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Post by rockymountaineer on Apr 23, 2024 21:38:07 GMT
WHOA!!! Hopefully you guys didn't spend all your money at York, and you still have some funds that aren't fully committed for pre-orders due later in 2024... because MTH is re-issuing its Premier Challenger Z-6 with quilling steam-whistle. And the green Great Northern version is gonna be a tough jewel to pass up. So start saving your pennies.
Yes... it's another killer product that could have very well been announced earlier in the year. But MTH is very selfishly making these surprise announcements -- one at a time -- all year long now. And nothing we say here is gonna make them re-think this strategy, because it's apparently working for them... as much as I absolutely DETEST this approach for its flagrant lack of helping enthusiasts plan their spend-budget for the entire year.
These jewels are due in November, but I'm thinking realistically this might be more of a 2025 delivery. We shall see... since it took MTH over two years to deliver the OGF 2022 club car with PUP trailers, despite telling us so many times they were "on the water". I don't think ANY of these importers know when product is gonna ship, as they're very much now at the mercy of their overseas "partners" (if we dare call them that). 
For the record... I'm not 100% convinced I'll pre-order this, since I have a nice Lionel Legacy 2-6-6-2 GN articulated steamer with Legacy Railsounds. But I have a sneaky suspicion MTH won't need my pre-order to make this a success. At the rate things seem to be going, there's no shortage of folks signing up for these pre-orders... that is as long as you're also not planning to buy 3 or 4 of Lionel's newly announced ET44's too!!! As I said in another recent post... everywhere we turn importers, dealers and clubs are tempting folks to spend thousands of dollars like there's no tomorrow. Quite amazing, when you think about it -- especially when there's no end to it!!! 
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Post by runamuckchuck on Apr 23, 2024 22:27:34 GMT
When the majority of new releases are the same old same old engine and rolling stock wise with the exception of new tooling, different paint schemes, and features, custom runs seem to be breathing new life into the hobby. While likely too dicey for a general release the custom run is obviously meeting a pent up demand within the hobby. Perhaps if not for a particular custom run these individuals might not buy much if anything from the general release.
Maybe that is why they have all this money to spend.
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Post by Adam on Apr 23, 2024 22:34:07 GMT
I'm glad this is a premier and won't run on my layout. Otherwise, I might be down a few bucks.
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Post by seayakbill on Apr 23, 2024 23:15:24 GMT
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Post by rockymountaineer on Apr 23, 2024 23:31:00 GMT
When the majority of new releases are the same old same old engine and rolling stock wise with the exception of new tooling, different paint schemes, and features, custom runs seem to be breathing new life into the hobby. While likely too dicey for a general release the custom run is obviously meeting a pent up demand within the hobby. .... This announcement IS an MTH general release -- just that ALL of MTH's "special announcements" via their daily email blasts are essentially BTO based on dealer orders, which in turn are based on customer pre-orders with a few extra's as a dealer may deem worthy of taking a small inventory risk.
The custom-runs, which tend to be roadnames exclusive to one or two dealers (and sometimes a club), are indeed limited quantities... some as few as a couple dozen... and in rare instances as few as a dozen with MTH. And therein is the built-in frenzy generator. OTOH, some custom-runs are announced with sufficient runway for the dealer or club to garner a good chunk of pre-orders. I believe this tends to be the case with many of Lionel's custom-runs, since they require a minimum commitment of 40 from what I understand.
The kicker to all of this, however, is since Lionel previewed its VisionLine Triplex, there's been an endless series of announcements in the $1,800+ price-point. And even with an announcement like Lionel's recent ET44 where powered units are "only" $700/each and SuperBass units are "only" $600/each, the lure is set for folks to purchase either multiple road-names OR even THREE models within the same road-name so as to make an impressive MU lash-up.... which takes you right into $1,800+ territory again! Throw in a couple of Triplexes... an H-7 or two... custom-run Big Boys and/or Challengers... and you're into some serious dough -- very little of which you have the luxury of planning for at catalog time, since dealers are sometimes staging their custom-run announcements apart from the importer's general announcement.
Yes... there are certainly worse problems in life... but I can also understand why some folks sit out these frenzies and live vicariously through the YouTubers. It's definitely easier on the wallet. LOL!!! 
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Post by rockymountaineer on Apr 23, 2024 23:34:44 GMT
I purchased the first MTH Z-6 many years ago. SP&S with DCS / PS-2. One fantastic steamer. ...
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superwarp1
Full Member
Posts: 212
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Post by superwarp1 on Apr 24, 2024 11:57:54 GMT
I purchased the first MTH Z-6 many years ago. SP&S with DCS / PS-2. One fantastic steamer. ...
Don't count on improved sounds. MTH doesn't have and sound engineer on staff that I know of. It's the one negative of their steamers. Sound sucks. MTH had the diesels sounds down pat like Alco prime movers but steamer sounds are old and stale.
One thing you can count on it it will be robust mechanically and the paint will be right.
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