Mth Rugged rails engines

The answer is real simple: They're not making them. In the last cataloged batch Rugged Rails items there were some horn-only SD90-MACs announced. Most were cancelled and the ones the got made were almost a couple years behind announced delivery date.

Some years ago, I talked with a big MTH dealer about the Rugged Rails items, and he said (his opinion? MTH decision) MTH had given up that sector of the market to Lionel and the others. The dealer said most folks who are interested in these smaller semi-scale items are drawn to the Lionel name. Makes sense. Not only Lionel, but Atlas Industrial Rail and RMT and Williams by Bachmann (even though some of the WBB items are bigger than the Lionel or MTH RR counterparts).

For years now, the MTH Rail King line has had a emphasis on scale items from the earlier Premiere line dies. I personally think MTH is going where the money is for them.

Most of the DCS operators are scale oriented buyers. Then there's the new European items, the HO line, and now the S scale line. Mike Wolf made a comment recently where he said everytime MTH comes up with a new idea, his sales manager tells him "You're digging the hole a little bit deeper."

It's a tough economy and each train company has to look at their strengths and focus on those. Someone here once wondered why MTH doesn't make more stuff in Wabash. Mike Wolf was asked about this and replied simply Wabash doesn't sell in sufficient numbers. End of story. Right there I think you have the answer for anytime anyone asks why something isn't made - from any company.

At the last York, both Mike Wolf and the rep from Williams by Bachmann both said a product MUST sell in sufficient numbers to pay for the tooling.

Sure, MTH has the Rugged Rails dies. But they still have to invest money in making a production run. If the money doesn't return quick enough, from their viewpoint, it is probably not worth the risk, especially with so many other irons in the fire.

Why don't you just use the catalog # that's printed on the boxes when doing your search on the web?  They start with the prefix 33- and whatever remaining numbers.

Or, go to the MTH Product Locator Page, type "Rugged Rails in the keyword field at the top.  Or, if you can select the "Rugged Rails" option in the "Choose a product Line" field and click "advanced search" and you'll get lots of results, and it even has links on the left side where you can filter your search further by Catalog, Locomotive, Rolling Stock, etc.  Very simple.

Click on the images below to enlarge them.

Only Lionel has nothing in this market.  RR were great detailed and low cost items.  Pity they don't make them as I'd pick them up before I'd get any other brand.  Lionel is actually on the bottom of my list because they want too much money for too little in detail and quality.  Guess here's to checking out RMT once he's back next year with new items.

What are you looking for?  Discussion on their great value?  Others have provided info as to how to search for them on the MTH website, and the books I've written document all of the releases they did.

What Mr. Z says is true, however one of the nicest engines was the Amtrak F59PH that was done in the Rugged Rails lineup and it was a re-badged Premier scale item from a few years earlier.  With full DCS/Proto-2 and killer sounds, along with the $199.95 list price, it was matched perhaps only by the all-metal PRR 2-8-0 done at the same price point, for best deal ever.

I wouldn't say that Rugged Rails are no longer made...just part of the greater Railking line. The new Proto 3 RTR set I bought in August has the Rugged Rails F3 and Santa Fe passenger cars, all still in their Rugged Rails boxes. 

Jay in Ottawa

I can comment on the MTH set of PRR "madison" cars I have. My boxes say "Rail King Rugged Rails", but the most of the ones currently on eBay just say "Rail King" on the boxes. They are exactly the same (and actually quite detailed for a semi-scale model). I also see that no eBay seller uses "Rugged Rails" in the description, even though some of the boxes they show are RR (meaning, just use Rail King in your eBay search).

THe reason for the inquiry is that I created a fb page specifically about MTH Rugged rails products. doing normal searches yields diddly squat and I didn't want to do to much grab and snatch from the MTH website ,however there may be no alternative. It seems? that there is a growing interest in this line mainly because of skyrocketing prices as already mentioned. Sure there are other companies out there But I have 2 loco sounds MTH engines that run rings around my beloved Lionel's in terms of operation and smoke, chuff /bell are fine but that darned whistle ......gahhh

It probably would have been more useful in the course of this thread if you clarified what you were trying to accomplish from the get-go instead of just posting a few pictures.  It sounded like you were just trying to find information on the three engines you took pictures of; you never indicated that you were trying to do something more comprehensive than that.

Having said that, you'd have to do "grab and snatch" regardless of where you'd get it off the from the web.

I would have no reservations about buying Rugged Rails engines. The 2-8-0 engines are terrific runners and smokers. Any time I see a special price on one I buy it because they are relatively inexpensive and good for kids to run. The other reason is that I just can't help myself when I see a bargain.

Ed Kaz