Originally Posted by Jumijo:
As to for the solution you suggest, since there's no visible identification markings to readily ascertain whether a PE loco is one of the older type or newer one, the loco's shell must be revoved so you can actually view the shape and placement of their respective motors to determine which motor a PE loco has. If a dealer unkowingly sells you sealed new "older stock" you'd still have the same loco problem and then also be stuck with an opened loco you couldn't return.
As for the steam whistle effect PE loco, Lionel techs have informed me it is identical to the PE loco found in "newer" sets with the only changes being the steam whistle effect mechanism added to the set loco and that it comes with the same identical PE trainsounds tender that they've been selling for a few years as an add-on upgrade to the PE set's standard tender.
Considering I'd already purchased a trainsounds tender years ago when it first came on the market, it seems that with the cost of a steam whistle effect loco being just slightly lower than cost for an completely new PE set would not be a smart purchase moneywise.
My early PE loco pulls all the cars, including add-ons, just fine. The biggest problem is that my layout really isn't big enough for a train that long.
Buy the newer version of the loco from a set breakup or the one with the whistle steam.
