I see that MTH’s RTR catalog is now online. That Lehigh Valley 384E Standard gauge set is pretty sweet-looking, but I must say, I wish they’d mix up their tinplate offerings a little more - the 384 and 260 sets are getting a little old. I wish they’d bring back the No. 10 sets or at least offer something different. [|(]
Here’s the link:
Hello Clint:
I am not a tinplate guy, so I have no opinion on those offerings. The rest of the catalog, however, contained some attractive items. The UP and CSX diesel freight sets look nice, as does the CB&Q Zephyr. On the other hand, I am not sure how the M&M sets will do. A selection of Rugged Rails diesel engines also had some appeal (especially the prices).
Regards,
John
I’m considering buying an MTH set for the first time after seeing the Blue Comet set in the new catalog. We’ll see. And I really like some of the structures MTH offers.
Jim
Hello Jim:
I have a PRR freight set. I have been really pleased with it. While the sounds are not as good as Lionel’s Railsounds, the engine runs really smooth and the smoke unit is fantastic. I am also a big fan of the z1000 controller. You will not be disappointed.
Regards,
John
Jim, I don’t think you would be disapointed. I got the rudolph set for one of my granddaughters a couple of years ago and it is still gong strong. If it stands up for her it must be bullet proof. I have the MTH Blue Comet in Premier, but the Railking looks great for the smaller layout. I have about 20 MTH engines both Premier and Railking and have never had a problem with one. That said, one will probably die tomorrow. [:D]
Excuse the stupid question, but…
How would their Railking and Rugged Rails lines be classified - Tradional ‘O’ Gauge or Standard ‘O’?
The typical RailKing Line is a mix of True O Scale Proportions and some close to O Scale proportions cars and locomotives.
Many of the RailKing and Rugged Rails steam locomotives are Traditional O Gauge proportions that are compressed to near S Scale size.
The Rugged Rails line Diesel Locomotives and Freight Cars are strictly Traditional O Gauge proportions that are closer to S Scale than O Scale.
Andrew
Hello Andrew:
That is an interesting assessment. My Rugged Rails 2-8-0 steam engine is much larger than my Lionel 4-4-2 steam engine. I would not have concluded that the MTH engine is closer to S scale size. I do know that anything designated as “Rugged Rails” is supposed to accomodate O27 curves.
Regards,
John
as an owner of a mth rtr set, i can say i feel i got the most for my money of anything i have ever bought in the toy train world.
i got the ohio state set for under $275 shipped to my house off ebay.
first off, i don’t care for how short the 2-8-0 seems and the detail is lacking.
but… you get quality cars(passenger or frieght), sound(bell, whistle, and others), smooth speed control, sychronized chuff n puffing, adjustable volume and smoke output, remote anywhere uncoupling with a conventional transformer, a great reliable tranformer, and a nice oval track that works well on carpet! i bet i would like it even more if i had dcs!
You probably would enjoy it even more. I know I do. And the best thing is that PS 2.0 is included in almost everything they sell now, so it’s all forward compatable with DCS when you get it. You get all of the features, even with the Railking series. It’s the premier line where you get more accurate proportions and details, but pretty much the same features. When you can get two complete RTR railking kits for the price of a single 0-6-0 premier steamer with no cars, and still get all or most of the same features, it just shows the RTR set value. I’m basically a biginner, so they are perfect for me until my attention to detail grows.
Wes
Wes
I think the Rudolph set is one of the most outlandish, garish trains I have ever come across…and my son loves it! [;)] At four years old he runs the train ragged and we have not had a problem.
Regards,
John
Good afternoon all,
I am not sure about the RailKing items, but I did get to talk to one of the MTH people at a WGH show about their Tinplate Traditions. He said the RTR sets sell fairly well, but I got the impression the individual items do not. The advantage with using the 384 and the 260 over and over is that they can build as many as they want and just change the paint scheme. They have now offered just about every engine Lionel ever made in the “brass plate” series as a separate sale item, and so their options are a bit limited. The only time that I know of that they tried to be creative was the 600E articulated and that was never made. After seeing the success (or lack thereof) that Lionel had with the Hiawatha and the Commodore Vanderbilt in standard (that is not saying they were bad sets!), I would have to think MTH may be a little gunshy about pulling the trigger on a new design. However, and this is a big However, if MTH wanted to do a standard gauge diesel, I would not be surprised to see the ALCO-GE-Ingersoll-Rand boxcab diesel as the first one to be tried. It certainly fits the time period, and it is not too far removed from some of the electrics they already sell, and you could have diesel sounds for the Proto-Sounds. This is just my opinion. Personally, I would like to see some IVES 1770 series cars sold.
Keep on training,
Mike C. from Indiana
to address the rugged rails question of size in diesel, I have the RTR NewHaven F-3 ABA with PS2. Excellent runner, awesome sounds and very attractive engine set. Much smaller then the lionel postwar F3s though. It’s nearly exactly the same size as the 200 series postwar/MPC Alco FA units, while being taller then the earlier postwar diecast frame models. I would recommend the optional B and dummy A units for the RK RR F-3, really finishes the look.
I would like to find a dummy B Sante Fe, and then get another RTR Sante Fe passenger set. I would have 4 flywheel motors, and a longer train to pull. I haven’t seen a dummy B yet, but I have the dummy A. You can tell that they are a little stubby, and they do not have gaskets linking the units. Also, the couplers aren’t tucking under the train enough, so there is a big space between units. But for what you get for $275, they are a steal.
I want to get an RTR Standard gauge train for a Christmas set.
Wes
Strange that this would be coming from a MTH fan…but after I looked at the Lionel 2008 catalog, this seemed kind of bland. The SD70ACe sets were neat, but are those locomotives really “RailKing” like they say they are? They look just like the Premier diesel. The Amtrak Pacific Surfliner set looked neat, too, but the cars are actually Superliners, they aren’t California Cars like they should be.
When Lionel comes out with something that I want, MTH really isn’t anything I get really excited about. [:D] Just my 2 cents.
I had the same reaction to the Lionel R-T-R catalog. Even though I own more MTH stuff than Lionel, I am always looking to get new Lionel gear. I was excited when I heard that Lionel was issuing a R-T-R catalog. Unfortunately, there was not enough goodness to get my juices flowing. On the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised by the MTH offerings in their latest catalog.
While I agree with Jumijo’s complaint about the pictures in the Lionel catalog, I do think Lionel does a much better job presenting their products.
Regards,
John