MTH Tank Cars...Premier or RailKing?

 I think it's hard to answer because they shift their cars from premier to railking sometimes. Older tankers had larger ladders I noticed. Some of their railking cars, like every bit as nice as their premier?? Maybe some else could provide more exact info....

The only thing that I typically notice is that the Premier is just a bit larger than the Rail king version. If memory serves me correctly I think there used to be colorful little safety placards on the Premier version, of course I do not see them in this picture. I had also noticed this on some of there Bay Window caboose's hardly any "real" differences between the two product lines, except of course the price?? Hopefully someone else will chime in here with potential differences.

 

Jeff

SD60M

 

The Rail King freight cars based on modern prototypes are sub-scale cars.  Besides being made 9 years apart the two cars you posted have different dimensions.  The Rail King car measures 10 7/8" x 2 3/8" x 3 7/8" while the Premeir car is 12" x 2 3/4" x 4 3/16".  Premier freight cars produced since about 2005 also have the newer type of MTH freight trucks and most have mounting pads on their underframes for Kadee couplers.

 

If you are looking for a scale ADM tank car you might be interested in the MTH funnel flow tank car.  It is one of the very nicely detailed freight cars introduced to the Premier line since the mid 2000s.  It measures 11" x 2 5/8" x 4".  Note the thumbtackless couplers and brake hose detail on the new style Premier trucks.

 

 

MTH doesn't advertise their tank cars by length.  Only Weaver does that to distinguish between their two otherwise identical generic modern tank cars.

 

If you are interested in learning more about O scale tank cars keep an eye on future installments of the O Scale Freight Car Guide. 

 

https://ogrforum.com/t...le-freight-car-guide

Thanks for all the comments...and I really appreciate the "O Scale Freight Car Guide" you are publishing.

 

Maybe, you should make it into something like the blockbuster hit, "The DCS O Gauge Companion."

 

Thanks everyone...I'll stick to the Premier line of freight cars.

Larry I personally would skip these MTH cars and go for the Atlas O versions. No comparison in my opinion. Not to mention the new 25k tanks coming later this year in ADM.  Just my opinion.....but worth the difference in price.

Jeff78 has the right idea!!!...Unless you are obtaining a fleet for a long train!

 

Thanks Jeff and Mr. Curve...I am not going too "nuts" with the MTH cars and am definitely zeroing in on Atlas O cars.  They've taken a lot of criticism for being pricey...but, you can't beat them in my, yours, and a lot of folks "books." 

 

I will also be taking a direct look at those 30K tanks coming from Lionel...probably, in September.

Larry I personally would skip these MTH cars and go for the Atlas O versions. No comparison in my opinion.

 

Jeff

 

If you are comparing the Atlas funnel flow tank cars introduced in 2007 and pictured in curves post above then the 1996 tooled MTH tank cars are less detailed in comparison.  However, if you compare the MTH funnel flow tank car from 2004 or later with the Atlas funnel flow they compare quite closely.  You could even say that Atlas did a nice job of copying the MTH car. 

 

Of course what we really have is an example of two model train companies making 1/48 scale replicas of a common modern tank car.  Both are excellent models.  And the MTH car has a significant price advantage with an MSRP of $42.95 for the first issue and $54.95 on the most recent Procor and GATX cars from 2011.  Take a look at the MTH and Atlas funnel flow tank cars side by side and tell me if you think there is a $15 or greater detail difference.

 

Has MTH cataloged the funnel flow cars in the last few years?

I believe they were cataloged in 2011...I believe...could be wrong.

SD60M

 

You are correct.  2011 Volumes 1 & 2 each had four funnel flow tank cars.  The 20-96716 Procor tank car is a nice one from 2011 Vol 2.

 

Jeff

 

If you compare the MTH funnel flow tank car from 2004 or later with the Atlas funnel flow they compare quite closely.  You could even say that Atlas did a nice job of copying the MTH car.  

 

Of course what we really have is an example of two model train companies making 1/48 scale replicas of a common modern tank car.  Both are excellent models.  And the MTH car has a significant price advantage with an MSRP of $42.95 for the first issue and $54.95 on the most recent Procor and GATX cars from 2011.  Take a look at the MTH and Atlas funnel flow tank cars side by side and tell me if you think there is a $15 or greater detail difference.

 I doubt it and yes there is a difference!

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have to give credit for MTH in updating their product line. I hope that Atlas O will do the Shorty Beer Car tankers too!

I like the Atlas O tank car as I have them, as well as the MTH Premier and RK Scale. I run them together and they like fine and scale. 

I don't think there is such a thing as a "RailKing Scale" tank car. That's reserved for diesel locomotives.

 

Having said that, seeing as prototype tank cars come in a variety of sizes, would a RailKing unibody tanker look that out of place (size-wise) in a train of similar Premier tankers, assuming one were only concerned with limiting the selection to private-owner roadnames (like Procor) and not about fidelity to specific prototypes?

 

---PCJ