cjack posted:Where does MTH have their stuff manufacturered?
China. But supposedly they have their own factory (can you "own" anything in China?), and they are very conservative when it comes to design changes. They also use one basic truck block design. I remember MTH took some criticism about 15 yrs ago when they switched their "scale" F3 to a RailKing truck block with a slightly shorter wheelbase.
The Baldwin B-B is a long-wheelbase truck. I'm sure if Lionel used their EMD truck block on the Sharks they would have been criticized roundly. That being said, why they wouldn't use the same intermediate shaft on all of these is a question that only Lionel can answer.
I happen to like back-drivable gears. Depending on how much John's customer is willing to spend, if the pre-Legacy part is not available it might be possible to use LionDrive motors and truck blocks from the newer model.
