This has probably been discussed, but I thought MTH was folding it's tent about now (May, 2021), yet it seems production is continuing. Among other things, new special runs are being announced currently with deliveries not until the end of the year. Has there been a change?
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While nothing about the "why" has been announced that I'm aware of. Obviously though the tent isn't being folded up yet.
I've never had so much fun wondering what will be announced next!
It seems possible that MTH may continue to produce small built-to-order runs of Premier locomotives with the items offered on its website rather than in a catalog. For the owner, that would be a lot less effort and much more like retirement than producing the huge variety of products that were offered twice yearly in MTH catalogs. And it would keep him active in the model train business which I think he loved and succeeded in so well.
MELGAR
I was rather concerned about ordering some of "the last engines" being produced by MTH regarding quality possibly being compromised but I just received two S-2's from them and they are without flaw. I hope they keep up their production.
I was going to start a post on this yesterday - they are essentially issuing a catalog without the hassle of actually issuing one. I have had a new mth product email everyday for nearly a week!
Any news on the Premier steamers going forward?
Pure speculation on my part, but I would not be surprised if there's an announcement within the next few months from the owner that, because no buyer stepped forward to purchase the entire business operation, different product lines have now been individually sold off to other companies and that MTH will survive and continue as a much more streamlined business model focusing on the specific production and sale of engines and limited peripheral products.
Sort of like a hybrid business model between the old MTH and 3rd Rail/Sunset.
Just my $ 0.02
To keep selling to people new to MTH products who have no chance of ever finding a TIU to operate them properly?
Or maybe to help the eBay cretins who do find the TIU's and want to make a killing off of them.
John
EDIT: I stand corrected. Further down someone explained about the soon to be released WiFi TIU which will do everything. Great to know.
I posted on another (of the many) MTH speculation threads that I have been told by a person who "should" know that the MTH folks who couldn't/weren't ready/didn't want to retire will continue to operate the company using the portions that haven't been sold off. Considering that various vendors are offering exclusive runs that won't be delivered for several months (and engines will need a year of warranty after that), I think there's a good chance that my source is correct.
I was wondering about this too.
In his recent live stream, Eric Siegel speculated that MTH will continue operating making small runs. Eric is doing a run of F3's with MTH so I feel like he might know something.
VIDEO @41:03
@Craftech posted:To keep selling to people new to MTH products who have no chance of ever finding a TIU to operate them properly?
Or maybe to help the eBay cretins who do find the TIU's and want to make a killing off of them.
John
No - I believe one of the off-shoots of MTH will be a group of people/company that will manufacture and sell the electronics, including a TIU in whatever variation they decide.
@Richie C. posted:No - I believe one of the off-shoots of MTH will be a group of people/company that will manufacture and sell the electronics, including a TIU in whatever variation they decide.
The DCS portion is being spun off and is going to keep operating. I suspect that the poster is referring to the fact that going forward they are going to only be supporting (if I heard correctly) wifi access of the TIU, that it won't support the hand held remote (that they no longer make) via this new unit) and that is the complaint, but DCS itself is not going away. The unit if I recall correctly supports a wired remote on it.
@MichRR714 posted:I've never had so much fun wondering what will be announced next!
Same! I really wish they would have a true catalog of items.
@bigkid posted:The DCS portion is being spun off and is going to keep operating. I suspect that the poster is referring to the fact that going forward they are going to only be supporting (if I heard correctly) wifi access of the TIU, that it won't support the hand held remote (that they no longer make) via this new unit) and that is the complaint, but DCS itself is not going away. The unit if I recall correctly supports a wired remote on it.
It also won't support subway station announcements either. You need the elusive TIU for that.
John
EDIT: I stand corrected. I wasn't aware of the new WiFi TIU although I should have been. Sorry.
@Richie C. posted:No - I believe one of the off-shoots of MTH will be a group of people/company that will manufacture and sell the electronics, including a TIU in whatever variation they decide.
Let's hope. There have been several posts from other frustrated MTH late bloomers about the TIU situation.
John
It is a business model; small wonderful runs of limited production. Scott Mann has been doing just that for 45 years.
They are going to continue releasing special runs and Mike is holding on to his tinplate tooling. Slowing down but not going away.
Scott Smith
@scott.smith posted:They are going to continue releasing special runs and Mike is holding on to his tinplate tooling.
Now that is a special run I would be interested in!
@bigkid posted:The DCS portion is being spun off and is going to keep operating. I suspect that the poster is referring to the fact that going forward they are going to only be supporting (if I heard correctly) wifi access of the TIU, that it won't support the hand held remote (that they no longer make) via this new unit) and that is the complaint, but DCS itself is not going away. The unit if I recall correctly supports a wired remote on it.
until it becomes not longer profitable. at which point DCS is gone.
@Craftech posted:To keep selling to people new to MTH products who have no chance of ever finding a TIU to operate them properly?
Or maybe to help the eBay cretins who do find the TIU's and want to make a killing off of them.
John
It would seem that DCS will continue to live on since Atlas licensed DCS from MTH and they've announced a new TIU with integrated Wi-Fi (product 50-1039) that's currently available for pre-order, at least with my local dealer.
https://mrmuffinstrains.com/products/50-1039
Of course, I have no idea when it's actually going to get released.