Skip to main content

Does anyone know if MTH is attaching 6-wheel or 4-wheel trucks to their new Lionel Corporation 710 series passenger cars? The online 2011 Lionel Corporation catalog shows 6-wheel trucks being used on the red 710 series 3-car set but 4-wheel trucks being used on the red baggage and red coach add-on cars? Unfortunately, MTH customer service has failed to respond to my query on this issue.
Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

quote:
Originally posted by johnstrains:
And if you look at the orange 710 cars (same page) they have 4-wheel trucks, on both passenger AND baggage cars.

I'd like to know myself. I have the orange 710 3-car set on order along with the 256 Electric.


_______________________


I too have the orange set on order as well as the matching orange baggage and coach add-on cars.

If it were my decision, I'd install the 6-wheel trucks. I'd also paint the roofs "dark gray", add a maroon stripe through the windows, and stamp "THE MILWAUKEE ROAD" instead of the Lionel Lines in the letterboard area above the windows. I've suggested all of this to MTH including that they should make other railroad specific 710 sets (UP, Penn, etc.), and that they should produce matching 710 combine/club cars and operating RPO cars like those RichArt once made. These operating RPO cars not only had great "play value", i.e., by installing a small clip in the RPO's baggage door an operator can collect small mailbags suspended from trackside hangers along the mainline, but would increase MTH's profits through the selling of "accessory" trackside mailbag hangers.

As a Milwaukee Road operator and collector, I would love to see MTH produce a tri-color (orange, maroon, dark gray) 710 series Olympian Hiawatha set with baggage, RPO, club, coach, diner, parlor, pullman, and observation cars. If Dick Mayer's tiny pre-computer age RichArt company could do this, surely Mike's modern MTH company can today. In fact, being over 90 years old Dick I'm sure would be happy to sell Mike the rights to produce his tinplate prototypical O-gauge twin-can-motor "Cascade" Bi-Polar locomotives. One of these made for use with handheld controls and with Protosound would be fantastic!

Bob
Last edited by navy.seal
quote:
Originally posted by navy.seal:
..... Unfortunately, MTH customer service has failed to respond to my query on this issue.


We have an answer and there is little doubt in my mind that MTH Management reads this forum as they have finally responded to my email query asking them about what type of trucks they planned to install on their new 710 series cars. Here is what they said:

[QUOTE]
Thank you for contacting MTH Electric Trains. We appreciate your interest in our products. I am sorry for the delay in responding to your email. The separate sale cars (add-on) will match the set cars as listed below.

Two-Tone Blue - 6-wheel trucks
Red - 6-Wheel trucks
Orange - 4 -wheel trucks

Please let me know if there is anything else I can help you with.

Thank you,
Kirstin Martinez
MTH Electric Trains
[UNQUOTE]
quote:
Originally posted by johnstrains:
.....So my 710s in the orange livery are going to be 4-wheel. Just what they showed in the catalog. .....Big Grin


That's right, but as we now know only the orange set and its add-on cars are shown correctly in the 2011 Lionel Corporation catalog. Unfortunately, the catalog shows the two-tone blue set and its matching add-on cars as having 4-wheel trucks but, according to the email from MTH, all are now being delivered with 6-wheel trucks. Similarly, while the catalog shows the red set with 6-wheel trucks and its matching red add-on cars with 4-wheel trucks, according to MTH's email, all are now being delivered with 6-wheel trucks.

It's unfortunate, but the current "pre-ordering" nature of model train industry sales allows manufacturers to not only make production decisions, but also some "design" decisions after they print their catalogs. I realize that "pre-ordering" keeps manufacturers' production costs down, but as a customer it would be nice if manufacturers did a better job of printing catalogs that show precisely what trains I can buy.

Bob
Post

OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Ste 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×
×