The Ep-2 “bipolar” series of articulated electric locomotives built by GE for the Milwaukee Road in 1919 inspired toy train manufacturers to construct similar models. I am really enamored with these engines. While Lionel started the standard gauge charge in 1923 (surprisingly late) with the diminutive #10, the #380 and finally the massive #381 mimicked these impressive machines. American Flyer likewise had the #4635 and #4637 versions of the bipolar, in the later 1920s. Ives “Olympian” came out in 1926 and was another impressive model, although I have not seen one in person.
While all of the major manufacturers took an incredible amount of license with their interpretations of the EP-2, Lionel’s “Brute” prototype in 1924 came closest to the prototype’s articulated design, yet this “toy” was originally larger than standard gauge and not fully realized for production until about 80 years later, and even then only approximates the real thing. Same with the “super” 381, which also didn’t make production until about 10 years ago.
The photograph here depicts 3 of my “bipolar” engines, the 381, 10 and 4637. If anyone has an Olympian they would like to send me, I can make a much better size comparison! This photo well demonstrates the size discrepancy between the 381 and 10. The 380 would have been somewhere in-between.
The Flyer came sorta close in proportion to the prototype, if you can ignore the 4 driving wheels compared to the 20 of the prototype, with the divisions in the cab approximating the divisions in the original. But for overall impressiveness, it’s hard to beat the massive 381, about 17” long (nearly 3.25” longer than the Flyer) and nearly 7.5” tall!
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