MTH Dump Car(s) Question

I'm not a big MTH Premiere guy. But I did have one of the Railking motor operated dump cars, which I have since given to a nephew. I don't recall the exact length, but it was longer than any 6464-style traditional box car. And it was wider also. I'm sure that it was close to 12 inches.

I was so concerned about the length with 027 track and switches, I tested one for clearance, and it just squeaked by, clearing the 027 switch box housing.

Very nice car though. But because of the size, I prefer the spring type Lionel dump cars. Even although they're not nearly as nice as the MTH, they just look better to me on a layout with a traditional size emphasis.

There's absolutely no difference between the size and general appearance of the Rail King and Premier, log or coal dump cars.

If there's any difference at all, it's purely in add-on details or, perhaps, truck detail.

I still own one of the Premier dump cars (MTH #20-98293--Lehigh Valley) cataloged in 2001.  The body measures 10.75" not including the couplers, 12" including couplers. 

Not sure for certain if/when the Premier dump cars became part of the RailKing line, but my guess is that it would have occurred when MTH began to add more details to their Premier freight cars.

Very reliable operating car by the way!

I have the railking version 30-7951 PRR dump car, it measures 12 inches coupler to coupler. It's a great operating car, and MTH slide-shoe's are really a big improvement over the Lionel ones in that they don't snag, or "pick" on switches as much.

There were Premier dump cars in a catalog within the last couple of years. It was like right after or at least near the time I had just purchased a couple of the RK dump cars. I didn't know they offered Premier versions at the time and saw the RK versions and got those while they were available.

Now, it's good to know there is no big differences in the RK and Premier dump cars. I can just be happy with my RK's don't have to keep waiting for the Premier's to come around again (like I was doing until I saw this thread).

With the arrival of a 30-7934 operating dump car cataloged in the 2000 volume 2 I am definitively able to answer my question.  This car just came from MTH's own stock, apparently the last one from 15-years ago.

This is the image from the MTH website for this car.  Which is the same as the catalog images from 1999 and 2000 for RK operating dump cars.  These catalogs state length as approximately 10 1/2".  Also the same image for the RK dump cars pictured in "A Toy Train Story."

This is a pic of my car.

So it appears that the cars RK and Premier were in fact all made the same although originally cataloged and picture in the MTH book differently.  So either MTH intended to make two different cars or it was all "artwork" variations.

But one big difference, the price.  My car MSRP was $39.95.  Paid less than $35 new from MTH stock.

I knew there was a reason for thinking that there were different cars.

Ron