Need Help Identifying MTH Premier Rio Grande Diesel Set

Andrew, 

The picture certainly does not match the MTH catalog page so I'm not sure what they have. There ad claims to have the original box, but you said no. You would think that they would change the ad!

Also a place that buys and sells trains would be better informed.

The price is a bit to the high side so if you are interested, toss them an offer. A lot of times people start high to see what happens.

 If i'm looking at the right ad. Those look like they might be Railking units possibly 30-2184-0.  The porportions do look a bit shortened , but its hard to tell from that 1 blurry photo.

$650 for Ps1 would be a HUGE disappointment. If said sellers name rhymes with "Dartz" , he buys and sells a TON of used O guage, and I believe hes a member here.

Maybe someone put those in the wrong box or he mixed up his boxes who knows?

Regardless.  IMO, I'd stay away from these.

If they are claiming original box and then responding differently, report the ad for fraudulent listing practices. 

Lots of red flags here.  I won't be bidding against you.  

@RickO posted:

 If i'm looking at the right ad. Those look like they might be Railking units possibly 30-2184-0.  The porportions do look a bit shortened , but its hard to tell from that 1 blurry photo.

$650 for Ps1 would be a HUGE disappointment. If said sellers name rhymes with "Dartz" , he buys and sells a TON of used O guage, and I believe hes a member here.

Maybe someone put those in the wrong box or he mixed up his boxes who knows?

Regardless.  IMO, I'd stay away from these.

RickO,

Thank you for looking at this - I believe you are right in your assessment that these are Railking engines. You ARE right in identifying the ebay seller.  Interesting as I am not able to find the 30-2184-0 searching the product locator using the term "rio" but based on past experience I've seen some anomalies with the tool. They do show up when I enter the complete product number though.

Andrew

@Number 90 posted:

Lots of red flags here.  I won't be bidding against you.  

Tom,

I won't get in your way - they're all yours!

Interestingly both A-units seem to only have one horn. I can’t find a single picture of any model of a Rio Grand FT/3/7 that way. 

Looks a lot like this MTH RailKing offering from 2000: https://www.mthtrains.com/30-2184-1 (MSRP $259.95)

with this B unit added: https://www.mthtrains.com/30-2184-3 (MSRP $49.95)

If so, not even close to the $649.99 the seller is asking

@Training Wheels posted:

Looks a lot like this MTH RailKing offering from 2000: https://www.mthtrains.com/30-2184-1 (MSRP $259.95)

with this B unit added: https://www.mthtrains.com/30-2184-3 (MSRP $49.95)

If so, not even close to the $649.99 the seller is asking

@Training Wheels you are absolutely correct.  I asked the seller questions yesterday on ebay.

_{Hello,
Have some questions please. Add says original box. However the picture of this box and the set of diesels do not match. Are these F3's or F7's? Are these from 2001 or 2002? Are they ProtoSound or ProtoSound 2? Are they Premier or are they RailKing?
Those diesels do not represent what MTH identifies as 20-2272-1. The F units for that number are dark green or black. Could they perhaps be 20-2349-1? Lastly, Can you provide me the numbers on the number boards for each diesel unit?
Thanks!}

This was his reply...

_{They are F3s we just added more pictures.}

These are most definitely RK engines as @Training Wheels  has identified.

Ron   

@Ron045 posted:

@Training Wheels you are absolutely correct.  I asked the seller questions yesterday on ebay.

_{Hello,
Have some questions please. Add says original box. However the picture of this box and the set of diesels do not match. Are these F3's or F7's? Are these from 2001 or 2002? Are they ProtoSound or ProtoSound 2? Are they Premier or are they RailKing?
Those diesels do not represent what MTH identifies as 20-2272-1. The F units for that number are dark green or black. Could they perhaps be 20-2349-1? Lastly, Can you provide me the numbers on the number boards for each diesel unit?
Thanks!}

This was his reply...

_{They are F3s we just added more pictures.}

These are most definitely RK engines as @Training Wheels  has identified.

Ron   

I am glad the seller finally produced a more detailed image of what is being advertised that definitely identifies these as one version of the RailKing units sold in the early 2000's. However, they still have not updated the headline to remove the words Premier and FT, the incorrect product number or the image of the units with the Premier box in the background.

I like to give people the benefit of the doubt but they have at least one other auction for Santa Fe units that looks and reads similar to this one - misleading headline with incorrect information and an image of what are obviously RailKing units posed in front of a Premier box.

Thanks to everyone who replied.

Andrew

To make this even more suspect, the seller's items have the number boards from these two Premier locos. According to MTH's product locator, those number boards (5521 & 5524) don't appear to have been issued on any RK engines.

https://mthtrains.com/20-20942-1

https://mthtrains.com/20-20943-4

@Training Wheels posted:

To make this even more suspect, the seller's items have the number boards from these two Premier locos. According to MTH's product locator, those number boards (5521 & 5524) don't appear to have been issued on any RK engines.

https://mthtrains.com/20-20942-1

https://mthtrains.com/20-20943-4

Seems like it's not time well spent changing number boards when you place it up for auction and one of the few clear pictures is of the product number on the box that clearly doesn't match the diesels for sale.

@Training Wheels posted:

To make this even more suspect, the seller's items have the number boards from these two Premier locos. According to MTH's product locator, those number boards (5521 & 5524) don't appear to have been issued on any RK engines.

https://mthtrains.com/20-20942-1

https://mthtrains.com/20-20943-4

I think I found them in a round about way.

30-2184-0  https://www.mthtrains.com/30-2184-0

These are not even protosound.  Just horn and bell.  You can't ID the road numbers on the MTH Website, but when you google 30-2184-0 there is a worthpoint web site show shows a picture of those two engines with numbers 5521 and 5524.

Back in the day, $159 for the pair brand new.

Great sleuth work, @Ron045

So, basically, $210 MSRP for the three locos and the seller is asking $650. Hmmm...Caveat emptor

@RickO posted:

 If said sellers name rhymes with "Dartz" , he buys and sells a TON of used O guage, and I believe hes a member here.

Maybe someone put those in the wrong box or he mixed up his boxes who knows?

Regardless.  IMO, I'd stay away from these.

Yup. Stay away from this guy at all costs. He's bad news from what I hear.