MTH recently released another batch of dash 8s. I noticed that a lot of guys won't buy them. If I ask about them the first thing I hear is "they are too toy like". Now they are 1/32 scale and some other ones to buy are 1/29, but I feel the fix to this statement would be easy. The biggest thing to me is their pilot details. MTH includes extra fixed pilots, although my last ones were not correct. I got duplicate rear ones and no front one.
Besides that, they need work. The hole for the coupler is huge. The snow plow is ridiculous as the hole makes it not worth attaching. There's not much detailing either. No coupler cut lever, no MU cable, etc. It's a shame as their O scale GE's are some of their best detailed diesels up front. The other big G scale manufacturers mount their couplers to the body. MTH mounts theirs to the trucks! I think the fixed pilot option should include a mount for KDs. Most of their other equipment does so I can only imagine it's because you have to cut off the truck's ends to fit a mount for the KDs?
I feel MTH could do more to help them expand in G scale and some better detailing on these would help the cause. Their other older models look much better to me. The steel gears, redundant power pick-ups, and built in electronics and smoke, make these engines a great value. I can't see why they didn't do better in sales and keep MTH deeper into G scale. They released a lot of older models and this lone modern diesel, is all we got.
Here's a picture of an Aristocraft Dash 9 to compare with the MTH dash 8 ( I haven't added the included hoses on the MTH because I'm waiting to receive the correct pilot. I waited over two years for the engine, so a couple of months and still no pilot, doesn't surprise me!). The last picture is my attempt to mount KD's and fill the hole in. I'm making my own snow plow and details.
