June 8, 2020 - First, on behalf of M.T.H. Electric Trains, I want to thank you for the support and encouragement you have shown my company over our 40-year journey. From humble beginnings and a lot of hard work, we were able to build one of the world’s largest model train manufacturers - one unquestionably buoyed by your unwavering support.
In particular, I am proud that M.T.H. has released more models than any train manufacturer in the history of our hobby. The variety, quality, and infusion of technology throughout our offerings allowed M.T.H. Electric Trains to help bring enjoyment to all who share our wonderful hobby.
It is, therefore, with mixed emotions that I tell you I have decided to retire in 2021 and close the business. The last two M.T.H. catalogs, our 2020 Volume 2 O Gauge catalog, and our 2020 HO catalog and all non-delivered items from our 2020 Volume 1 O Gauge catalog, 2020 Ready-to-Run Train Set catalog, 2019-2020 S Gauge catalog, and 2019-2020 G Gauge catalog will feature the last products produced by M.T.H. Electric Trains.
The new items featured in all these catalogs will be available beginning Summer 2020 through April 2021 and will carry our limited one-year warranty supported by our Authorized Service Center network and the M.T.H. Service Department. Upon our closing in May 2021, our ASC network will provide warranty coverage through April 2022. A list of M.T.H. Authorized Service Centers is available on the M.T.H. website and will be updated as M.T.H. Authorized Retailers join the program over the coming months.
M.T.H. Electric Trains would not have enjoyed success without the support of the M.T.H. Authorized Retailer network. While traditional retail has changed significantly over the past decade, the independent hobby shop has been and continues to be the most important cog in our distribution chain. I truly appreciate the support and friendship these shops have shown M.T.H. I wish all of th
Wow that is big news. One of the most diversified model train manufactures around. I remenber talking with Andy E. from MTH at York during the 2008-09 financial debacle and how he said the fact they were in so many different things, not just one or two, was helping them ride it out afloat. It doesn’t sound like financial straights are the reason for this news, at least hopefully not, and hopefully some how all or at least portions of the enterprise manage to live on. That would be good for the hobby.
I am always sorry to hear of the demise of a train supplier. On the other hand, there may be opportunities here as well. Why can’t we get an MTH engine with a DCC decoder?
Good luck to you in future endeavors, Mike. By the way, I’m retired, and not having any involvement in my previous job is very fulfilling.
That´s sad news for the European O scale community! MTH made a number of highly detailed, high quality locomotives of European prototype at reasonable prices and not available through any other source. MTH will be missed there.
Yeah, not a big deal for me or my club. Of the 2000 HO-scale engines we have registered to our 65 members, just six of them are MTH (and they belong to just two members). They never made anything I wanted, and the self-promoting hyperbole and the, um, misleading advertisements shall we say, plus the number of lawyers they had on retainer, turned off many to MTH’s product line. Not to mention their toy-like looks and gimmickry, along with their higher prices to pay for the gimmicks, meant that very few of their engines sold to our members.
I will always give MTH credit for stopping the UP licensing fiasco. That’s the single best thing they ever did. But their models? No sale (not to me, anyways).
Surprising, but good riddance. I still recall the lawsuit MTH filed against BLI. And, from what I recall, MTH locos in HO scale were a real problem early on for guys who bought them. I would be saddened to see Atlas or BLI or even Intermountain close down, but MTH? Nah.
I was trying to be a little more subtle in my first post, but you are right. The MTH HO steam in particular all has a toy like appearance of a shrunk down piece of O gauge. I only know one guy, who only bought one, that’s it.
The DC compatibility issues, the early DCC compatibility issues, “annual new release” marketing (which is more annoying than regular preorders) all showed a lot of arrogance and/or a total disregard for any understanding of the established HO market.
I could be wrong, but I can’t see how they made any money in HO.
MTH has never produced anything in HO that appeals to me; especially factoring in their proprietary control system. I find it interesting that such a large company has no management succession plan or any kind of business continuity strategy. This may be a one-man show; that may explain some of the arrogance referenced by Sheldon above which I agree with entirely. But Mr. Wolf also may think that the future is not bright and he is maximizing value from a liquidation. I am curious to know whether he sells his tooling; or destroys it.
He would need a buyer, an any bean counter will tell you the return on investment in this business sucks.
He said some of his employees may work out such a deal, we will see.
But, speaking about HO, with all the duplication of product, it is not likely any of the other big players would be interested. They already make most of those items. And make them better for less money by most people’s standards.
They will be happy for the larger market share.
Hopefully, the good parts of the product line get sold off to interested parties, and get revamped to better suit the market.
He says right in the post he is looking at offers. What better way to tell potential buyers you are serious and heat up the market for your business but to announce you are serious about leaving?
No doubt that MTH is one of the key players in the market and even more so in O gauge. Whenever a key player leaves the market for whatever reason, it leaves a gap which will not easily be filled in such a small industry.
I find some of the comments here strange - giving me the impression that this forum is dominated by a bunch of old bickering geezers.
Man, you’d think a nuclear bomb went off then MTH made the announcement - it’s posted everywhere!
I have never bought anything from MTH so this closure won’t affect me. I’m not bothered.
Many have complained about the non-standard digital system and not in a good way. If anyone picks up the tooling, and produces more models based on them, hopefully they will change to standard DCC components.