MTH, Understand that you’re closing, is support already dead?

Midge is still there. She is swamped. There's a big project going on right now inventorying and photographing parts. MTH is spending big bucksto make sure that parts will be findable and available for years to come.

Scott Smith

I just spoke with Midge this past Friday and ordered some parts. Did you try calling in, 410-381-2580? This is the general number and you have to drill down through the prompts to parts/consumer. This is probably your best bet to locate that part you need.

@scott.smith posted:

Midge is still there. She is swamped. There's a big project going on right now inventorying and photographing parts. MTH is spending big bucksto make sure that parts will be findable and available for years to come.

Scott Smith

Agree with Scott, ....and to add, I just spoke with Midge last week in regards to some parts. Here’s the skinny,....she’s a one woman band, and with the torrential flood of MTH stuff hitting the streets from engineering and production samples, stuff missing parts galore, she’s overwhelmed to say the least!.....sometimes it takes me 2-3 emails to get a hold of her, but she always responds eventually,.......all I can say is keep trying, she’s arguably the best in the business,....hope you get what parts you need!...

Pat

@Jim M Sr posted:

I’ve tried phone, and emailing MTH without success, so, let’s try this means...

In the last three weeks, I’ve made two inquiries for parts help, two phone calls where I had to leave two voice mails, and two emails, all to the usually reliable, infallible, Midge for help identifying a part. All have gone unanswered.

Since Midge is known to be reliable, I’m suspecting that she’s already gone, and assistance from MTH is no longer possible.

The part I’m trying to identify is actually a spacer on the running gear, and side rail of a locomotive that came apart while running. Unfortunately, my grandson put the loco back on the shelf without saying anything, and the lost part went undetected until after the layout was disassembled. Spacer is history.

Locomotive is a 30-1479-1 NW J
Does anyone know if these type pieces are available anywhere?

Any help with another contact thru MTH, or another source would be appreciated.

Crap Jim, ....I didn’t really look to see what part you needed,....man, I’ve got a ton of dead Railking stuff,.....however, I don’t have part numbers or index, ....can you get me some measurements from the spacer you do have??....to be sure I have one ( or worse case, if it’s too thick I’ll knock it down on the lathe) ...almost positive all the Railking steamers use the same ID, but measure that as close as you can,....ain’t gotta be a science project,.....just get in the ball park,.....I’ll get ya hooked up,....one spacer ain’t gonna upset world trade,.....😉

Pat

That's a pretty common part.  Sleeve and spacer.  When Midge can't identify a part, she usually emails or calls me when I'm there.  From the Railking exploded diagrahm, ID1250001 and ID-1250002, but they list substitutes, possibly becuase they are N/A, so I would recommend measuring the ones from the other side and compare the dimensions from the Service section, Order Parts Online for a complete description.

Hey Jim,

Just be a little more patient, I called Midge a week ago about some parts. She called me back a couple of days later from her personal phone to let me know she would have someone locate the parts at MTH as she is working from home now. She said that she would get back to me when she had information on the parts I needed.
She actually called me back yesterday (Saturday) from her home to let me know she located the parts. I was able to pay and order directly through her and arrange for shipment.

Can't ask for better service than that. Midge always comes through.
Give her a little bit more time.

@goobernuts posted:

Hey Jim,

Just be a little more patient, I called Midge a week ago about some parts. She called me back a couple of days later from her personal phone to let me know she would have someone locate the parts at MTH as she is working from home now. She said that she would get back to me when she had information on the parts I needed.
She actually called me back yesterday (Saturday) from her home to let me know she located the parts. I was able to pay and order directly through her and arrange for shipment.

Can't ask for better service than that. Midge always comes through.
Give her a little bit more time.

While I don't order a lot of parts I have always found Midge, and anyone that assists her, to be very responsive and accurate. She's clearly an asset for MTH.

If you can accurately measure the spacer inside/outside diameter and length to within +/- 0.01" you can probably find one cheap from a place like McMaster-carr.com. just search "unthreaded spacers" and darn near any size shows up in all sorts of materials including stainless or zinc.

The only catch is sometimes you need to order a bag of 5 or 10, but likely the same price that MTH would charge for just 1.

Thanks, all for the responses.
yes, I had called the suggested number, and did get Midge’s VMM. She had always responded fairly quickly. Didn’t realize she is now WFH.

From just looking, without disassembling the intact side, it appeared to be one missing piece. I disassembled the good side and see it is two.

I’ll update my email, and resend it with the suggested numbers, ID1250001 and ID-1250002 and additional photos.

Thanks to all.

.

Just want to second the kudos for Midge. She's so special, it's hard to believe she's human (but some folks here have met her and confirm that she is!).

I hope MTH gives her a nice retirement package befitting her efforts for the company and consumers over the last 19 years.

@Jim M Sr posted:

Thanks, all for the responses.
yes, I had called the suggested number, and did get Midge’s VMM. She had always responded fairly quickly. Didn’t realize she is now WFH.

From just looking, without disassembling the intact side, it appeared to be one missing piece. I disassembled the good side and see it is two.

I’ll update my email, and resend it with the suggested numbers, ID1250001 and ID-1250002 and additional photos.

Thanks to all.

.

I’ve got that pair Jim, no machining or large batches required,.....up to you, if you wanna try and get a hold of Midge that’s fine, if you can’t, ...hit me up, I’ll hook ya up, .....just pay for postage and you’ll be set,....I’d think they’d travel just fine in a small padded envelope,.....

Pat

Jim according to my MTH Parts catalog 2nd Edition which lists J 30-1105-0 & 30-1106-0 the part number you are looking for is ID-1250002 Sleeve outer or ID-12500001Sleeve Inner I am not sure based on the photo.

Thanks, Pat. Email sent.

I seen it Jim, ...I’ll get it out in the beginning of the week,...then we’ll worry about postage, ....I don’t think we’re going to upset world trade with this transaction!...

@RJT ....thanks for looking up the part number,....

Pat