MTH United Aircraft Amtrak Turbo Train (Pictures)

Wow that looks really nice. This train was really emblematic of a very specific era. You really cant look at it and not think of the futurism of the early 1970's. It almost has a European or Japanese flavor.  A Godaikin train driven by Kameen Ryder.

It is like Budd dome cars modernized to the 1970s!

Very cool looking in a funky way. The model turned out much nicer than I imagined. Smoke units on both ends!! Man that thing is going to fog up some basements real good.

I pre-ordered one of the sets, it was so long ago I don't recall which. 

Very nice!!!  Good detail and with the interiors, too. 

What are the interiors of the middle passenger cars like?  if you get a chance a video would be cool . . .

They look great.If you wanted a full size one you can buy it next week here in Albany. NYS DOT is selling parts and two complete trains at auction. I believe they are the Rohr Turboliners, not exactly the ones MTH is selling, but they are full size! Fred

Does this have PS3!!!

Turned out very nice, certainly a very unique set that will be an eye catcher on the layout.

Are they being shipped now? These Turbos will be HOT!

The Coast Guard called and want their submersible, rollover-able train back.

Cool train.  Seriously, though, the first thought I had when seeing the pics was that looks like a Coast Guard boat.

Here are some photos on the cars requested by Lee.  MTH did nice work on the diaphragms as well!!

Each locomotive is powered and, yes - it does have PS 3.0.  MTH Product Locator says shipping in January!

I realize these were turbines, and aside from them bursting into flames on a semi-regular basis, should these things really have smoke? 

And, if they should have smoke, shouldn't it be streaming?

Fred

I don't know about the smoke but I am really looking forward to the sounds of the train including those Pratt and Whitney engines revving up.  Here is Rapido's recent interpretation in HO Scale:

Looks better than I expected. Worth the wait. Proto-3 instead of Proto-2; LED lighting; smoke at both ends. Should put on a good show on the club layout.

Thanks to the pictures of the other cars.  They are nice inside.  Those diaphrams look very nice.  That was good work by MTH.

Here's a neat video that looks to be a PR short from CN.

Part 1:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETYDiT4h4oU

Part 2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qegIRh9DFHc

Part 3:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iLBP0qPg_k

Up until today I didn't realize this train existed. love it. I just ordered one fromDave @ Mercer Junction.

The Turbo Train, like the Union Pacific's M10000, will forever remain a train ahead of its time.  The MTH model will do it substantial justice with a nice suite of sounds.  I hope MTH releases more individual coaches as these trains usually ran with a number of cars. It is certain to be a unique piece and, as Matt says, a crowd pleaser on many layouts.

Great looking train. I think MTH did a good job.

I hope MTH will consider doing the Amtrak Rohr Turboliners, which IIRC were in service twice as long as the United turbos. As mentioned in a post above, NYS is selling off three trainsets which were not refurbished and the spare parts for all 7 sets. Three turbo sets fully rebuilt and owned by Amtrak are parked in Delaware. Oddly, the NYS Transportation Commissioner who complained when Amtrak took the operating trainsets to Delaware is now the Amtrak President.

Tony

Up on "The D & H Bridge Line"

Looks great!  That is not really the Amtrak paint scheme though.  That is the DOT demonstrator set that had a small Amtrak arrow applied.  The actual paint scheme Amtrak used on all other sets was imo better, and MTH chose not to produce the main Amtrak scheme.  I would order one of these if painted in Amtrak's scheme, or VIA Rail.

That's the paint scheme I remember from when a demonstrator train toured the country in about 1970. It is a good "generic" scheme that could run on most any US railroad of that period with a prototypic excuse.

Some interesting background on the turbo-train from Wikipedia - accuracy not verified:

//

Constructed: 1967–1968

Number built: 8 trainsets

Formation: 7 cars per trainset (Canadian); 5 cars per trainset (US)

 //

The chosen engines were a modified version of the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 (also a UAC division) known as the ST6 (apparently for Stationary Turbine), downrated from 600 to 300 hp (447 to 224 kW). The PT6 uses a "free turbine" that acts as a torque coupler, so the new design did not require a transmission and was able to drive the powered wheels directly.

//

In a competition with a GE powered Buddliner on the DOT's high speed test track on Penn Central's main-line between Trenton and New Brunswick on December 20, 1967, one of the TurboTrains achieved a speed of 170.8 mph (274.9 km/h). This remains the world speed record for gas turbine-powered rail vehicles.[5] This is still the North American speed record for the fastest production train, despite the attempts of Acela to unseat it.

//

The TurboTrain entered service for the Department of Transportation in the US in 1968. It was operated by the New Haven Railroad, later by the Penn Central, and finally by Amtrak between Boston and New York. The American TurboTrain was built in a 3-car configuration, and was expanded to 5 cars in 1972. They achieved speeds as high as 100 mph (161 km/h) in regular service. // During speed runs on April 22, 1976, it achieved 140.55 mph (226 km/h) near Gananoque, the Canadian record to this day.[6]

//

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbo_Train

My bet is that this set, with a nice sound system, will be a good seller.  It is the closest thing MTH has to Lionel's Acela.  MTH needs to make the cafe car for this set.  Via Rail also ran the Turbo Train in the yellow and blue paint scheme.

I have had the PC version on order since day-one.  The paint scheme is really neat almost regal.  Plus it is hard to find good PC stuff.  Looking forward for hopefully a January delivery!  The added bonus is PC ran it only with three units so no need to get or want more cars.  It will be prototypicially complete as delivered.

Hopefully this run will be successful. Then we might see the other two paint schemes. I'm in for another Amtrak if they do it.

This is my favorite paint scheme even if it does look like a boat

Thanks for posting the Amtrak version, Matt.  I would like to see MTH make that one as well - but without all the screening over the front and rear dome windows shown in the photo.

I'm having a flashback to the N scale Bachmann Turbo set I got for Christmas almost 40 years ago - I loved to run that pup full out, derailments be ****ed...

OK, I'm tempted by one of these (if I can get it from somewhere) but does anyone have any idea about the sound features, in particular what MTH are using for the turbine sound? I was thinking of getting one of their new PS3 DL-109/110 sets until I saw a video in which it was clear that the sound is identical to the lead engine on my UP80 coal turbine. Maybe that's accurate in terms of the prime mover but it was too similar for my liking.

I rode in a real Amtrak TurboTrain from Kalamazoo to Chicago. It was a great passenger train. I would like to operate the MTH model.

Andrew

I did not think Coast Guard but I did think Sight Seeing Boat!

Can't wait for the new models on order for a long time but it will be worth the wait.

Perhaps if asked by enough now that it is in production MTH might consider adding some other road names in future catalogues??

The HO verions by Rapido have seen running at various train shows and they look pretty sharp an O Gauge version can only work even better!

I think it is something very different. I actually like it. I too, think the sounds will be generic.

I hated this in the catalog, but the real-life pics have changed my mind.  I REALLY like this.  Not sure I CAN run it based on my O-60 max curves, but one can dream...

MTN - I, too, have one of those old Bachmann N Scale CN Turbo Train sets I asked for and received as a Christmas gift.  I admired the CN Turbo Train so much I made my dad a tie rack in shop class with with a picture of the Turbo Train on it.  Though our family worked for Union Pacific and lived in Kansas and was witnessing the decline of passenger service, Turbo Train appeared as a game changer and combined high speed modern technology while reminding us of the dome liners of the 50s and 60s.

MTH will hit this one out of the park with a nice sound set (as well as some more coaches, cafe cars, and paint schemes in future catalogs).

MTH suggests on their Facebook page that future versions of this model may include the Amtrak, Via Rail and a New Haven paint scheme (apparently New Haven was supposed to deploy the Turbo initially).  The train will require O72 curves and have the Pratt and Whitney sounds and not a generic sound set.  They will have a video of it soon.

I'll bet MTH worked with United Technologies on this one. A REAL WINNER. UTCme scoop this one up!!!