Mike Wolf on Trainland TV

Of course he's excited about his HO line which I'm told is blowing away the competition by numerous LHS in the HO world.  He mentioned that they have a new tighter coupling from the engine to the tender that is done by European model train manufacturers that is now being done by him and soon to be in O gauge, but he never shows us how it works.  I really would have liked to see this.  We know how Lionel's new tighter coupler works, and his sounds very similar, but again, he didn't bother to show it when he should have.  He describes it tighter coupling on straightaways, and more slack on the curves...

Also, it was all HO, but only a quick mention for O gauge that these innovations will also start appearing in our O gauge.

There really wasn't any big news that we have not already seen or heard before by Mike and as someone who does a lot of public speaking at my job whether I like it or not, his presence was "awkward" to say the least which seems to be the "normal" for him.

Again, his personal enthusiasm for his own products does come through despite the delivery, and it's always good to have a train guy running a toy train manufacturing company.

Starting from nothing, he has accomplished a lot (even if much is not interesting to

me).  For good public speakers who accomplish nothing, watch the political news.

Well said, Colorado Hirailer!  Well said!

If he's smiling it must be because he's become a Seattle Seahawk fan. 

I surely can't be for his O gauge business in a slowing marketplace. 

Joe 

I;ve met mike many times-if it were not  for him I would not be in this hobby-I came to the decision he is a shy person from all the times I met him.

One thing that strikes me about Mike is how he innovated O to the point of stimulating the competition, and regardless of the other issues, he remains committed to Standard Gauge which is no small accomplishment. I don't think there would much interest in Standard gauge if he had not revived it almost single handed on a mass scale. That he is making inroads into HO fits into the whole picture of his place in the hobby which is considerable.

In this day and age, to have a named individual associated with the success of a company rather than the largely nameless employees of a corporation brings to mind the names of JLCowan and AC Gilbert. That in of itself is no mean feat.

One of the worst speakers or person with a public presence I ever met was Steve Case when I worked for AOL. Literally he went unnoticed at a company function I was at. But he made a ton of money and in the 90's was the face of the internet to many people, so sometimes appearance isn't everything.

Yes Mike tends to hide in the corner of the booth at York and he does stumble through interviews, but he is getting the job done so it's working

>>One thing that strikes me about Mike is how he innovated O to the point of stimulating the competition,<<

I meant no disrespect about speaking ability in my post, just was noting it seemed a bit awkward for him. Which it would be for me as well. I can't speak in public, makes me nervous. Can't express myself with the typed word very well either (as you can see here).

I just think we should all be thankful he got into the train business, and has done what he has for us. (Whether you like MTH stuff or not.) And after all the time he's been doing this there is a real genuine enthusiasm that is still there when he talks about his products!

I agree the O gauge products are expensive, but what isn't these days? Some of you may have everything you want already, due to being in the hobby a lot longer than I have. But after re-entering the hobby a couple years ago, the selection these days is incredible to me, not only in engines and rolling stock, but methods of control, sounds, lights, power, features, electronics, accessories, layout building products, benchwork, just everything.  And it seems to me they are introducing new products all the time as well, at least much faster than I can afford to purchase them.

And to colorado hirailer: You are right on about the political speakers! Nowhere else can you hear such great speakers say absolutely nothing in such an excessively long time. Hmmm....this is kind of a long, windy post, maybe I should consider politics?

Strictly from personal experience some of the most publically awkward people in a crowd have turned out to be brighter than slicker personality types. The difference between outward and inward and it goes to show there is no show. He is the person he appears to be and as others have said, its a refreshing change of pace. 

The real thing. You sum it up very well!  I was taking the long way around...

I could care less about the person or their public speaking. I just enjoy the products they make and extremely happy that there is good competition driving every company to offer better and new and improved products.

 I seldom every see an owner or executive not happy to talk about their product.

MTH has added to enjoyment of everyone and should do so for a long time.

We all win on this one.

I don't care if mike is a great speaker of truths all I know is it gave this hobby a shot in the arm it sorely needed-we still be buying postwar remakes if it were not for mike.

o gauge has always been expensive-just look at some prices in a postwar catalogue

what trains were selling for in the fifthies.

I always thought mike never got enough credit for giving o gauge a boost. the more realism and new sounds and control add on devises are going to cost more-not less.

No criticism here. As an "O" newbie and owner of lots of MTH equipment, it was nice to see Mike on that show. Now I can connect a face to the company. Had no idea what he looked like or acted like. Seems to be a pretty humble guy.

George (G3)

I would suspect it looks pretty much exactly the way Lionel does it (also Roco, Marklin, Fleishman, etc...)

It's not rocket science.  There's probably only a few ways it can be done without getting overly complicated.  I'ver heard it called a "butterfly bracket."

What surprizes me it the European HO train manufacturers have used the mechanism since the 1980's and it hasn't been adopted over here.  Maybe the patents finally ran out...

Rusty

Mike truly cares about the hobby and is so passionate about the industry. As he mentioned in the video he enjoys making a new product that no one else has made before. He enjoys creating new molds, and the building process which many manufacturers shy away from because the cost is so high and there are many problems that can occur.  If you think manufacturing is easy... Guess again! He was telling me the various problems and costs involved in manufacturing, and you have to give him credit for "chuggging" through all of them.  He always wants to give the world and the train industry something hot and new that you will keep on talking about. I have the utmost respect for anyone including, Mike, that can make it in the manufacturing industry. Not easy to create a company and become one of the largest train manufacturers in the world.

I wasn't sure if I was able to post the videos since they pertain more to HO scale but you can catch his videos here...

https://www.youtube.com/trainworldtv

Ken Bianco Jr.

TrainWorld

No problem at all, Ken!  Those TrainWorld videos with industry movers and shakers are always informative and entertaining, regardless of the scale being discussed.

Hey Rusty. Don't keep us in suspense. What does the coupler you are talking about look like? I am thinking Mike's coupler may be longitudinally flexible, so it pulls in on straight track, but stretches on curves. Who else features a flexible coupler?

I see Mike Wolf as the sole reason O-gauge railroading is what it has become today. Mike is the Joshua Lionel Cowen of our time and nobody else is in his league in that regard.

Talk trains with Mike-he is no shy person in the corner.

Talk NFL football with Mike- you hit his "sweet spot" as evidenced in our annual picture with Marty at Trainstock.

As for MTH producing trains, Mike has made plenty of trains that no other company even tried to manufacture nor will ever make. He gets an A plus there.

Bottom line, we are fortunate to have ALL the O gauge manufactures today.  Good old competition will give us, the O gauge train operators, an ongoing variety of great trains, accessories, track, etc.  There is no best, just fun trains for everyone.

Steve, Lady and Tex

While I am not a fan of MTHs O Gauge stuff, anyone in the model railroad market place in any scale who isn't paying attention to what he says does so at his own peril.  I really think he is the current mover and shaker in multiple scales.

As for being nervous at public speaking, anyone listen to Elon Musk the CEO of Tesla Motors?  Same thing.  And anyone that worked in communications anything at Apple knows just how much Steve Jobs put into perfecting not only his but his entire teams presence at public events.  Days of rehearsing every word, every gesture at every one of those public events.  And keeping strictly to the script.  Take Mike off the podium and away from the microphone and that all disappears.

"I see Mike Wolf as the sole reason O-gauge railroading is what it has become today."

Without in any way minimizing Mike Wolf's very significant influence on the industry and hobby in the last 20 years, do you think that you'd have DCS without Neil Young and friends inventing TMCC/Railsounds?  I don't think so.  In technology innovation, Neil Young is perhaps the key figure in introducing high quality sounds and command control to O gauge three rail.  In this regard, Mike Wolf is the follower, not the leader.  Just to be fair and factually accurate .

Ken Bianco Jr. ... not shy!  I like the TrainWorld videos and Ken Jr's enthusiasm for the train business.  Up to this point I have never bought any non Lionel products but MTH and others have brought creativity and competition to this business which is good for everyone including Lionel.  

Slightly off topic..Did Neil Young remain as an investor with Lionel after the 2008 bankruptcy prior to it's reorganization? He seems to have fallen off the Lionel map. He used to make quite a few media and other appearances at one time. I recall him on Letterman etc talking trains.

Lionel fans should also be grateful to Mike.. If not for him their biggest challenge would be what road name to pick for the next Geep….  

Lionel back in 2011: