August 24, 2022 - M.T.H. Electric Trains will be releasing a series of 2022 2022 RailKing O Scale Dash-8 Diesel Locomotives in five unique paint schemes beginning early next year. Each of these unique schemes will be available in limited production quantities and will begin shipping to M.T.H. Authorized Retailers in March 2023.

Check out each of these offerings HERE.

These items are available to order from your local M.T.H. Authorized Retailer.

ABOUT THE RAILKING O SCALE DASH-8 DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE

In the mid-1980s, as computers found their way into homes across America, they made their way into locomotives as well. In 1982, a year after IBM debuted its Personal Computer, General Electric fielded its first computerized diesel, test unit No. 606. With microprocessors controlling its engine and other systems, including a MicroSentry Adhesion System for wheel slip control, No. 606 and its counterparts at EMD ushered in the third generation of diesel power. By the end of the decade, the typical American road diesel would be profoundly different both inside and outside — evolving from a four-axle hood unit with a narrow short nose and electronic controls to a high-horsepower, six-axle computerized heavy hauler with a wide "North American" cab.

After extensive testing of several prototypes, GE delivered its first production units in 1984, models B32-8 and B39-8 — "B" for two-axle trucks, "32" or "39" for 3200 or 3900 horsepower, and -8 to indicate the new model, succeeding the second-generation -7 lineup. In part due to the recession of the early 1980s, orders didn’t really heat up until late 1987, when GE uprated its prime mover to 4000 horsepower and changed the model’s name to "Dash 8." In the ensuing years, as GE took the lead from EMD in North American locomotive sales, the Dash 8 series became a best-seller, with over 1500 units delivered by the end of production in 1994.

From the beginning, the Dash 8 was offered in both four-axle (Dash 8-40B) and six-axle (Dash 8-40C) versions. With six-axle units outselling four-axle units almost seven to one, the sales numbers told the story of what was happening out on the road: as engine power increased, twelve wheels were proving superior to eight in getting all that muscle onto the rails. A 1991 Santa Fe order for 83 Dash 8s would prove to be the last four-axle road freight diesels GE ever built.

Up in the cab, another dramatic change was occurring. Following the lead of the Canadian National Railroad, where the wide-nosed "comfort cab" or "safety cab" had been standard for over a decade, the Union Pacific Railroad worked with both GE and EMD to design a safer, more comfortable cab. GE No. 606, the original -8 prototype, became a test bed for the new "North American cab," with much input from UP engine men and crews. Introduced in 1989, the wide-nosed Dash 8-40BW and Dash 8-40CW and their EMD counterparts established the look of the American road diesel as we know it today.

Check out each of these offerings HERE.

These items are available to order from your local M.T.H. Authorized Retailer.

Hurry Before They're Gone, Just Five Or Fewer Of These O Gauge Items Remain In Stock

August 24, 2022 - Each week, M.T.H. releases product lists spotlighting quantities of Five Or Fewer Premier and RailKing items that are remaining in our onhand inventory. In many cases, these items will NOT be re-run in the future and these lists could be your last chance for ordering them before they're GONE FOR GOOD. Don't miss out on these items! Click on the appropriate product line link below and then any item number in the corresponding list to purchase that item from the M.T.H. Online Store or order directly from your local M.T.H. Authorized Retailer.

Premier O Scale 3-Rail

RailKing O Gauge

M.T.H. Electric Trains will be releasing a series of 2022 RailKing O Gauge Crane Cars in five unique paint schemes beginning this Winter. Each of these unique schemes will be available in limited production quantities and will begin shipping to M.T.H. Authorized Retailers in January 2023.

Check out each of these offerings HERE.

These items are available to order from your local M.T.H. Authorized Retailer.

Uncataloged RailKing Christmas Road Side Stand Announced

M.T.H. Electric Trains will be releasing a Christmas version of the 2022 RailKing O Scale Road Side Stand Buildings announced in July 2022 for arrival this Winter. This unique structure comes equipped with operating LED lights around the signboard and is fully assembled and ready to place on your O scale layout. All will be available in very limited quantities beginning in November 2022.

Check out each of these offerings HERE.

These items are available to order from your local M.T.H. Authorized Retailer.

M.T.H. Electric Trains will be releasing a series of RailKing O Gauge Rounded Roof Box Cars in four unique paint schemes beginning this Winter. Each of these unique schemes will be available in limited production quantities and will begin shipping to M.T.H. Authorized Retailers in January 2023.

Check out each of these offerings HERE.

These items are available to order from your local M.T.H. Authorized Retailer.