Lionel Outfit 348E 1926-28

[Terry]

Lionel standard gauge outfit 348E was made from 1926 through 1928. The same outfit without the electric reverse was sold in 1926 and'27. The set contains a 380 or 380E loco and 428 Pullman 429 Combine, and 430 Observation. The cars in this set have maroon windows. 

These 428,429,and 430 cars are heavy and the so the loco has two large cast iron weights in it. I had a photo, but cannot find it now.

In 1929, Lionel replaced the loco with the 9 and changed the car windows to orange from the maroon seen above. There were other changes in the set too. For a comparison of this set with the 1929 9 set see:

1929 Lionel Standard Gauge Outfit 349

[starfire700]

This set and the same dark green cars with a 9 boxcab are great looking sets in dark green.
As Terry noted they changed the window color from maroon to orange to identify the correct cars with the correct loco. If I was heavy into Standard gauge I would have both sets.
 I have had the set with 380, but have never had the 9 set. I believe the set with dark green 9U Bild-a-Loco is uncataloged, as the 1929 catalog shows set 349 and 349E in orange, also 1930.

[Terry]

I like these bigger cars too. I have a 4 car Mohave 402 set with 6-wheel truck 418/419/431/490 cars tahyt you can see on the layout against the wall, and a 5 car 402 set with 10 series trucks.

I sold the orange 428 cars and the pea green 418 cars when I thinned out the collection. The orange cars had repainted roofs, and the green cars had IVES decals. If I found either set in the wilds and got a good deal on it I'd keep it. That's where the dark green 9 set came from.

I think both of the dark green sets deserve a place on the layout. They satisfy my need to have variations.