Thanks to ebay, I got a set of BMT Standards for the sole purpose of converting them into MUEs, then got some Lo-Vs to cannibalize for trucks, motors, sideframes, couplers and control groups (electronics). I thought that the Lo-V carbodies might also lend themselves to kitbashing but their usefulness seems limited. Having now become somewhat familiar with that equipment, like you, I'm amazed that MTH hasn't made the move. It would take nothing other than the tooling for the carbody shell, some headlights and a paint job. The ability to just make more BMT AB frames, truck parts, and electronics, plus Lo-V (Commonwealth) sideframes; couplers (long and short, mechanical and electromagnetic) already exists.
Having read some of your comments regarding the "State of the Industry", I can understand MTH's hesitance, however, any SIRT man worth his salt would refinance the house and sell the dog to get a set. We are "Hi-Railers" for the reasons you so aptly stated, we want to open the box and run trains. On the other hand, there isn't one of the SIRT MUE paint schemes that we couldn't do - even with rattle cans. There are no Pennsy-like "cat whiskers", Wagons-Lits monograms or gold trim, just solid colors in big blocks - Clifton's entry into "high fashion" consisted only of painting the car-ends grey. Using some of your tips on weathering, we could even disguise our mistakes...
Is there an effective means of petitioning MTH? My few past attempts (via email and snail-mail) went unanswered and unheeded.
