|
|
Post by harborbelt70 on Jan 13, 2024 12:48:10 GMT
You know, I would not normally jump on anything (to comment adversely) from a reputable dealer doing another MTH special run but I think it's worth mentioning this one. Public Delivery Track, who I respect, is behind something about which I got an MTH circular this morning with what is (to me) the highly intriguing title of "Southern Pacific High Level" passenger cars. I'm sure SP never had anything of this kind although anything that is SP passenger car-related grabs my attention.
But why would you produce artwork that shows dangling wires from the trucks to say nothing of a non-Daylight scheme? I can't say I'm tempted by this.
|
|
|
|
Post by madockawando on Jan 13, 2024 12:49:54 GMT
I have been disappointed by a lot of the MTH announcements lately, too many Railking items and and too many beer refers.
|
|
|
|
Post by david1 on Jan 13, 2024 13:28:41 GMT
Yes a little mistake on Mth's side but not a big deal really. These will be big sellers. I like them though I'm not a SP fan.
As far as mth making too many Railking and beer reefers just means that you don't know what really sells! Railking out sells premier by quite a margin.
Dave
|
|
|
|
Post by rockymountaineer on Jan 13, 2024 19:37:13 GMT
It’s encouraging to see MTH offering bi-level passenger coaches, since I knew they still own the tooling for both their bi-level and Hi-level Superliner products.
I’m particularly interested in the latter, as I’ve been lobbying MTH to offer Hi-Level RockyMountaineer coaches that would blend nicely with their regular-height RM coaches produced a few years ago. I’ve been recommending a transitional coach (one end with regular-height vestibule and one end with high-level vestibule), and then a 2- or 4-pack of hi-level lounge cars with full-length domes to simulate the RM Gold Leaf service.
The paint-masks for the RM have already been done, and hi-level cars just need solid gold paint above the windows.
Let’s go already, MTH. I’ve only been asking for 5+ years. So I’m hoping a high-level announcement isn’t too far beyond this bi-level announcement. I even already have a dealer lined up for an RM High-Level custom-run, if MTH doesn’t wanna include the RM cars as a regular production run.
|
|
|
|
Post by harborbelt70 on Jan 13, 2024 22:40:26 GMT
I would like to see that (MTH Hi-level cars) even if I am not in the market for them. I may be wrong but I think that there is no market for the much finer K-Line versions, whoever has the tooling for them. You can hope for anything on O-Gauge forums but you are more likely to get something recycled, like the Triplex . . . about which I say no more than I already have.
|
|
|
|
Post by 4dogsinjersey on Jan 14, 2024 2:09:12 GMT
I preordered these cars a few months ago. I have four cars coming. These cars did exist on the SP. Also, there will be no cab cars as the SP always ran their Commutes locomotive first… They are basically correct…drab and not really exciting.  Tom |
|
|
|
Post by harborbelt70 on Jan 14, 2024 12:35:09 GMT
I preordered these cars a few months ago. I have four cars coming. These cars did exist on the SP. Also, there will be no cab cars as the SP always ran their Commutes locomotive first… They are basically correct…drab and not really exciting. Tom
|
|
|
|
Post by 4dogsinjersey on Jan 14, 2024 15:53:22 GMT
I preordered these cars a few months ago. I have four cars coming. These cars did exist on the SP. Also, there will be no cab cars as the SP always ran their Commutes locomotive first… They are basically correct…drab and not really exciting. Tom I am guessing the heavy weight car coupled to the gallery car, is a Harriman coach. They were pretty common in SP commute service. I know Golden Gate Depot made some, but they are hard to come by. They would have been a first choice to go with the GP9 and Trainmaster in the bloody nose scheme, I have in my collection… The SP did have some gallery cars in a multicolor paint scheme. The black and white photo doesn’t show the colors used…  Tom
|
|
|
|
Post by curtis on Jan 15, 2024 14:12:49 GMT
You know, I would not normally jump on anything (to comment adversely) from a reputable dealer doing another MTH special run but I think it's worth mentioning this one. Public Delivery Track, who I respect, is behind something about which I got an MTH circular this morning with what is (to me) the highly intriguing title of "Southern Pacific High Level" passenger cars. I'm sure SP never had anything of this kind although anything that is SP passenger car-related grabs my attention.
But why would you produce artwork that shows dangling wires from the trucks to say nothing of a non-Daylight scheme? I can't say I'm tempted by this.
Maybe they think it is the air hoses running to the brakes. LOL
|
|
|
|
Post by curtis on Jan 15, 2024 14:20:58 GMT
I have been disappointed by a lot of the MTH announcements lately, too many Railking items and and too many beer refers. I agree. But it sells. I myself prefer premier. BUT, and I mean a BIG BUT, is when MTH made the RailKing First Responders Caboose and then made a Premier on. I purchased both. T took them both back to my dealer and said tell me the difference between these two cars. After an hour of him and several others looking and searching it was decided there was none. My dealer placed a call to MTH to unlock what was different to justify the cost difference. Answer was there is no difference, ZERO! But they charged more for the premier. THAT was my FIRST disappointment with MTH and I told Rich Foster and Andy Elderman along with Mike Wolf Personally at the next York show.
Personally I only buy Premier most of the time and I do not drink beer so alcohol cars do not appeal to me but some look real nice.
|
|
|
|
Post by harborbelt70 on Jan 15, 2024 15:27:02 GMT
But why would you produce artwork that shows dangling wires from the trucks to say nothing of a non-Daylight scheme? I can't say I'm tempted by this.
Maybe they think it is the air hoses running to the brakes. LOL
|
|
|
|
Post by rockymountaineer on Jan 15, 2024 16:42:19 GMT
... But more generally, and depending on how the cars are actually produced, these cars' appearance is a good example of something Brian Vaill brought to my attention, which is that 3rail O scale cars are usually built to sit disproportionately high off the rails - a very "high water-mark" as he put it. I suppose that is a good thing in terms of ordinary handling of such cars as in just getting them on the rails. ... Unfortunately, there are ZERO standards in the 3-rail model train market.
Case in point... The Atlas-O California Zephyr cars are admittedly the best modeled CZ cars on the market bar none, but they ride low to the ground... enough so that the steps would make contact with the switch machines on MTH ScaleTrax turnouts on my layout -- most notably when trains would take the cross-over route on a double-track mainline. Those same cars run fine on Atlas-O's track (among others) with no issues, because the rail height is higher than that of MTH Scaletrax, which has one of the lowest profile rail heights available to 3-railers. It's truest to scale, but the switch machines can be problematic for very low-riding rolling stock. Thankfully, the Atlas-O CZ cars were the only cars I owned that ran into this problem.
One solution would have been to replace the MTH switch machines with under-table Tortoise switch machines. And if I had the time to do it, that would have been the "best" solution. But instead, I eventually sold all my Atlas-O CZ cars and replaced them with Lionel's 18" aluminum cars, which are beautiful but not as uniquely produced to follow the true CZ prototype for different cars. And the Lionel cars ride a bit higher on the rails like most 3-rail rolling stock. But they run smooth as silk across my trackwork.
So our hobby is filled with little "gotcha's" like that due to lack of standards in general. However -- and fortunately -- this is one of the less objectionable gotcha's, although it was disappointing. In retrospect, it's amazing as many different products from different manufacturers work as well as they do without standards in place.
|
|
