many MTH 44 tonners

I heard the same also. Over priced for what you get or.... don't get.

Not worth over 400 bills . Probably would never run one either having the choice of selecting so many other better and larger lash ups of diesels. They are a just stand alone with limited operation.

My favorite small diesel. I have had no problem operating the half dozen or so that I have on GarGraves track and Ross switches.  I always get a chuckle out of how some folks think that just because a locomotive is small, it must also cost a lot less. I don't think they build and price them strictly on the amount of metal used.

The short pickup roller and the short spacing of the wheels combined with a very undersized battery capacitor causes them to stall while operating at low speeds on unevenly laid curved track and certain switches.  If you search the forum, there is an easy fix with thin metal brushes affixed to the trucks and touching the wheels.  Shaving the plastic off the ends of the pickup rollers also helps on certain switches. I did both and mine now works flawlessly at under 4 smph through all curves and switches.  That might explain the over supply. Consider yourself lucky and pick one up. They’re great engines and if it does stall at low speeds on your curves and switches (on many layouts people have reported no problems), it’s an easy fix.  You will also be blown away by the great sound on this little thing. 

Mine runs and sounds just fine in fact it has very good sound quality for a small switcher. I bought mine off a forum member and did a repaint on it. 

Size has little to do with the cost of a locomotive.  Tooling is tooling and a die casting tool costs around $100k whether it's an SD90Mac or a 44 ton diesel.  Electronics cost the same.  Assembly might be a hair less but not a lot there.  Painting is about the same. 

I love small critter locomotives personally whether they are steam, diesel, or electric.  I don't have a 44 tonner yet, but a 2 rail one in PRR would be fun since they had two on the roster. 

I have six of these engines  Erie, Lackawanna, Staten Island, Hoboken Shore, New York Dock, and Long Island   I love this loco  Sound is great, pulling is great   As for the #5 Atlas switch  Hardly anything will make it over that without problems  What I did with all my steamers that died on switches was to add a little tether to a trailer car that has a pickup roller  I had to do that with a few subways too   Thats one solution   The other is to put a Ross switch in  They done have the clearance problems that Atlas does

Mine works fine on Atlas #5 switches at 5 scale mph and above.  I don't need to run it slower than that over the switches so it doesn't bother me in the least.  I've never had any other problems and it negotiates curves as tight as O27 so it's perfect for layouts with tight spaces.  I can pull a dozen 40' pieces of rolling stock with it as well.  The only downside is it doesn't have smoke but I rarely run with that feature anyway. 

As for why there are so many available, my guess is because it keeps getting catalogued and dealers order more extras than other engines due to the size and price points - lots of folks buy them.

-Greg

I"m going to power the closure rails with Atlas #6924 modules. I bought a number of these a few years ago. I'm using Atlas #7.5 to create a crossover on the mainline, but the 44 tonner doesn't need to travel through the crossover.

After I see if the next MTH catalog is going to open my wallet, I may order one of these.

The 44 tonners from MTH are the best thing they've come out with for a long time.  They are solid runners, heavy (die cast!) , and have amazing sounds.  Perfect for those of us with small layouts!  Well worth what they cost, IMO.  And MTH can keep making these for years and never repeat a road name as nearly every railroad had at least one of them.

Great little engines!  I personally own two.  They are well worth the money, contrary to one of the comments above.  

I ditto all these positive comment about MTH GE 44 toner.  I also think it is one of MTH's best products.  

@Allan Miller posted:

My favorite small diesel, I have had no problem operating the half dozen or so that I have on GarGraves track and Ross switches.  I always get a chuckle out of how some folks think that just because a locomotive is small, it must also cost a lot less. I don't think they build and price them strictly on the amount of metal used.

 

Yeah, this "it's little, it should be cheap" belief costs us many an interesting small loco, especially steamers. It can cost - usually costs - just as much to engineer, manufacture, market, package and ship (there may be some savings there) a 2-8-0 as it does a 4-8-4. 

Also, I like my models to be as accurate as possible, but model railroading, like life , is about compromises, and given a choice between a plausible representation of loco XYZ, versus no offering of loco XYZ, I'll take the former. Companies can use much more existing tooling and a bit of detail change to produce desirable representations of not-common prototypes, if we high-end customers are willing to squint a bit more than we have come to expect to need to.

The recent outpouring (last couple of years) of plausible Lionel 4-8-2's based on their excellent USRA Light 4-8-2 is a good example. Not that they were cheap.

You guys sold me. I ordered one today.

I have two — Milwaukee Road and U.S. Army — and they are definitely among my favorite diesels.

The electrical pickups have caused problems on some switch tracks, but my Milwaukee Road unit didn’t need any modification and both units work flawlessly on the club layout’s GarGraves track and switches.

As for a large number being available, I have been tracking each production run of this model. Virtually all have shown up at the five-or-less-in-stock list that MTH posts each week on this forum within a few weeks of each release. There have been few, if any, blowout sales on these models — unlike the Williams by Bachmann models.

@Oman posted:

You guys sold me. I ordered one today.

I don’t think you we be disappointed. 

Picked this little sweetheart up for just over 200 on the bay. Like new condition. Only had a problem on one switch (Ross) Made the mod on the pickup rollers and it runs over the entire layout at scale 2 mph. I recommend you go for it. An enjoyable little engine.

I keep thinking about getting one. I have a Williams (conventional) and a Sunset (2-rail) and an MTH would be a nice addition to the stable. MTH's "Other GE" is a nice runner and actually pulls well because it, too, has a die cast superstructure.

So who has a good price for the "second run," of an MTH Premier PRR 44tonner? I have the first run unit. 3 rail. Thanks in Advance. 

Mr. Muffin has them for $399.99   I paid the same with my local dealer.

@Jim S posted:

The 44 tonners from MTH are the best thing they've come out with for a long time.  They are solid runners, heavy (die cast!) , and have amazing sounds.  Perfect for those of us with small layouts!  Well worth what they cost, IMO.  And MTH can keep making these for years and never repeat a road name as nearly every railroad had at least one of them.

I'd like to get one of these, but I want one with the side rod powered trucks. Am I the only one, or can we get MTH to make one of these. With the side rods there is a lot of neat motion to the engine. PLEASE make them!

Here's a photo of ours at the Mid-Continent Ry. Museum I guess it is actually a 45 tonner.

The siderod GE centercab will most likely be a 45 tonner. I don't think any 44 tonners had siderods, but you never know. Someone may have a photo.

In my O scale 2 rail equipment, I have two W&R 44 tonners, a Rich Yoder 44 tonner, and a Rich Yoder 45 tonner. These are my favorite little engines. I need to get one of the 3 rail Williams and one of the MTH also.

Jeff

@AGHRMatt posted:

MTH's "Other GE" is a nice runner and actually pulls well because it, too, has a die cast superstructure.

I have one of these, and it is certainly another favorite. I just wish it was available in more road names, even if not true-to-prototype

@mowingman posted:

The siderod DE centercab will most likely be a 45 tonner. I don't think any 44 tonners had siderods, but you never know. Someone may have a photo.

In my O scale 2 rail equipment, I have two W&R 44 tonners, a Rich Yoder 44 tonner, and a Rich Yoder 45 tonner. These are my favorite little engines. I need to get one of the 3 rail Williams and one of the MTH also.

Jeff

So are any of yours side rod engines??

@Jeff B. Haertlein posted:

So are any of yours side rod engines??

Only the GE 45 tonner is a siderod. All the GE 44 tonners are not siderod style.

Jeff

@mowingman posted:

Only the GE 45 tonner is a siderod. All the GG 44 tonners are not siderod style.

Jeff

That’s correct. No GE 44-ton diesels had side rods. The photo of the 45-tonner shows it isn’t even the same body, having a much larger cab.

With all that said, I  would still like to see MTH produce (then) a 45 tonner with side rods!!!!

I had this painted by Christine

@AGHRMatt posted:

I keep thinking about getting one. I have a Williams (conventional) and a Sunset (2-rail) and an MTH would be a nice addition to the stable. MTH's "Other GE" is a nice runner and actually pulls well because it, too, has a die cast superstructure.

I love my LIRR Ingersol Boxcar as well, but it gets blown away by the awesome sounds of my 44 tonner. For some reason, the little 44 tonner is louder and has a better mix of sounds.  Both are great engines for my small pike.

Beautiful little engine. N&W didn't roster any, so any O Scale purchases have been disallowed by the CFO.

Forum sponsor TrainWorld is selling some models for $299.99. Others for $399.99.

Charlie

$299, what a bargain; must be from the first run.

The few Williams 44 toners that are still for sale are selling cheap. If your a conventional runner they are a well detailed and a heavy loco. I of course needed more power on my conventional running electric short line so they are perfect. As you can see mine are modified a little. Don

I need to pick one of these up

I Love mine, it runs great.

@scale rail posted:

The few Williams 44 toners that are still for sale are selling cheap. If your a conventional runner they are a well detailed and a heavy loco. I of course needed more power on my conventional running electric short line so they are perfect. As you can see mine are modified a little. Don

Wow! I wish MTH made this model along with a 45 tonner with side rods. Your scratch building this engine is really great!!

During the 80's and 90's I worked at a Duke Power coal plant that had a 45 tonner with the side rods.  I went to engineering school for four years, but they never let me drive the train....

I was one of those guys that thought it was too much money for such a small loco.  Then I saw it in the Lehigh Valley prewar paint scheme and couldn’t resist.  It’s one of my favorite engines.