Trying to recall when and what was MTH's first modern O Gauge entry? I am thinking one of which was a Conrail GE in 1994? But not sure and its hard to locate in the online info.
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Likely a pair of GE Dash 8s in Santa Fe and possibly Conrail?
AFAIK, wide nose GE dash 8, circa 1993. I know that because I really wanted one. When I graduated high school in 1994 I received Mike’s next offering, a traditional cab GE dash 7.
Ithink the first MTH modern scale engine I bought was a NYC 4-6-2 in 1989.
The NYC 4-6-2 came out in 1993-1994. If you bought one in '89 it must have been Williams brass.
Another recent thread discussing MTH's contribution to the hobby implied that the Weaver Alco C630s made in '92 were pretty much MTH products in every regard except the label on the box.
When the relationship between Mike Wolf and Richard Kughn went south and the orders to Samhongsa fell off, Mike had to do something or lose the exclusive rights he had with the Korean factory. So, He began production of his own in 1994. He debuted the Dash 8 premier diesels in several different road names at York in October, 1994. When Mr. Kughn saw the new diesels and inquired who made them , Mike said that he was producing them under his own brand MTH. Kughn went ballistic and the following week he sent Mike a letter or telegram stating that he was no longer a Lionel distributor or dealer. A lawsuit promptly followed for restraint of trade. Mike invested the lawsuit proceeds into an explosion of new tooling that almost put Lionel into the dumpster.
Here is the brochure in question.
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those G.E. Dash -8's were the game -changer of O-gauge 3-rail for sure.....
Although that brochure doesn't seem to mention it, MTH also made them in 2 rail. I bought one.
SZ
Mine was a railking erie berkshire some time in 1994.
"Another recent thread discussing MTH's contribution to the hobby implied that the Weaver Alco C630s made in '92 were pretty much MTH products in every regard except the label on the box."
Interesting. Maybe they came off the same assembly lines at Samhongsa I bought one of those over the counter in a small hobby shop in Columbia MD. The young man behind the counter was named Mike Wolf. I have since updated that loco to PS2, and it is one of the smoothest running, best-running, engines that I own.
Whatever happened to Samhongsa? Their products are much better than those made slightly to the west of Korea.
I believe you will find that Samhongsa is still making the high end products for MTH. They are not made in China. Please correct me if I am wrong.
I purchased the Santa Fe and the UP from that brochure. I did not think you could get much better than those engines. Was I wrong. The next brochure that came in the mail featured the die cast Challenger. That engine re-wrote the future of three rail model railroading.
Does anyone know what made Samhongsa collapse? And did Korea Brass become MKT who still makes Lionel's premium imported locos?
Bill DeBrooke posted:I believe you will find that Samhongsa is still making the high end products for MTH. They are not made in China. Please correct me if I am wrong.
I purchased the Santa Fe and the UP from that brochure. I did not think you could get much better than those engines. Was I wrong. The next brochure that came in the mail featured the die cast Challenger. That engine re-wrote the future of three rail model railroading.
Only MTH's Premier steam locomotives are still made in South Korea. Premier diesels are made in China.
Lou1985 posted:Bill DeBrooke posted:I believe you will find that Samhongsa is still making the high end products for MTH. They are not made in China. Please correct me if I am wrong.
I purchased the Santa Fe and the UP from that brochure. I did not think you could get much better than those engines. Was I wrong. The next brochure that came in the mail featured the die cast Challenger. That engine re-wrote the future of three rail model railroading.
Only MTH's Premier steam locomotives are still made in South Korea. Premier diesels are made in China.
Sorry, I meant to say steam.
Bill DeBrooke posted:Here is the brochure in question.
Was the Amtrak ever made in that paint scheme? Was the real ones ever painted like that? Always thought it was cool looking. Would love to see it made again.
Bill
NSBill posted:Bill DeBrooke posted:Here is the brochure in question.
Was the Amtrak ever made in that paint scheme? Was the real ones ever painted like that? Always thought it was cool looking. Would love to see it made again.
Bill
It's referred to as the Amtrak Pepsi Can scheme, although the top should be gray. It was used only on the dash-8's. Don't know it if it was changed for the production first run, but was correct in later versions.
Rusty
Samhongsa did not collapse or go out of business. The company decided that it no longer wanted to manufacture trains. I'm sure you are familiar with the device in office chairs that let you swivel and raise the chair up and down. Samhongsa makes those and many other products. When Mr. Lee senior passed away, the company leadership decided that it was no longer interested in making electric trains. MTH premier steam engines may still be made in South Korea but not by Samhongsa. I believe the name means "Rising Sun." Weaver steam engines were also made by Samhongsa through the relationship with Mike Wolf.
Here is the internet site for the current Samhongsa company.
The gas cylinder manufacturer is not the same Samhongsa that produced brass trains for Hallmark Models (not the card company), Pacific Fast Mail and others, plus diecast metal and injection molded trains for MTH, Weaver and others.
The office supply company has been around since 1970.
SAMHONGSA CO.,LTD
https://www.linkedin.com/company/samhongsa-co-ltd
The model train company was succeeded by another.
http://www.sammodel.com
Weaver produced the Alco C628 and C630 and the EMD SD40-2 before that tooling ended up in the hands of MTH. I’m not sure about the nature of that transaction. Regardless, MTH continued modified versions of those locomotives later, long after Samhongsa itself was no longer involved.
Bill DeBrooke posted:Lou1985 posted:Bill DeBrooke posted:I believe you will find that Samhongsa is still making the high end products for MTH. They are not made in China. Please correct me if I am wrong.
I purchased the Santa Fe and the UP from that brochure. I did not think you could get much better than those engines. Was I wrong. The next brochure that came in the mail featured the die cast Challenger. That engine re-wrote the future of three rail model railroading.
Only MTH's Premier steam locomotives are still made in South Korea. Premier diesels are made in China.
Sorry, I meant to say steam.
No problem. Just clarifying what is still made in South Korea.
All the Premier locomotives were made in South Korea in the early days. I have a Premier AS-616 diesel from the 1995 time frame that was made in South Korea.
I believe that Korea Brass is also out of the train business. My impression is that these small companies are more fluid in Korea than the USA. They re-organize their principal executive and technical talent under another corporate entity is what I've been told. So, for example, Broadway Limited, who makes mostly N and HO gauge products, originally used Korea Brass and then moved on to another entity (? same people) when Korea Brass got out of the business. If I'm wrong about any of that, please correct.
When I rejoined the hobby in 1997, the first locomotive that I purchased was an MTH Premier New York Central J1e Hudson #5344.
MELGAR
The '90's was a great time for the O scale hobby. Not only was Mike making great looking scale die cast steam engines, but so were those in brass by Weaver, Williams, ROW, and Sunset's 3rd Rail. I wanted them all and was able to buy and trade for most of them over time.
I had a few premium Lionel locos made by Samhongsa and Korea Brass in Korea and all had paint rash develop...the small blisters where the paint can chip. This has not been present from the China sourced premium diecast products. The 1990 Lionel Pennsy Burro Crane diecast frame had rash as well but I think it was a Taiwan casting. This is not the same as zink rot. Here are a couple of pics of my Lionel 1991 Semi Scale Turbine. I am glad the product is now sourced from different factories. I always thought Mike Wolf had a family relationship to Samhongsa via his wife? Hence the door was opened to modern scale product development.
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The first MTH Railking locomotive I bought was the NY Central Mohawk steam engine. It's very durable and reliable and looks and runs great IMO. My recollection is that it cost about $300 in the early to mid 1990s.
I gather this steamer was not the 1st MTH locomotive, but I think it is one of the 1st. It preceded Proto 1.
Arnold
Arnold D. Cribari posted:The first MTH Railking locomotive I bought was the NY Central Mohawk steam engine. It's very durable and reliable and looks and runs great IMO. My recollection is that it cost about $300 in the early to mid 1990s.
I gather this steamer was not the 1st MTH locomotive, but I think it is one of the 1st. It preceded Proto 1.
Arnold
Fall 1995 catalog
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Bill DeBrooke posted:Arnold D. Cribari posted:The first MTH Railking locomotive I bought was the NY Central Mohawk steam engine. It's very durable and reliable and looks and runs great IMO. My recollection is that it cost about $300 in the early to mid 1990s.
I gather this steamer was not the 1st MTH locomotive, but I think it is one of the 1st. It preceded Proto 1.
Arnold
Fall 1995 catalog
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