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When I looked at the MTH catalog I noticed that MTH has apparently made a decision to cut back production on non powered units. I hope this is not the case. But when I looked at the Premier especially there are no non powered for FM's, SD40-2s, GP9s, F40s, GP30s, or even the RK GP9s. I hope MTH is not pursuing this because I have always picked up a powered and non powered when I obtained a Milwaukee Road, Northern Pacific, or Montana Rail Link locomotive.

 

Thoughts?  

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Going to guess its production capacity related. MTH has shipped the PS3 dash 9's in stages (first the hi-rail, then the scale wheel, and we're all still waiting on our dummies). So if they cut the dummies out, its one less thing to make. Yes, all the tooling is there and its a matter of just making more without electronics in them, but it's still more units to make, and if they're backed up, its something that can be cut out.

I also wonder if the dummies are outselling the powered units. With all the re-running thats going on, I cant imagine too many people need more and more copies of motored units, especially when you can just drop a dummy between a pair of powered units and still pull a tree stump.

IT'S FUNNY - I ASKED MIKE WOLK AT LEAST TEN TO FIFTEEN YEARS AGO IF MTH WAS GOING TO MAKE PREMIER DUMMIES. HE SAID TO ME HE DIDN'T THINK DUMMIES WERE GOING TO SELL BECAUSE THEY COST SO MUCH TO MAKE AND THE COST WOULD NOT SEEM PRACTICAL WHEN COMPARING THEM TO POWER UNITS.

 

NOW THEY SEEM TO BE SELLING LIKE HOT CAKES AT HIGH PRICES TOO.

 

I'LL BET IF DUMMY PRODUCTION IS CUT BACK - YOU WILL SEE A LOT OF PROTO 1 ENGINES TURNED INTO DUMMIES BEFORE LONG.

In almost every case, the dummy version of engines are some of the lowest production runs.  They come with unique cab numbers and many are very hard to find.  I would suspect that the cost of production is not too much less than a powered version, so MTH doesn't make anywhere near the same profit margin on them.  It's a niceity for the operator to be able to buy, but perhaps not a profitable avenue for MTH to continue.

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