latest MTH rumor
- Thread starter blackz28
- Start date
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mth's DCS system is completely incompatible with DCC. While they have added LIMITED DCC compatabilty to their HO engines, the DCC settings that can be changed is severely limited.
mth has made a habit of disruption of the HO world, esp DCC, and has basically refused to follow NMRA Standards and RP's. Until they do start following these they will always be a very minor player in the HO product market. It wouldn't surprise me at all if they decided to get out of HO all together.
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blackz28
Well-Known Member
aHHH OK l if you dont care why did you reply ??lol but no some thier steam is nice just wanted to see if its true that they had suspended production till they get things straighted out
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blackz28
Well-Known Member
im still waiting on my big boy thats why im trying to find out if this is true
hamltnblue
Active Member
I haven't heard that but if you look at the 2011 catalog you'll find only a few pages of steamers.
http://www.mthtrains.com/sites/default/files/catalog_files/2011_ho_v_1/index.html
http://www.mthtrains.com/sites/default/files/catalog_files/2011_ho_v_1/index.html
Selector
Well-Known Member
Selector
Well-Known Member
I have no idea if there is anything to speculate on in the first place about MTH, but I do feel they have priced themselves out of the HO market. Their Norfolk & Western J is very costly. Quite a few HO enthusiasts who also like steam don't like the wide gap between tender and locomotive on some models. Also, the hobby is still heavily populated with DC operators, and they don't work well on straight DC. DCC is another matter, and I think they goofed in a major way expecting throngs of HO converts to DCS.
Note that their control and sound system, their engineering, and execution is pretty darned good from what I can tell. It's just that they entered the HO market like they owned the place, or more like they were looking to buy the place and expected a lot of changeover from disaffected Bachmann/BLI/Walthers/Rivarossi/etc fans. I think they could have hit a home run with their 4-12-2 if they had not designed it to operate on hi-rail curves with its goofy articulated frame. Then, to be fair, they considered feedback early and changed the placement of both the flying pumps and the lit markers on either side of the smokebox.
In the end, I won't miss them if they bow out. HO has gotten the better of their competitor, Lionel, a couple of times now. I have the Lionel HO Challenger which I happen to like. It isn't my most detailed HO engine costing upwards of $500, and I would never replicate that purchase again. Still, it is very durable and dependable, and it tracks and pulls well. More to the point, it has a DCC QSI decoder. No gutting, modifying, learning new manuals and terminology, and no limitations on what I can do with it...unlike the case with MTH's DCS.
Note that their control and sound system, their engineering, and execution is pretty darned good from what I can tell. It's just that they entered the HO market like they owned the place, or more like they were looking to buy the place and expected a lot of changeover from disaffected Bachmann/BLI/Walthers/Rivarossi/etc fans. I think they could have hit a home run with their 4-12-2 if they had not designed it to operate on hi-rail curves with its goofy articulated frame. Then, to be fair, they considered feedback early and changed the placement of both the flying pumps and the lit markers on either side of the smokebox.
In the end, I won't miss them if they bow out. HO has gotten the better of their competitor, Lionel, a couple of times now. I have the Lionel HO Challenger which I happen to like. It isn't my most detailed HO engine costing upwards of $500, and I would never replicate that purchase again. Still, it is very durable and dependable, and it tracks and pulls well. More to the point, it has a DCC QSI decoder. No gutting, modifying, learning new manuals and terminology, and no limitations on what I can do with it...unlike the case with MTH's DCS.
D&J RailRoad
Professor of HO
Having not been able to run my MTH J9000 on an open layout yet, I'm not so sure about the DCS not being compatible with DCC. Someone else mentioned that steam isn't run in an MUd mode like diesels are in the 1:1 scale so the models should be run with independant controls as well. Makes sense to me. Even if I wanted to change decoders for the DCC functions, I'm not sure what options are available out there to change over to a DCC decoder and maintain the syncronized smoke.
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blackz28
Well-Known Member
i can get that same J at the LHS for 325
Cjcrescent
Master Mechanic
mth's DCS system is completely incompatible with DCC. While they have added LIMITED DCC compatabilty to their HO engines, the DCC settings that can be changed is severely limited.
mth has made a habit of disruption of the HO world, esp DCC, and has basically refused to follow NMRA Standards and RP's. Until they do start following these they will always be a very minor player in the HO product market. It wouldn't surprise me at all if they decided to get out of HO all together.
blackz28
Well-Known Member
or my big boyHopefully not before they deliver the GG1 I ordered.
Joe
hamltnblue
Active Member
They've sold a boatload of SD70's and steamers.
Looks like they've been adding on to their offerings so I'd say they're sticking with HO for now.
I also have a couple of their steamers. They are top notch with running lights and cast boilers. Unfortunately I rarely run steam so I'll probably wind up selling them eventually.
Looks like they've been adding on to their offerings so I'd say they're sticking with HO for now.
I also have a couple of their steamers. They are top notch with running lights and cast boilers. Unfortunately I rarely run steam so I'll probably wind up selling them eventually.
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blackz28
Well-Known Member
what yea got for steamer ??? are any of them union pacific articulated steam
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