Help with MTH Parts

You are not the only one with this problem. Even after joining the MTH club its still a mystery how to get actual part numbers and place an order. Dealing with Midge is hap hazard. Sometimes you get response sometimes you don't. If you learn the secret please share it.

Pete

Bob you need to call Midge not email. 

I too have been trying to get part numbers for a engine.Does anyone have Midge's number?She is good about returning calls.

410-381-2580 Ext. 516

The secret: Take chessie1971's advice, call Midge on the phone, don't email.

I've been able to get callbacks from Midge, but usually the parts I've been seeking are not available (on order ... will get back to you when they come in ...)

The parts either never came in, or she forgot to call back.

Rather than calling repeatedly I just gave up, bought a similar piece of equipment, and stripped it of the parts I needed.

Perhaps MTH should just outsource their after-market parts business?

emails to MTH go Unanswered.

Ive emailed them in the past

with NO results.

I gave up dealing with MTH directly 2 1/2 years ago over two issues.  Lack of PS2 upgrade kits and problems getting parts.  Even my LHS didn't want to be bothered with ordering parts for me. 

I have not purchased a single new MTH Loco or railcar since mid 2011 because of issues mentioned above.  Franky, I'm on the edge of completely dumping O gauge and moving to HO. 

sir-call midge and speak to her direct-it will take her time to find what you need but

she will get it-she took 2 weeks to find what I needed-she called bme at 8.30 pm on

a Friday nite to say she has my parts and it took 2 weeks to find it.

who do you know would stay till 8.30 at night on a Friday to get a art for you-

what are we going to do when she retires-we're dead-

I wish MTH would do something about their parts shortage. Maybe some body will start making after market parts. I realize some of this stuff is old but you can still get parts for a model T Ford why not model trains?

I regularly e-mail Midge.  Sometimes I get replies quickly, and other times it takes a week or so.  I always take into consideration how many messages she receives each day, and that sometimes she, too, doesn't always have the part information readily available, thus requiring her to do some research into getting the correct part number.  So I try to be patient with her.

Stuart

Watch Seinfeld episode of the 'Soup Nazi' and that's what it's like trying to get parts from MTH. Wasn't it at York 2011 or 2012 that Mike promised to make changes?

~

Need parts from Lionel - Locate, Click, Order and part arrives in less than one week.

I continue to be somewhat amazed MTH with the literally hundreds of thousands of locomotives, etc., "out there" that the entire replacement parts operation is staffed by one person.

Only one ...

For hundreds, if not thousands, of customers.

One might ask ... "What business plan .... "

We generally try to avoid taking in MTH repairsat the shop due to lack of on line up to date parts listings and not getting responses for help. We do a few, but make do with any type part handy. Also get a few to remove the electronics and replace with something else.

I do love my LCT/MTH tinplate, but pray I do not need their help.

Steve

I have got parts both by phone and email from Midge.

Sometimes it came right in, sometimes it takes a while to get.

She is very busy this time of year.

And Yes, It's Hard to understand why they don't hire someone for the first quarter each year to help with the surge.

I understand they may not have the work year-round.

Then again, would they get any help or just be training the person half the time.

You're just asking the wrong person.

I've been to the warehouse several times, and have seen the volume of repairs, and the parts needed for those repairs, so it's not surprising that it takes so much time to get parts. Sometimes they go out to service centers as fast as they come. Other times parts are hung up in China, in transit, or stuck in a customs warehouse out in Washington. The cutback in employees adds to the mix as well. It's amazing how much space is unused. I'll e mail a friend who works down there and ask if he has any answers. 

The only parts I seem to need are traction tires and I try to stock up in advance and pick them up at York.

I repair MTH trains, and have an account with them, I get quite good service, when you consider that there are two people taking care of parts orders, and that they only do parts in the afternoon. Mornings are for "other duties as required" which is what I did when I worked for the Commonwealth. I get really good service for warranty parts, and if I order parts that MTH has access to, I get two week turnaround, often times less. When taking repairs I caution people that parts are subject to availability, most are very understanding. 

emailed MTH on Jan 9th,

just got a response this morning

Jan 24th.

They emailed you the parts?  I wish I could get them to do that!

FWIW, I'm waiting over a month now on a 3V board set for a repair...

That is why I keep boards and most consumables in stock.  You have to lead the process, especially at this time of year.  G

didn't get any parts,

just a response that said they got my

email and if I have any more questions

to not hesitate to email.

I gotta question.

why so long for email responses.

I thought these computer things were suppose to make our life easier and faster

I know this is a bit of a wild thought but has anyone thought about 3D printing of hard to get engine body parts?  I know this is sort a real new field but it does appear that a lot of things are going to be a reality in this developing area.  I'm just not sure of all that is needed to do this technique but both plastic and metal can be done even now. 

I got a reply from my friend down at MTH. He said that parts for newer stuff are hard to come by, first, not many are made, and usually go quickly when they are available, second, when parts are gone, they are not made until another production run. 

There are two employed in the parts department, Midge handles Midge takes care of retail parts sales, and Deb does dealer parts. This means that customers, dealers and MTH repair personnel are vying for the same parts in many cases. 

There are also instances of out of the box damage, which necessitates the need for repairs or replacement. 

Below is part of the e mail regarding contacting Midge for parts:

(  Don, she works harder than probably anyone else here.  She is usually here when I arrive at 8:15am and sometimes does not go home till 10pm.  She usually also works on Saturdays.  She is diligent about getting back to folks, so for anyone that says she does not I would have trouble believing that. ) 

My thinking is that the lack of parts may also be due to cutbacks, with maybe the hope that the need will not be there. After hearing some of the stories about the situation in China, with poor quality control, workers demanding better pay, and companies just dropping from toy train manufacturing all together, I'm sure this all factors in. I've heard, and don't know if it's true, that Lionel is not producing any replacement parts for new products. If this is true, then it won't be long before posts about the lack of Lionel parts make to forums across the country. 

Don

Not being able to get replacement parts will stop people from buying trains. Would you want to buy a new car only to find out that you couldn't get parts for it? I wouldn't. This could cause the death of this hobby.  This makes it even more important to maintain your trains. If they are having that much trouble getting parts made in China start making them over here. It also maybe that they don't want these things being repaired so you will buy another locomotive. I hope that's not the case.

how can you sell thousands of toy trains and not expect them to break down and need parts. when I needed a part I asked why can I not download any proto 2 engines

parts listings-I was told mike would like us to buy newer trains, i said last time I looked I did not have a money tree.

think mike would hire a couple of temp force people to upload parts listings

Your friend told you correct, 2 people for parts, Midge and Deb. Dealers and tech have to deal with Deb. You guys are lucky, you get to deal with Midge, a good, sweet, hard working lady, we have to work with Deb.

The bottom line is as soon as purchasers of toy trains realize that when they break, which happens more than we'd like to see, and one cannot get the part(s) to repair it, they will stop purchasing you new products.

At least that is the way it works in the "real business world" ...

You can probably get a part for an old car, that is not true for recent toy trains.

I have decided they can sell their high dollar trains to someone else.

I also don't understand why the big guys can't design and use a lot of the same parts as in days gone by. Yes I do know many things can't be the same but a lot of stuff under the hood could be.

I wait to call Midge after 12 noon EST and I try to have the part number or description if possible. The part # is unfortunately more difficult than anything to obtain. Where AtlasO excels and MTH does NOT is exploded part diagrams with the numbers. Look it up on the Atlas web site, call them up and inquire. If available, order it right then. MTH should have the parts diagrams posted so Midge has LESS to do to get your part to you. Listing if it is available would be nice, but if Midge can just look up the number you give her it would be fairly quick. I imagine any email with the part number could be looked up and replied to quickly on her end, it is all the research to even find it that takes time. 

I am a big fan of Midge. She is always nice to me. She looked up an order I placed in 2009 to get the part number for the new batch i needed. i think she deserves our help by having us all write to Mike and praise her for her hard work and ask for better access to part numbers to make her job easier. 

I still locate OEM parts for my 45 year old Japanese Z car ... I seem to always be able to find the part to repair it when t breaks.  Sometimes it's a search I'll grant that point.

The "toy train" industry should have parts available for products 5 years old, and often times they don't.  Dead engines piling up on shelves due to a lack of repair parts as the years roll on isn't a pretty picture.

Hoping my grand-kids can inherit at least some running engines in the future years.

Midge is the BEST - always helpful, courteous and patient! 

ANY problems with parts are PRODUCTION (cannot keep up with demand!) and NOT with Midge! 

Mike and Andy should address this issue!

The fall at York, I finally met her at the MTH booth.  I shook her hand and told her what a great job she does.  She is one busy person!