MTH 2015-16 CATALOG GUESSES

Mark,

Take another look at your email.  Note that the title of the link they have for the contest says it's an S Gauge car even though the link takes you to the HO version.

35th Anniversary Week 10 Winner Announced

July 15, 2015 - The winner of Week 10 of the M.T.H. Electric Trains 35th Anniversary Celebration Give-Away is Bruce Jankowski of Lemont, Illinois. Congratulations Bruce on being our Week 10 winner and thanks for being a fan of M.T.H. Electric Trains.

This week's drawing is for a MTH HO Scale R40-2 Woodside Reefer Car. Future drawings will include RailKing O Gauge products, Premier Line O Scale products, HO products, RailKing One-Gauge G Scale products, S Gauge products and Tinplate items.

MTH S Gauge Roberts & Oake Meats R40-2 Woodside Reefer Car

Join us in celebrating our anniversary by filling out the entry form locatedHERE. Entries must be submitted by midnight Saturday, July 18, 2015 in order to be eligible for this week's drawing. The weekly winner will be announced on Wednesday, July 22, 2015 via the M.T.H. Electronic Newsletter.

Only one entry per person per week. Winners will be contacted directly and announced on the M.T.H. website and via the M.T.H. Electronic Newsletter.

Mike

Definitely a reintroduction of the TOFC series. A C&NW car & trailer is the 2015 MTH club offering.

Rich

Last night on the MTH Facebook site, I posted a question on the catalog's arrival.

Same thing they said before, but they acknowledged the delivery of the PS-2's.  This was their response:

		MTH Electric Trains July 16 at 9:51am
Yes, there as PS2 Hoppers about to arrive. The new catalog will not be out until F3s arrive, but clearly we are working on it. Thank you for the post.

Last night on the MTH Facebook site, I posted a question on the catalog's arrival.

 

Same thing they said before, but they acknowledged the delivery of the PS-2's.  This was their response:

 

		MTH Electric Trains July 16 at 9:51am
Yes, there as PS2 Hoppers about to arrive. The new catalog will not be out until F3s arrive, but clearly we are working on it. Thank you for the post.

Right now, I'd settle for the F3's to arrive.  The money I set aside for them is getting moldy.

Rusty

Guys, here is what Andy Edleman said at York in April when I interviewed him and was placed in the S Gaugian about upcoming locomotives.

__________________________

Bill:  What are the new locomotives in the catalog for production in 2015?  When do you plan to have them shipped to customers? 

Andy:  We'll begin releasing new 2015 products later this summer.  Our plan is to release the EMD SW-9, SW-1, and NW-2 switchers in 2016.  The new catalog will carry a 2015/2016 title on it to account for the fact that some of the merchandise featured in that catalog will not occur in 2015. 

________________________________

He said no steam engines will be in the 2015-16 catalog.

He told me the same thing at a show a while back. Look for the 2-8-0 to appear in 2017 at the earliest. Which I would guess would put delivery into 2018 at the earliest.

Wow. I'll be retiring mid-2018.

And now I see once again why I personally needed to leave S scale. I simply didn't have the time to sit and wait for the product to s-l-o-w-l-y trickle through.

Returned to HO last Spring. Starting pretty much from ground zero having been out of HO for 15-17 years.  As of now, I have 45 engines on hand for my upcoming KC Lines layout representing all kinds of engine types/paint schemes, as well as several undecorated for my own personal line, the Kansas City & Gulf.

The above just wouldn't have been possible for me in S scale.

Personal opinion: I think if one enters S scale late in one's modeling career, IF you can be satisfied with a smaller scope/theme... then S scale can most certainly git'er done.  However, IF you want quantity and variety... well... S will be a struggle.

My hat is tipped to you S scale guys for your perseverance and patience.  Me, I'm too flighty!

No scale for old men, eh Andre?  Like you, retirement is on my horizon.

I understand what your saying.  Today, S isn't much better off than it was 30 years ago when I jumped in.

30 years ago:

Lionel was still cranking out recycled Gilbert and had no track available.

Omnicon Scale Models was poised to be the premier brass builder in S, but unfortunately the owner died a couple of years later.

Overland made a brief appearance in S.

There was American Models with their FP7 and a handfull of freight cars, (that's what got me in S BTW...) passenger cars came a year or two later.  No track yet, however.

There was no S Helper Service (yet.)

No River Raisin.

No Pacific Rail Shops (now S Scale America.)

The S Gaugian/Scenery Unlimited was the major source of S info and supplies.

Internet?  What's that?  Take a look at any model magazine from 1985.  Not a www to be found...

There was also Hoquat Hobbies and Doug Peck (Portlines) supplying S folks.

And a boatload of cottage industries.

I was 30 years younger and figured to conquer S Scale.

And probably a couple of other tidbits that have disappeared into the recesses of my tiny mind.

I hear ya about the variety and availability of HO (and even N.)  That's the toughest obstacle for S to overcome, even during the glory years of about 10-15 years ago.

Rusty

Since we are into August already now, I'm going out on a limb and guessing the next MTH catalog (for S) will be MTH 2016-17

Lionel O gauge vol 2 is scheduled for 9/4, hopefully the S gauge will follow closely. At least it's a catalog regardless of individual desires.

Rich

Andre, I have alot of respect for you and wanted to get your opinion.  I just wanted to ask, did it really make THAT much of difference to switch from S to HO?  I ask, because it seemed to me that the KC Lines layout that you used to post here was a very nice accomplishment.  I'm 40, and I'm beginning to see the horizon that you and Rusty refer to.  Granted, you have WAY WAY more available in HO, but you seemed very pleased and satisfied and I thought you were making great progress. 

I'm asking because myself and some other modelers discuss this alot and you are one of the few people I know who, IIRC went from 3R to S and then to HO.

CSXTROY,

HO definitiely has more variety in motive power, road names and rolling stock. Great for someone in your age bracket. As age advances one may find the size a challenge as time goes by. Having already retired for a few years and having always had S gauge, it is now the perfect gauge for me.

Rich

Hello Troy!

Well garsh... thank 'ya fer that respect, I hope it isn't misplaced!

Seriously:

I would be happy to elaborate and outline the reasons for my trying 3 rail in the first place, the migration to S scale, then the abdication of same for HO.

However, this thread and this S scale forum really isn't the place I should do so.

I have been threatening to start a thread in the new "HONG" forum discussing the conception of my KC&G HO scale theme (and the KC Lines in general), the modeling philosophy behind it, as well as the factors that have led me back to it.  THAT thread will probably be the best place to discuss the transitions, frustrations, and so forth, that were factors for me taking the path that I have taken.

May be a few days before I start the thread... but I INTEND to... so that counts for sumpthin', doesn't it???

As for HO being so darn tiny to work on: Wear stronger reading glasses!  Works for me!  (Besides, I had to wear magnification to work on S, too.)

Rich,

    I've tried HO twice in the last 5 years and it is just too small for me! I even joined the local HO club for about 6 months, just to try the scale out.  I simply cannot get past the feeling that I'm going to break that new locomotive when I hold it my hands.  When I look at HO and talk trains with my friends that do HO, I am always amazed at how much road specific stuff is being produced and I like the MTH HO as well.

     But, I can honestly say that after trying every standard gauge scale except for Z, that I still like S the best.  It is the perfect size and really like how much layout you can get in a given space, especially for Hi Rail and traditional Flyer.   For me, I think the eclectic nature of S also fits me well as I enjoy Postwar Flyer, Hi Rail and also some S scale on the side, too.

When I got back into the hobby 30 years ago, I debated about building a layout where I could still run the old AF trains I got for Christmas years before. HO seemed so effortless. I decided to stay with S, and I don't regret it. There is so much more excitement that builds waiting to see what is about to be introduced once a year or when American Models surprises everyone without warning than knowing I can get whatever I want whenever I want. There is also the reward of being able to write/talk to Ron Bashista, Don Thompson, Mike Ferraro, Doug Peck, Bill Wade, Fred Rouse, or Jeff Wilson and not only get an answer, but have them remember who you are. That is a sense of belonging to a community that makes S a special gauge. (And of course, don't forget the members of this outlier branch of the O Gauge Forum.)