MTH New Catalog 2015 Vol.1

Do we really need another "J" How about something new for gods sake. This also is for Lionel also. 

A RailKing Imperial J was just catalogued in 2014 vol. I.  May be a Premier then.  Not everybody runs Lionel and the Premier hasn't been offered in PS3 yet.

I am curious to know what is sitting next to the J Class.

I'm hoping that it is a Premier engine. I have been waiting for MTH to reissue this engine in ps3. My dealer had a ps2 version, but I didn't want it because it has a battery in it. I'm also wondering what type of steam engine is next to the "J".

I would love a scale J and do not have one yet. So for me this will be new. 

It's Premier.  The complete valve gear gives it away...

Rusty

I'm glad that there are re-releasing this engine in ps3 because the real N&W "J" is currently being overhauled in Spencer NC.

The locomotive to the left of the "J" sure looks a lot like the front of an NKP Berk.

Woah!! A premier N&W J, NKP Berk, and UP Big Boy in the next catalog? Time to start saving up big time for these pre-orders.

As long as there's a 2rail version of it, I'll take one. The good thing is there has been 2rail offerings of the N&W J. 

Ralph

pretty hard to believe mth would put a "railking" engine on its catalog front cover...jim

Rusty

No 44 tonner on the cover...hhmmm...could be a bad omen of things to come...or not,

so far I seen nothing for me...

I would have hoped a GE-44 Ton in O&W would have been on the cover If that was the case I might have bought the boxcar! 

Testify, Brother David!  

- Mike

I'm just saying, brother Mike.  Sometimes things need to be said. Nobody likes to step on toes but I got big feet, so there.

Just because everybody and their brother on the OGR board has a J, it doesn't mean mere mortals do.

Rusty

I've never owned a MTH-Premier N&W "J" steam engine. 99.999999% of my engines are diesel engines. This will be my 2nd purchase of a MTH-Premier steam engine. I'm also hoping that MTH will re-release a N&W 1218 A steam engine and a N&W Y6B steam engine in ps3..............Rogerw.

I've never owned a MTH-Premier N&W "J" steam engine. 99.999999% of my engines are diesel engines. This will be my 2nd purchase of a MTH-Premier steam engine.

Wow, you own over 99 MILLION diesels?  How big is your basement? 

No, but if they do want one (and I do not own a J, just for the record), there are plenty out there to be had -- Lionel, MTH, Rail King, scale, semi-scale, new, used.  

I'm pretty sure I'd be in for 2 Js in 2 rail if they have different numbers. The 2 rail versions are a bit more scarce.

Hello Bob, Please re-read my post! I was trying to say that the majority of my engines are MTH-Premier diesel engines. In other words, if I owned 1000 engines only 1 of the 1000 engines would be a steam engine. The other 999 engines ( 99.999999%)would be diesel engines!!!..............Rogerw.

There are plenty of used cars of all makes out there too, yet many people still want to buy new.

Rusty

I can't remember seeing a scale MTH J with a wireless drawbar for sale used anywhere recently.

When I saw the email initially I didn't even notice there was a Big Boy on that rear level. Pretty cool catalog cover I must say!

Bill

The 2015 MTH catalog is a "same song, second verse, second verse same a first as far as I'm concerned".  Same steam, same diesel just different paint.  A lesson learned when Mike worked for Lionel.

I know it's a bad economy, really though, how many years has it been since we've had anything new.  I remember in the beginning Mike was making one of everything, especially steam.  I'm quite sure he hasn't made a copy of every steam (or diesel) engine ever made yet.

I will have to admit though, he did come out with one new diesel, the GE 44 tonner.  It is so special he put it on the back cover and made it the last page in the Premier Diesel section.  It being new tooling, it should have been front page news.  Anyway, I bought the WBB 44 ton switcher when it was announced.  Hope I'm not disappointed with that choice.

But IMHO, the highlight of the catalog was the announcement of the PS3 upgrade kit. I have done many PS2 upgrades and I have to admit I'm looking forward to no battery.

I  hope that MTH and Lionel will start producing new engines soon.  If they don't, I probably won't be doing much more buying.  How many "J"s, Hudsons, Big Boys, Challengers, Consolidations, SF F3's, etc can MTH and Lionel continually manufacture and have a customer base that is willing to buy the same thing over and over again.

Maybe it's just me.

Well I like the rerelease. I'm a NYC fan and have only one steam switcher(2-rail), and two RS11's(2/3 rail). Had about twenty locomotives and sold them all to upgrade to PS 3 Nothing wrong with the ones I had. I usually have two of each one. I want a plain Hudson and now they offer one but it as NYC Lines on the tender, don't want that, I want what the majority of the Hudson's looked like. On the Diesels was hoping the premier line would all be 2/3 rail by now. Foolish me thinking the product would evolve better with each new release. I will probably get a Niagara. If it was two rail and the features and quality where know to be there, I would pre-order two.  Very few used NYC locomotives out there and fewer 2/3 rail.

Clem k

Very repetitive catalogs.. Could be MTH and Lionel are hoping upgrades will do the trick. maybe attract a few newbees along the way. 

Hope it works cause...it sure looks like Lionel style price creep has set in at MTH big time.

Joe 

The Big Boy 4014 will replicate the as out shopped 4014 as an oil burner. It also has and I quote from the catalog and picture "New With Quillable, Variable Intensity Steaming Whistle."

Ron

Are the cab doors on the bigboy fixed in the open position? That is what it looks like in the picture. If so 1500 beans and you can't make the doors open and closed. I hope I am wrong. Does anyone know the answer? John

I had a Williams scale J, Sold it. I do not own one now nor do I intend to in the future, way to many other thing to buy.  Having said that I do not mind the hoopla because they are rebuilding the 611, If I get to see her run maybe I will change my mind. I tend to do that when I see the real engine run no matter what the road. 3751, 4449,The pacific that Reading is running, if that one pops up for sale I will get that,  and I have the Reading T1 2102

I had the 2014 Vol 1 and 2 on hand considering buying one of the Imperial USRA 0-6-0 Switchers, but held off until our younger daughter's wedding.  After putting $900 into her car and the wedding, I actually still have some money left.  So looking at the 2015 Vol 1 catalog, I keep seeing this switcher.  After comparing the two catalogs, I realized that all 4 road names are the same part numbers as in the 2014 catalog.  Do they do that often?

Anyway, I just got off the phone with one of our friendly neighborhood forum sponsors.  I pre-ordered the Alaska Railroad.  Being from Western Pennsylvania, I would have ordered the P&LE (NYC) version, but I just couldn't see a yard switcher in green paint even though I like that color on a locomotive.  A hot shot Pacific, yes, but not a switcher.

Please remember, I came from over 40 years of HO where the pressure is to be 'prototypical'.  Nothing wrong with that, but I am enjoying the freedom in running the equipment I like regardless the road name.  So lets see, on my locomotive fleet I have N&W, NYC, CNJ, Lionel, and will have ARR.  ARR 1914-2014 and still going!

Maybe I have been reading Allan Miller's posts and magazine commentary too much.  

Thanks, Allan, I really do like the Alaska Railroad!  In fact, I have an ARR tee shirt that is getting so old, the color is washing out and it's getting threadbare.  

"Do we really need another "J" How about something new for gods sake. This also is for Lionel also"

Naw, what we really need is another Hudson. 

.....

Dennis

True, absolutely true.  I was just thinking that last night, as I realized I have more Hudsons that shelves in the display shelves I built for them.  

Still, bring 'em on . . .  

Hi Mark, to the best of my knowledge the only green steam engine the "Little Giant" had was the A-2As.  And no one knows for sure why Alco (not P&LE) painted them Huntingford Green.  The best guess is that the A-2As were the last steam shopped out from Alco right after an order of Argentina's 4-8-2s which were green.  But curiously P&LE continued the green with their GP-7 freight engines.

Ron

Ron,

Thank you for that insight.  I was not aware of the A-2As' green color.  By doing a quick Google image search, I see models painted green, but on the the few color images of the real thing, I can't tell.  So I guess it comes down to the green color was not planned, but someone at P&LE liked it to put it on the beeps.

Mark, anytime I run the A-2A at the local toy train shop people think/say that it must have been an Army engine because it looks an olive drab.  Other say "I did not know NYC have that engine."  I have to remind them to read the last word "System."

Ron

I see in the new catalog the NYC Hudson as "new york central lines". is that correct?

Clem k  

This thread brings up a back story on the market. How many modelers exclusively model modern railroads versus how many model the transition era? That seems to have an effect on the constant recycling and reissues of transition era prototypes. Another question.

How many hobbyists model main lines versus short lines? 

I would think it's a classic Catch 22 deal.

That being said, I see little hope for say, a Steeplecab, a Whitcomb, because its another Catch 22..How many modelers have read up on anything other than the common and very well publicized familiar prototypes? I think it would be a minority.

How many mainline transition era models are already in circulation that offer more variety of equipment types and less road names because one hand washes the other?

I think the modelers not the manufacturers drive the market.

Ron,

Yes, I can see why folks would think Army.  I think many are not aware of the 'System'.  Being from Western Pennsylvania, I am fully aware.  That was what piqued my interest in the P&LE switcher.  However, MTH's photo doesn't look quite as olive green as I've seen elsewhere.  I would like to see one in person.