I found a particular set of passenger cars on the MTH Product Locator site. They are the MTH Premier #20-66057 Southern Pacific Bi-Level Passenger Set. It was a two-car set, gray in color, with car numbers 3720 and 3729. The retail price showed $179.95. They supposedly came out in the MTH 2004 Catalog, Volume 2. Does anyone have a set, or know if MTH actually made them? Matt
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Sure would like some of those to go behind my SP P10 Pacific, or my SP MT-5 Mountain.
Cancelled.
MTH's history with this style of car is an odd one. They've produced few sets (perhaps owning to a fact that few railroads ran them? I don't know the car's history), and the few sets that have been announced, the production numbers on virtually all of the sets were low. Most of the Bi-Level car sets are tough to find.
These 2004 SP cars and another set shown with them in Rock Island livery, were both cancelled. The Rock Island cars were re-introduced in 2011, and were delivered. This catalog also offered additional cars for Metra and CN&W, which earlier issues were produced in very low numbers.
With tooling cost being what they are (perceived), it's surprising that MTH hasn't offered more of these, and in a similar vein, the Bombardier cars. Both car styles seem to be nicely done, but have not been offered very often.
Perhaps the buying interest just isn't there? Or do buyers on here know about design shortcomings for these cars?
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