The "Big Boys" in MTH's new catalog

4014 for me. I have forgotten how many Lionel and MTH UP cabooses I ordered this year (maybe 5). I do remember the 2 survivor cabs

 

rat

My Lionel steam whistle equipped engines emit a variable intensity of steam that is in sync with the tone/pitch of the whistle note.  I don't think MTH's claim at being the first is accurate, but I guess it really does not matter.  I am sure they have a spin on that claim that makes it true.  Maybe there is fine print in the ad that says something about 2-rail trains.

I believe you are correct, and it is the 'variable intensity' they are talking about. At least that's also the way I read it. I have read previously that MTH had steaming (smoking) whistles in one (or more?) of their G gauge trains before anyone else had that feature. Someone that has been around longer than me will have to verify that one.

 

A while back I was going through some older MTH catalogs (maybe early 2000's or so) online and found a piece or two of rolling stock that stated 'depleting coal load' as one of their features. I was kind of surprised at seeing that. However, I have never seen one of the cars in person to see it work.

 

I don't have any steam, but it will be interesting to see how the MTH Big Boy compares to the Lionel VL BB. I like MTH and have way more MTH than I do Lionel (all diesels), but I think Lionel has the sound system to beat. MTH is catching up, I have an MTH SD45 that sounds very good, maybe my best one, but I think my Lionel engines are still ahead by just a little bit. The competition between the two is really great for us as buyers of the trains though. 

MTHs quillable whistle uses a different type of system that the Lionel quillable whistle. Lionel's quillable whistle just plays a pre-recorded quilled whistle where the MTH quill is a software based algorithm that generates s whistle according to your button press. As for the variable intensity steam whistle effect, I'm pretty sure it doesn't vary the smoke at all

>>>>I have Lionel steamers with quillable whistles, so I was puzzled at first why it said the first, on second read I think its due to the "variable intensity" of the steam coming out of the whistle. For $100 more, I think that is a great feature and sure wish MTH would have offered the Triplex with this feature. Heck, I would have appreciated the feature for $100 more even if it wasn't variable intensity.<<<<

 

Bingo!!  IMO, the Triplex is the greatest O gauge model ever made... Why MTH didn't include steam whistle in this release was a huge disappointment. Especially so since the feature was offered in the BB in Vol.1  

I know for sure it cost them 3 sales including a black Erie that had my name all over it   Continued reissues of the same old thing in the same old way is getting real boring but saving me a lot of money.

Joe

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Maybe the class A.  Those were really cool locomotives.

 

 

I remember seeing those double headed triplex engines ,Paul. A great sight for sure.

 

As for the big boy the premier version should be pretty nice. The quilling of the whistle is nice but not a deal breaker for me. The VL big boy does and will have better sounds but I believe the MTH will be very close and at around half the price. Go for it Paul.