Any of you guys seen the add in March M.R. showing the new N&W J Class offered by MTH? I know the first question we ask ourselves is why is anybody producing another “J”? After seeing the picture, there may be a good reason to give it a look. I have been an avid fan of the N&W, especially the J for all my life, since my uncle helped build them in the Roanoke Shops. I also think the J is undisputably the most beautiful locomotive ever built. The problem I have had with modeling them over the last 15 years or so is that the availlable offerings all seem to have serious detail shortcomings. The Bachmann Plus was pitifull, then the Spectrum version was dimensionally incorrect in SO MANY ways, and of course never painted in the right color. Then came our “Savior” Broadway-Limited! I just knew they were going to get it right! Oh well…wrong again! The first-run had BROWN striping (the loco stripe was probably 6 scale inches higher than the tender stripe), Oversize marker lights, and an appearance of overall lack of detail. The second run got the color and the marker lights closer to correct, but not much else…Oh well, again. One of the distinctive parts of the J’s valve gear is the LUBRICATOR actuating levers bihind the cylinders. The MTH model has them (according to the picture in the mag.) No other manufacturer has bothered to include them. Also, from the website pictures, there seems to be increased detail BELOW the streamlining. Especially below the firebox and cab. Notice the HORIZONTAL water pipe below firebox instead of the SLANTED one on BLI. I know this all seems “nit-picking” to some of you, but I take my J’s seriously! If this model actually has the attention to detail that the pictures depict, and it runs and sounds equally good, it looks like I’ll be saving-up some money. If this happens, I’ll have two BLI’s and one Spectrum on the auction block! Any takers?
All detail errors of the previous models duely noted. Do you use DC or DCC? Do you plan to buy MTH’s control system to access all the locos features? Up to this point, all of MTH’s HO locos have operational issues on DC and programing/feature access issues on DCC. And, I do believe this model is just a rework of the Broadway tooling Mike recieved in the recent settlement.
On DC they require 16 to 18 volts to reach any kind of normal scale top speed and typically run at only about 25 smph at 12-13 volts, the NMRA recommended voltage.
Why Mike Wolf thinks compatiblity with the rest of the industry is unimportant, I don’t know. But he won’t see any of my money.
Sheldon
Ill never, ever buy an MTH loco. The reason is the decoder. It requires a DCS system to get everything out of it.
However, I am glad to see that MTH is going beyond what others have done. I just wish they would just give us a socket.
David B
MTH HO locos are very picky engines when it comes to track work. The drivers are very rigid unlike some PCM models that have the spring drivers to forgive some track work and switches. I have the GS-4 and the engine has gone back to MTH twice. The engine has maybe four hours of run time on it. Then i tried again and the HO MTH mikado arrived. This engine was better on the club layout but the engine did not like short “Y” in the track work. It derailed right over it, when PROTO 2000 2-10-2, two BLI mikados, and a HO Lionel Challenger have no issue on the same spot. Not to mention the turbo train also made it in the same “y” The MTH engines just seem to be very rigid on the drivers. Yes we all need to have 28" radius track as all of the rivet counters point out time and again. Though truth be told houses are getting smaller and peoples basements do have the room they once did. The J type from MTH is tempting but pricy. They want allot for a tempermental models with lots of bells and whistles. The fan driven smoke is very cool but other companies are going to release the same thing. If you want the engine go for it. If you are going to run it then your track work better be the awe of every rivet counter in the land.
The MTH model will be die-cast metal, would (could) it be the same BLI tooling? And if it runs like crap, I DON’T WANT IT! My second-run BLI J runs PERFECTLY! Actually it is a combination of the shells of the 2nd run (Chinese) for the detail & color improvements, and the innards from the first-run (Korean) for it’s superior workmanship. Very nice model when I got done with it! I’m still adding details to it, such as painted & detailed interior as well as adding little grab-irons beside the sand-doors, AND straightening out the up-slanted water piping below the ashpan. It never had to be made that way, so I can’t understand why they did that. (same way on the “A”). Anyway, I’m still anxious to see the MTH version, as the timed, chuffing smoke would be neat too. Oh, and also it looks like it has little curtains on either side of the rear cab opening. That’s kinda neat too to a detail freak. Now, if it has the safety chains on the front truck…!
MTH did not receive the tooling in the settlement for the BLI built N&W J. This is an all new model and most of us who like the N&W already have several DCC sound N&W J’s that run very well. It would seem that this model is not the best choice since Trainworld still has a few BLI J’s at extremely good prices and they have the QSI sound, which I prefer for most factory installed sound models.
However, MTH or any one with the money to tool up a model can offer it and maybe sell a few to the few that did not get the BLI N&W J. My only thought about this model coming out now is why did they not choose a different model that has not been made recently. The UP 9000 that MTH announced at almost the same time will probably make them some money. If only they had offered the B&O EM1, the DM&IR M3 or M4, or a NP Z5 or Z8 or PRR Q2, S2, or, well you get the picture. How about a CB&Q O5, a Santa Fe 2900 with roller bearing rods. I could go on and on but it is late.
CZ.
I’ve been out of the loop for some time. What happened between BLI and MTH? What is the settlement you mention?
The settlement was not with BLI directly, but the model builder in Korea. They had the tooling and when it was determined they had to pay, the tooling was turned over the MTH for several projects, including the Big Boy, several diesels and the like. BLI was not directly involved as far as the settlement I read.
The web page for the settlement is listed below. .
http://www.broadway-limited.com/MTH%20SETTLEMENT.pdf
cz
Wobblinwheel
It is interesting you bring up details and the new MTH models. I have several J’s but was more interested in the UP 9000 4-12-2. Having some already, I am still interested since these will have sound, smoke and probably animated conductors. Anyway, the detail on the MTH 9000 is not only poor overall, some of the detail is located incorrectly. When we got the email back from MTH about these errors, we found out what we thought might be a pilot test model is the final and no corrections will be made.
I hope your dream of getting a perfect J model is realized, but don’t count on it for this release. The one thing I really dislike about the MTH models is the extremely long drawbar that cannot be shorten. It has the electrical contacts in it for the sound and it looks like the distance used for my old American Flyer S scale. If you call that the best, go for it.
Most of us would probably purchase your BLI J’s if you want the MTH instead so you probably will have no trouble of selling them. I have visited Roanoke when they were still 100% steam in 1956.
You’re right about the huge distance between the engine and the tender! I just saw the video on their website, and I can’t get around that! I run 30 inch or better radius curves. I don’t need that toy-looking crap!