|
Re: New MTH HO scale freight cars
Anthony Thompson <thompson@...>
Jon Miller wrote:
In general MTH is a toy train company and make what they believe will sell to the toy train market. I would never buy sight unseen .Perfectly stated, Jon. No more need be said. Tony Thompson Editor, Signature Press, Berkeley, CA 2906 Forest Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705 www.signaturepress.com (510) 540-6538; fax, (510) 540-1937; e-mail, thompson@... Publishers of books on railroad history |
|
|
|
Re: New MTH HO scale freight cars
brianleppert@att.net
The box cars shown in the MTH catalog are actualy Model Die Casting (now Athearn). I can't see the trucks clearly, so don't know whose those are.
In the last years of MDC we made new tooling for new sides for the old 40' box car, with molded-on Youngstown, Superior and double doors. MTH says theirs will have working doors. So what's shown are only stand-ins for MTH's PS-1 box cars. Brian Leppert Carson City, NV |
|
|
|
Re: New MTH HO scale freight cars
Denny Anspach <danspach@...>
MTH is a different and militantly (some say litigiously) independent toy train company that is well known for keeping their own counsel, while studiously ignoring all others, not the least industry standards that are in any ways different than their own perceived proprietary products and visions for their use.
More to the point of those of the avowed prototype modeling fraternity, they are not really interested in "our" business, nor what we might think. MTH's HO products are aimed at the Toy-Train-Writ- Small niche market, a small but apparently relatively affluent group that teeters between traditional toy trains and scale models. IMHO, lIke most such "neither fish nor fowl" products, they are unsatifying (I am also a toy train collector), and they are destined to become orphans. Denny Denny S. Anspach MD Sacramento |
|
|
|
Re: New MTH HO scale freight cars
Norm
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Interesting, but it could be (1) misinformation or (2) disinformation. In business salesmanship, it's generally considered a huge mistake to tell your customer that product A will be replaced with product B in the future, since customers will stop buying the very profitable "A" immediately while they wait for "B". Athearn's last release of the quad hoppers was in 2008, and they sold out of them. I don't know how that amounts to "little demand". Little production generally leads to little sales. It would be nice if Athearn would upgrade the 2-bay offset hoppers too http://www.athearn.com/Search/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=34%27+Offset+Hopper&PageSize=72 Tim O'Connor Hi, Tim. A little over a year ago, I emailed Athearn regarding upgrading the |
|
|
|
Re: New MTH HO scale freight cars
Jon Miller <atsf@...>
. I'd like to see one of
the MTH cars up close to see whether or not its worth the price. In general MTH is a toy train company and make what they believe will sell to the toy train market. I would never buy sight unseen . -- Jon Miller For me time stopped in 1941 Digitrax--Chief/Zephyr systems, JMRI User NMRA Life member #2623 Member SFRH&MS |
|
|
|
Re: New MTH HO scale freight cars
Norman+Laraine Larkin <lono@...>
Hi, Tim. A little over a year ago, I emailed Athearn regarding upgrading the A.R.A. 4-bay similar to the MDC upgrades. There was no response. Finally, I caught up with the product engineer (can't remember his name or "official" title) of Athearn at the Springfield, Mass. January show, and I asked the same question. He said the molds were nearly worn out for that car, there was little demand for it, and redoing the tooling would be too expensive. He then said that they 'absolutely' would not be upgrading the car. I think that means they have no plans for upgrading the car. I'd like to see one of the MTH cars up close to see whether or not its worth the price.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Norm Larkin ----- Original Message -----
From: "Tim O'Connor" <timboconnor@...> To: <STMFC@...> Sent: Friday, June 11, 2010 11:11 PM Subject: [STMFC] Re: New MTH HO scale freight cars Bob Witt wroteI don't know why Athearn has upgraded a number of the old MDC open hoppersThe [MTH] ARA 70-ton quad hoppers do appear to have door locks and the |
|
|
|
ADMIN: Re: Re: Panama RR is out of scope
Mike Brock <brockm@...>
Bill Keene says:
" Although the PRR in Panama is a very interesting railroad I doubt if it ever saw an NYC boxcar." Not only that...it is out of scope of the STMFC. Note that the STMFC's scope is standard gauge North American frt cars within the period 1900-1960. So...this thread is now terminated. Mike Brock STMFC Owner |
|
|
|
Re: Panama RR... was Patching
William Keene <wakeene@...>
Hi Richard,
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
You are correct. We have wandered a bit off the topic. Although the PRR in Panama is a very interesting railroad I doubt if it ever saw an NYC boxcar. Happy modeling, Bill Keene Irvine, CA On Jun 11, 2010, at 7:56 PM, Richard Hendrickson wrote:
I'm interested in patching and fine scale chain. I'm NOT interested |
|
|
|
Re: PATCHING, and fine scale chain
William Keene <wakeene@...>
Hi Fred,
The PRR had a gauge of 5'-0". All of 47.5 miles long. The first transcontinental railroad. Built in 1855. At the cost of about 10,000 lives. The Panama jungle is a tough place to build and run a railroad. Today's railroad while related to the Panama RR is now standard gauge and follows the new alignment and route that was built at the time of the American Era during the construction of the Panama Canal. Most of the older right of way is now under water. Cheers, Bill Keene Irvine, CA On Jun 11, 2010, at 5:56 PM, Frederick Freitas wrote: Hi Bill, [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] |
|
|
|
Re: New MTH HO scale freight cars
Anthony Thompson <thompson@...>
Fred Freitas wrote:
R-T-R makes me even more wary that it will be 'blue box' in a new box and color. The only thing I saw in the catalog that I considered good was on the last couple pages; the R40-X? PFE cars. Until Mr. Thompson passes them as accurate, I won't touch them. Why? Two reasons, Not sure if the paint & lettering is correct; and the 6 pack is not the most affordable.There was indeed a PFE Class R-40-2 (and you can build quite a nice model of it with the Tichy kit). The MTH announcement seems to show wood sides and ends, 6-hinge doors, grab-iron rows in the ladder location and . . . that's about all I can see in the images. Of course ALL the private owner schemes shown are bogus in one or more ways. The PFE cars LOOK basically right--I can't read the car numbers--and they have black roofs with red ice hatch platforms, a 1930s feature which didn't much survive the start of WW II. The UP "Overland" emblem is one discontinued in 1942 and had become rare by 1950. The center sill looks too deep to me, but of course it's pretty hard to judge with these images. But for 29.95?? Like the rest of this "new" line of cars, it's totally repetitious and as far as I can tell, a waste of time. Whenever someone on the list gets a look at an actual car from this line, I'll be interested to read their evaluation. Tony Thompson Editor, Signature Press, Berkeley, CA 2906 Forest Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705 www.signaturepress.com (510) 540-6538; fax, (510) 540-1937; e-mail, thompson@... Publishers of books on railroad history |
|
|
|
Re: PRR Lease of H2A, was digest Number 6294
SUVCWORR@...
Brian,
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Mea culpa! However, I did not respond to a digest copy. I do not receive the digest version. I responded to a response to a digest. The original responder failed to change the subject as well. Rich Orr -----Original Message-----
From: Brian J Carlson <prrk41361@...> To: STMFC@... Sent: Fri, Jun 11, 2010 3:52 pm Subject: [STMFC] PRR Lease of H2A, was digest Number 6294 Rich the lease of the 2000 H2a's started in April 1957 not 58. Also, when replying to a digest please change the subject as appropriate. Brian J. Carlson, P.E. Cheektowaga NY prrk41361@... From: STMFC@... [mailto:STMFC@...] On Behalf Of SUVCWORR@... Sent: Friday, June 11, 2010 11:53 AM To: STMFC@... Subject: Re: [STMFC] Digest Number 6294 The PRR did not lease these cars until 1958. so unless they were in N&W paint you won't see them prior to that time. Rich Orr ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links http://groups.yahoo.com/group/STMFC/ Individual Email | Traditional http://groups.yahoo.com/group/STMFC/join (Yahoo! ID required) STMFC-digest@... STMFC-fullfeatured@... STMFC-unsubscribe@... http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ |
|
|
|
Re: Strange boxcar ID
rwitt_2000
ford wrote:
There is another photo I forgot about on NE Railfan site of B&O 295483 with re-weigh symbol and date of "RF 1-54" that had angles added to re-enforce the side sills. http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/bo295483.jpg Also be sure to include, as stated in the RMC article, the angles to the roof, which were there to help support the Evans auto loader mechanism attached to the underside of the roof. Bob Witt |
|
|
|
Re: New MTH HO scale freight cars
Bob Witt wrote
I don't know why Athearn has upgraded a number of the old MDC open hoppersThe [MTH] ARA 70-ton quad hoppers do appear to have door locks and the with wire grabs and other improvements and NONE of their own cars - yet - but I figure they could always do it very quickly if they wanted to. So barring someone coming out with a Kadee quality ARA 4-bay, I'll just wait patiently to see if Athearn ever does one. If not, well, it's not like I don't have scores of other projects in the queue... Tim O'Connor |
|
|
|
Re: New MTH HO scale freight cars
Yeah I caught that too.
Brian J. Carlson, P.E. Cheektowaga NY prrk41361@... From: STMFC@... [mailto:STMFC@...] On Behalf Of rwitt_2000 Sent: Friday, June 11, 2010 11:01 PM To: STMFC@... Subject: [STMFC] Re: New MTH HO scale freight cars Brian J Carlson wrote: which has already been pointed out is more like a 1937 AAR car, it'sENTIRELY BOGUS. It is numbered and labeled as an X29. The X29 would never beconfused with anything else. The PRR had NO AAR 1937 boxcars. As for the USRAyou are modeling the Pennsy in the 1920's you probably don't even need one.And the PRR boxcar model didn't even receive MTH "Imagination and Fun" designation. Bob Witt |
|
|
|
Re: New MTH HO scale freight cars
IMO -- ugh!! Not one original (not already available) model freight
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
car; prices way out of whack with evident quality; but mostly -- why did they bother???? Tim O'Connor |
|
|
|
Re: New MTH HO scale freight cars
rwitt_2000
Brian J Carlson wrote:
which has already been pointed out is more like a 1937 AAR car, it'sENTIRELY BOGUS. It is numbered and labeled as an X29. The X29 would never beconfused with anything else. The PRR had NO AAR 1937 boxcars. As for the USRAyou are modeling the Pennsy in the 1920's you probably don't even need one.And the PRR boxcar model didn't even receive MTH "Imagination and Fun" designation. Bob Witt |
|
|
|
Re: PATCHING, and fine scale chain
Richard Hendrickson
I'm interested in patching and fine scale chain. I'm NOT interested
in bridges, and even less interested in the Panama Railroad. How about changing the subject line, guys? Richard Hendrickson |
|
|
|
Re: New MTH HO scale freight cars
Peter:
Not sure which PRR car you are talking about but the "PS-1" boxcar, which has already been pointed out is more like a 1937 AAR car, it's ENTIRELY BOGUS. It is numbered and labeled as an X29. The X29 would never be confused with anything else. The PRR had NO AAR 1937 boxcars. As for the USRA hopper, the Pennsy had 300 in 1920, and 30 were left in 1955. Unless you are modeling the Pennsy in the 1920's you probably don't even need one. Brian J. Carlson, P.E. Cheektowaga NY prrk41361@... From: STMFC@... [mailto:STMFC@...] On Behalf Of Peter Ness Sent: Friday, June 11, 2010 9:16 PM To: STMFC@... Subject: [STMFC] Re: New MTH HO scale freight cars So in the minds of MTH a New Haven 1937 AAR 40' 10'IH box can be represented as a "PS-1"? I think not. If someone tells me the Pennsy or PFE cars are accurate I probably still won't purchase any. my two cents, Peter Ness |
|
|
|
Re: PATCHING, and fine scale chain
Kenneth Montero
Fred,
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
From Wikipedia, citing Tom Daspit. "The Days They Changed the Gauge" . http://southern.railfan.net/ties/1966/66-8/gauge.html . Retrieved 2008-12-28 . Gauge The Panama Railway was originally 5 ft (1,524 mm) gauge. The gauge was changed only in 2000 to 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in (1,435 mm) so as to use standard gauge equipment. The original gauge was chosen under the influence of the pre-conversion southern United States railway companies, which converted in May 1886 after the American Civil War . [ 13 ] Ken Montero ----- Original Message -----
From: "Frederick Freitas" <prrinvt@...> To: STMFC@... Sent: Friday, June 11, 2010 8:56:04 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [STMFC] Re: PATCHING, and fine scale chain Hi Bill, The Panama RR, was it standard, or narrow ga. ? If narrow, you know there will be a car so lettered on a PRR flat headed to a shipping point. Fred Freitas admitted SPF ________________________________ From: William Keene < wakeene@... > To: STMFC@... Sent: Fri, June 11, 2010 5:40:46 PM Subject: Re: [STMFC] Re: PATCHING, and fine scale chain Hi Tim & Group, I think that the bridge dates from the early 20th Century... something like 1902, I think. In this case you have the correct idea. But I would guess that it is more likely that it was shipped by rail instead of going around the tip of South America. But there is a third route... by ship to Colon, Panama, Colombia (remember that Panama was a state of Colombia at the time), then transshipped over the Panama Rail Road (PRR... just love those initials), and then transshipped again up the west coast with the final delivery being by rail. Most likely still faster than going the extra miles around South America. Cheers, Bill Keene Irvine, CA On Jun 11, 2010, at 2:16 PM, Tim O'Connor wrote:
------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] |
|
|
|
Re: New MTH HO scale freight cars
refers to is a bit worrisome.Jim, Eric, & listFrederick Freitas <prrinvt@...> 06/11/10 7:51 PM >>> Why they always make what has been done 3 times over never ceases toamaze me. Is there no critical thinking at some of these manufacuter's offices?Fred, Urban legend has it that a certain burger chain, rather than doing extensive market research, would simply located at the same intersection as the golden arches, figuring that the other company had done the research so why bother to do it again? <G> Sound familiar? (BTW, they were pretty successful at it too) WRT the R-30-2, that car is the Tichy car and has been done RTR by IM, so its not a new car. Regards Bruce Smith Auburn, AL |
|
|