lovers on the forum, so you hardly need another one chiming in.  But I will say this.  I was brought up with the sight and sound of my dad's standard gauge Ives at Christmas time since before I can really remember.  

 

Even if there is something like Thomas or other pre-school type toys for him to carry around in his little hands, the early wide-eyed experience of that Ives will be something else altogether.  As he gets older you can take him from just watching, to running the throttle with supervision, to running it on his own - and these transitions also will be remembered as  rites of passage.

 

My dad is long gone, but the emotional connection I feel with him and his life is strong when I see and run the Ives today.  And it's a point of continuity in my own life as well.  If there's a chance your son could have something similar 60 years from now, it's worth planting the seed now.

 

david

I have both the Ives Red National set and the Red 400e Comet set. I would lean more towards the Ives set.  I prefer the red on the Ives because its a tad darker. Also, the gold front w/red looks real classy. Go with the Ives.

 

Sunrise

How old is your son?

Zett,

   Nothing to decide here, save your bucks and purchase both, he will love them!

PCRR/Dave

as someone who remembers being ecstatic about his first train, a Lionel Scout set, i tend to agree with this thinking.  i would even go as far as picking up a more reliable and rugged common postwar set.  remember that if something needs to be shipped back for repairs (what seems to be a 50-50 proposition these days with new production), a month to a kid is the equivalent of 1-2 adult years.

 

cheers...gary

I was one of those kids. These two nailed it!

 

Then again, I looked at the train that would one day be mine for twenty years without touching it.

 Oh yea, almost forgot. I never got to run it much, or ever take it down, due to unforeseen circumstance .

 But I loved all the ones I got to play with.

Their deaths hold far better memories than the shelf queen

Also, a pw train has a much better chance of reaching an old age right along with him, more than anything with modern electronics in it.

Other made points are very good.

But just hearing "black and chrome" makes me drool some. Its a weakness.

I have the National Limited and I have 3 400E's. I would recommend the National Limited--it's one of the most beautiful engines ever made.

Scott Smith

I'd suggest a wooden train, like Brio over an electric train.  Something the child can touch, carry, push around,etc. Then get down there and play with the child and his train.

I appreciate everyone's input, it really helped me make the decision. I went with the majority and got the Ives National Limited. It was tough because I can imagine the Christmas lights reflecting off of those chrome passenger cars. In the end I thought the Ives was more unique. My wife liked the colors better, considering most the steamers I have are black. The national limited cars are 3/4" shorter than the chrome cars which concerned me a little, but I havnt heard a bad thing yet about the Ives set. Also the 400E set would have cost more.

 

i understand the points that were made about waiting a few years or getting him something he can play with now, but for me it's doing for my son what my dad did for me. I was born in September and got my first Lionel 3 months later. This is now one of my prized possessions and a gift that fueled my love for the hobby. 

 

Looking ng forward to seeing the standard gauge under the tree come December. I will share some photos then.

 

thanks again for the replies!

The National Limited cars are Lionel 418 bodies with 6 wheel Ives trucks and Ives decals. They look so much better than Lionel 418 cars.

 

You can always get the Ives salesmans set. This is a chrome 1134 with Black cars with chrome roofs.