Say guys (and gals?), I’m in O scale, but I used to love the MDC “Old-timer” line of locos and cars. I understand both MDC and Athearn are becoming somewhat difficult to find in some locales, but I see them and some other good-looking steam locos are available from Micro-Mark and, surprisingly, Historic Rail! I see some of my old favorite MDC locos listed in their catalogs in various liveries, and although the prices seem high to me, I realize they’ve increased since I sold the kits for $89.98 in my HO model RR shop that I closed down in '92.
Horizon bought MDC and in their infinite wisdom decided to discontinue the kits and sell RTR only. It was at this point that the prices made a huge jump to where they are now. Prior to that, the OT 2-6-0 retailed at ~$65. (I bought one in 2000 or so. It was a very nice kit, with a tiny flywheel and plated drivers).
Part of the jump from $70 to $140 list is that the kits weren’t really designed for mass-production assembly (compare to Bachmann). Another part, I think, is a Bachmann-style practice of setting a ridiculously high list price so the actual sales prices seem like a bargain. The usual going price online seems to be around $110 or so. Still 2x what I paid in 2000.
The DCC-equipped models list at $220 and sell at $180, which is a great example of “$100 product + $10 electronics = $200 product” if I ever saw one.
Man, am I being grouchy here. I just took it kinder hard when Horizon did this. The greatest features of the MDC line, to me, was that they were a great bargain and lots of fun to put together. They aren’t that any more.
I just picked up a MDC 2-6-0, 63" drivers with the Wild West livery for $50.00. The loco will be upgraded with some new parts from Athearn/Roundhouse and DCC/sound. It will pull one of my two Wild West rolling stock sets similar to the Buffalo Bill show of the 1900 era.
Kitbash Depot has some unbuilt MDC steamers. I see MDC steamers on ebay fairly regularly.
On eht eother hand the RTR locomotives have a better motor than the old kits, they are assembled and they have nickel silver drivers while many of the older kits had brass tires.
The down side is that the sound decoder in the sound equipped engines is terrible. My 4-4-0 ran like a dog until I cut the sound decoder out and install a regular decoder. Runs like a champ now.
True. Of course, as I said, “assembled” isn’t a feature to me, but a way to be less fun, and to make me take it apart anyway to chase down the binds they couldn’t spare the time to correct, if such exist. Possibly they don’t. Mine had plated drivers too, and quite a good “flat side hybrid” motor, very smooth and quiet. MDC did a pretty poor job of promoting their improvements, IMHO. I have an older 0-6-0 kit that I try to fiddle with every now and then, and the newer kit is so much better.
What’s the current motor like? The one I’m describing is either a can with open sides, or an open-frame with can-type magnets, depending on how you look at it.
I also miss the MDC old time kits both locos and cars but, what I miss the most is the parts that they sold separately like their loco detailing set. Now that everyone is selling ready to run stuff, kit bashing gets a little more difficult. It is peculiar when a ready to run loco such as the MDC 4-4-0, comes with a complete three dimensional diagram with all the parts listed by number but when you call up Athearn, they cannot sell you any of these parts separately. ( Yes I do understand the underlying reasons but, it is frustrating) I Have had some luck with Bachmann but not as much as I would like. Bowser still sells parts but on a very selective basis and according to their web site, only until these parts run out. I guess I prefer the good old day’s when things were the way they use to be. “Yogi”
I and some others are buying new parts for the new Athearn/Roundhouse steamers. I recently bought three tender frames and three sets of tender trucks that have all wheel pickup. The new parts fit the older locos. I am converting my older MDC locos to DCC/Sound. The one downside is the MDC boilers are solid with no hole for the headlight wires.
Rich, thanks for your response. Actually, I am now using PSC parts almost exclusively for bashing. I was unable to do this successfully until I purchased their HO/HOn3 Catalog for $18. (The only good illustration of PSC parts in the Walther’s catalog is the illustration of the PSC parts catalog) I also found it easier to order the PSC parts directly as I could then determine if the parts were in stock.
As noted, last year when I tried to order MDC parts directly I was told they were unable to do this. At that time, I tried to order some extra MDC 4-4-0 domes and brake cylinders for their latest ready to run 4-4-0 locomotive. I will try again. Are you ordering these part directly from Athearn?
I am not ordering from MDC. They do not exist anymore. I order from Athearn/Roundhouse. MDC is not on the Roundhouse home page. I have the new 4-4-0, 2-6-0, 2-8-0 and use exact part numbers from the paperwork that comes with the locos. Back in 2007 I tried to order the same parts and they were not available then. I emailed Roundhouse and they told me the parts are available now. The part you might not like is leaving a credit card number on the answering service. It took about three weeks to get the parts.
Your mileage might vary.
Roundhouse Trains
1550 Glenn Curtiss St.
Carson, CA 90746 Phone: (310) 763-7140
Yes, Peter, you’ve touched on a sore spot about the whole MDC/Horizon thing: parts! I’m going to reply to the thread about scratchbuilding locomotives in brass and styrene and might mention this situation there. However… Back in the '70s I ran Dean’s Books & Things (used paperback exchange) and Northrail Company (HO model trains), in Rhinelander, WI. I sold steam and Diesel loco kits from MDC, Athearn, and Mantua and was working towards building a new model RR, moving ahead a few years from my 1895 era Colorado Western to “prototype freelancing” the Potomac & Ohio (based on the B&O, but tailored to my taste in cabeese, as they used mostly 4-wheel bobbers until WWI) of 1904.
I really liked the MDC “Old-timer” 2-8-0s and 2-6-0s, and intended to build a few 4-4-0s over modified 2-6-0 mechanisms. I started with the P&O Consols, based on the B&O’s roster of 1904–with a few changes to ignore the receivership by the Pennsy. I did an article for RMC for converting a Consol into a "2-6-2 Logg