A second look at MTH

[Roy]

Roy,
Would you explain what you mean by "MTH's European steamers are really beautiful"?
In what way? Were European steamers better looking than American?
Unconfuse me, please.

I like the SNCF 141P, in the 2017 v.1 catalog. I like the looks of many European locos. Same, with U.S. locos.

[Roy]

I also like MTH's subway cars. In their 2017 v.1 catalog, they offer some really cute Q-type clerestory cars.

[G3750]

...more choices are better than fewer.

Agreed. I miss K-Line. But, why are both WBB and MTH making the fugly 44 tonners?

Also, MTH's European steamers are really beautiful.

I very much miss K-Line. When they crapped the bed I thought they were on the verge of taking over the lead in the O gauge (scale segment) market. They were putting out so much terrific scale-looking product at unbelievably low prices. I guess it was a house of cards. Never understood exactly what happened and why. "Why" mostly.

George

[jlong]

I very much miss K-Line. When they crapped the bed I thought they were on the verge of taking over the lead in the O gauge (scale segment) market. They were putting out so much terrific scale-looking product at unbelievably low prices. I guess it was a house of cards. Never understood exactly what happened and why. "Why" mostly.
George

They were so deep in debt when litigated by Lionel, they caved. That's pretty much how the official story went the way I remember it. Why so much debt? Like you say, their prices were unbelievably low compared to Lionel and MTH. I don't think they realized the true cost of doing business in a niche market. With the reputation of being the Marx of modern O gauge, winning Lionel and MTH fan boys was a tough challenge for KLine when they entered the scale market. Many of the low prices were as though KLine attempted to buy customers and they lost their arses doing it. They tried to grow big too fast in my opinion.

Atlas O on the other hand grew slow. They tossed some track out there followed by woodside reefers. Their first engines were a flop but they didn't make enough of them to loose their arses. They pretty much learned along the way but at a much slower pace than KLine.

[Big Jim]

Roy,
Would you explain what you mean by "MTH's European steamers are really beautiful"?
In what way? Were European steamers better looking than American?
Unconfuse me, please.

A Dutchess without her "Ears".

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[Roy]

Big Jim, is the Duchess of Abercorn an MTH?

[chuck]

Jim, thanks for posting the nice photo's showcasing the detailing.

K-Line was going to try a "new" model for doing business in the toy train/scale arena. They were going to TRY to get rid of the middlemen, aka the local hobby shops, and do direct mail order with their perceived market base. The K-Line club was supposed to be a prototype/trial balloon. Lionel's catalog MSRP is based on every item being handled three to five times. MTH's is based on two.

This schema only works well if you do things like the original Williams product line (KISS, Keep It Simple, Stupid) or you do what Sunset/GGD does with extremely limited production that is catering to a very small but dedicated audience.

You need the LHS to do your repair/service work for you if you intend to offer something other than basic stuff like Williams or you basically make limited run hand crafted material that is made on demand and checked carefully before shipping.

Some of K-Line's "Super Stores" bailed when they found out what was being planned. There was no way to sustain K-Line's pricing on a typical distribution scheme where you need the LHS to do your service work. The complexity of the trains they were selling precluded sending everything back to North Carolina where there weren't enough staff to take care of anything.

I had high hopes for K-Line when they started making scale equipment at reasonable prices.

[N&W746]

I do know that Kline's J1E (5344) even with the U shaped boiler is still the best detailed diecast Hudson ever made - bought mine in 2003 for about 550, soon needed warranty work which Kline promptly repaired and still runs today. Also bought 100 Kline club PRR A5 and GG1 - were the best bargains in O.

[rogruth]

Big Jim,
I mean no offense but I don't see any answer to my question that you quoted in the pictures you posted.

[Seaboard Air Line Fan]

"Eyes of the beholder" Roger, "Eyes of the beholder"

Obviously he thinks the engine is beautiful, a grown man shouldn't/doesn't have to explain more than that. Just like taste in women.

[N&W746]

Later British steam - mainly 4-6-2s and 2-10-0s - were some of best looking steam in the world. A lot of the piping was enclosed, some of them were streamlined, and attractively painted. The president of the US Southern railroad after visiting England decided to paint all the SRR passenger locomotives green. But British steam was small, their biggest 4-6-2's were smaller than an USRA light pacific. Because grades and curves were moderate the could get by with smaller engines. They used 0-6-0T engines for commuter trains, a 2-10-0 was a dual service engine in GB, their were not many 2-8-0s until lend lease delivered a shipment to England during the war. British steam was different than US steam - smaller, use of vacuum brakes, mostly lacking of feed water heaters and built to run fast. Come to think of it only in Canada and Mexico did their steam resemble US steam.

[jlong]

I like fugly

[rogruth]

John,
That looks European. What is it?

[Roy]

Looks like a push-me-pull-you.

[jlong]

John,
That looks European. What is it?

Algerian Streamlined Garratt. European in the sense it was French built and licensed by Beyer Garratt.