According to a heavy duty sales pitch in Lionel’s 1931 catalog, the 400E was so impressive that New York Central 20th Century Limited engineer Bob Butterfield and Jersey Central Blue Comet engineer W. J. Smith both agreed it looked just like the locomotives they operated at work. So either these two engineers were totally blind or they were bedazzled by the 400E.
Today, walk into a train shop and you can still see the same classic outline as you would have in 1931. Only the MTH Tinplate Traditions 400E has much more under the hood than the original model did.
The locomotive
This Standard gauge model is available in two versions, a “traditional” model and a ProtoSound 2.0 model. The differences are purely internal. The traditional version features a “Bild-a-Loco” motor, a mechanical reverse unit, and a track-voltage-controlled headlight. The ProtoSound 2.0 version features a Pittman can-style motor, a constant-voltage headlight, a fan-driven smoke unit, and the full MTH electronics suite from speed control to sound effects. Our test sample was the fully loaded ProtoSound 2.0 version.
For the uninitiated, prewar-style trains were, more often than not, merely a representation of locomotives and rolling stock, as opposed to replicas of real-life trains. So be warned rivet-counters and hi-rail fans: this model isn’t for you.
Simplicity is part of the charm of this model. The locomotive looks like what it is: a large hunk of neatly shaped metal that looks like a racy steam locomotive. It is a toy, but boy what a toy it is!
The locomotive consists of a sheet-metal boiler and cab with a heavy die-cast metal frame, steam chests, boiler front, and pilot.
The pilot is a rugged hunk of metal with a “cow-catcher” and grab irons on the deck. On the front are three large lights, two tinted lantern-like markers placed British style on the pilot, and a bright headlight.
The smokebox has a nice ring of cast-in rivets and seams to give it texture, and a bell dangles from the top, centered above the headlight. On both sides of the smokebox, where the builder’s plate is, illuminated number boards read “Lehigh Valley 400E.”
The top of the boiler features an array of nickel add-on items, such as the smokestack, piping, and three domes. Additional piping runs down the sides from two domes, and boiler bands break up the red enamel of the flanks. One note about the add-on trim bits: they are either nickel or brass, depending on the paint scheme selected.
Smooth running boards are found along both sides of the boiler, and there are compressors placed in the center on both sides. A tank hangs below each compressor and above the running gear.
In the United States, the prototype 4-4-4 wheel arrangement didn’t get all that much play, but in the toy world, it reigned supreme. On the 400E, the wheels are all nickel plated. The drive, pilot, and trailing wheelsets feature darkened center spokes. The running gear is as simple as it gets, but is impressive in operation because of its beastly size.
The sides of the firebox are heavily riveted and accented in gray. The cab sides feature metal discs with a distinctive Lehigh Valley logo. The inside of the cab is pretty Spartan, with just some grab irons on the cab entrance and a firebox door. The model does, however, feature the tried-and-true firebox glow as did the original 400E, thanks to a chunky red bulb.
The tender has a two piece die-cast metal body styled in the classic Vanderbilt pattern. The rig has a large, square oil tank and a cylindrical water tank. The car has 12 wheels mounted on twin metal trucks.
You’ll find hatches on top of the fuel bunker and water tank, as well as side ladders and grab irons. The rear of the tender sports a matching metal oval with a Lehigh Valley logo.
Although the locomotive is clearly a steamer, I can’t say that it resembles any particular prototype – certainly not a New York Central Hudson, per the old Lionel ad. That being noted, I’ve always wondered about the origin of the tender design. Each side of the tender has three perpendicular supports for the “tank” that arch up from the sides. I don’t recall seeing a prototype tender with that design – most have flat sides that curve inward near the bottom of the frame.
One reference book I checked noted that Vanderbilt tenders required extensive internal bracing. Maybe one of the original Lionel designers figured the bracing needed to be on the exterior! Just add this to the list of “lost secrets of the toy train world.”
Our test sample (and cover queen) is an MTH production sample for one of the newest runs of the MTH 400E. No doubt about it, the glossy paint and decoration are first class. The baked enamel finish on both the locomotive and tender was flawless. The white trim on the running board sides, and the road name is clean and crisp.
When I first heard about MTH venturing into “non-traditional” prewar road names, I wasn’t too sure about the idea. Let me say that the result is terrific. When this model was first cataloged (in the MTH catalog for 2004, vol. 1), it was shown in gray and black versions, as well as with New York Central and Chessie System versions. A peek at the newest 2005 Tinplate Traditions catalog shows the trend continuing with such road names as Baltimore & Ohio, Great Northern, and Rio Grande. These just might tempt some folks into taking a gander at the granddaddy of O gauge trains and sticking their toe in.
On the test track
As I stated, our test subject was a production sample for the ProtoSound 2.0 version of the Lehigh Valley 400E. Equipped with a can-style motor, its operation was smooth, very quiet, and surprisingly quick considering both the size of the locomotive and its echo chamber of a boiler.
Our low-speed average for this locomotive was 6.7 scale mph, and our high-speed average was 82.3 scale mph. Scale, of course, is an approximation with Standard gauge.
The 400E’s drawbar pull measured 1 pound 10 ounces. This closely mirrors the results from the last MTH 400E we reviewed in the November 1998 issue. I still have the notion that a set of rubber traction tires would put this monster in a class all its own!
How did the smoke unit perform? Normally, when testing a locomotive in the CTT workshop, I worry about the smoke fumes from only the largest articulated O gauge steamers. But the 400E had me fretting over the possibility of triggering the company fire alarm!
Unlike your typical O gauge steamer, the 400E packs all of its electronics into the cavernous locomotive shell itself, so the tender is really just another “car.”
Rumbling around the track with the sound off, the 400E was surprisingly quiet. There was probably more background noise from the running gear than from the motor. But that’s “old school.” Where this locomotive makes a difference to the prewar world is the sound and control system.
The sound package is terrific. The metal boiler shell really helps propel the sound. It has a deep, rich texture that I bet will bring a smile to any prewar purist. You get the standard chuff, puff, and ker-thunks that we’ve come to expect from MTH steamers. You also get pre-recorded crew messages and sound effects, plus the fun passenger-station Proto-Effects feature.
The only ProtoSound 2.0 feature this model lacks is a coil-operated coupler. But give MTH some time – you never know when those guys might develop!
Is it any wonder why MTH’s version of the 400E is so popular? It’s big, it’s studly, it runs like the devil, and it can literally anchor a collection. Pun intended, of course.
If you’re seriously thinking about venturing into Standard gauge trains, you’ll regret not taking a look at these models.
