Replacement MTH P5a Boxcab shells

@bob2 posted:

I would enjoy owning one of these - I note that the few showing up at auction are offered at a very high price.  I wonder if they too are crumbling?

They just released a new run of these.  If interested I would suggest checking with one of the many advertisers on this forum to see what they have available.  They seem to be selling out quick!

@Frank Mulligan posted:

They just released a new run of these.  If interested I would suggest checking with one of the many advertisers on this forum to see what they have available.  They seem to be selling out quick!

Hopefully, they didn't get the shells from the same source!

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Hopefully, they didn't get the shells from the same source!

We'll find out in a couple of years!

@PRRrat posted:

Rick,

As I have one of these units, how best to get on "the list"?

Mark

Guess I need to know that too.  I have been complaining about this for a while, but not sure if I am on any list.

@PRRrat posted:

Rick,

As I have one of these units, how best to get on "the list"?

Mark

Mark my email is in my profile reach out to me there.

@RJT posted:

Mark my email is in my profile reach out to me there.

Will do - thanks!

I just got this today from MTRH as part of another inquiry I sent to the Parts Contact:

The P5a shells are built and we are just waiting for them to ship from Asia.

Any updates on this topic. I was on Midges list too.

@ibrewtoo posted:

Any updates on this topic. I was on Midges list too.

I sent MTH an email back in April and never heard back from them.

@PRRrat posted:

Rick,

As I have one of these units, how best to get on "the list"?

Mark

Yes, I need to get on this list as well….Inquiring minds wanna know.

@RoyBoy posted:

Good luck. The Chinese factories are opposed to making spare parts of any sort. Most Chinese-built products are single use and are expected to be thrown out when they break and replaced with new products.

Getting them to make spare parts is exceptionally difficult, even if you are the paying customer. It's not in their nature.

@RoyBoy,

I hear ya, but how do you know this?  Do you deal with Chinese model railroad manufacturers on a regular basis?

We see this analysis of the situation quite frequently and as far as I can tell it's an urban legend that keeps getting spread without any fact checking.

Do you have a source?

Mike

@Mellow Hudson Mike posted:

@RoyBoy,

I hear ya, but how do you know this?  Do you deal with Chinese model railroad manufacturers on a regular basis?

We see this analysis of the situation quite frequently and as far as I can tell it's an urban legend that keeps getting spread without any fact checking.

Do you have a source?

Mike

@Mellow Hudson Mike

That was the story I got at Michigan headquarters when I was a Lionel employee in 2007. There were many boxes of the then new Hiawatha 4-4-2 locomotives that were being cannibalized for parts and the employees told me that they could not get spare parts even though they requested them at the time the locos were ordered, before being manufactured.

What is your "source" for determining that it is an urban legend? Have you checked the facts?

This is why I like brass trains.

Recently saw an advert on FB marketplace for an MTH boxcab that obviously had zinc pest to the shell.  I commented about it and the seller asked what I was referring to.