Engine,  Erie Triplex

Cars,  64 ft. Woodsided passenger cars.

My Erie Triplex

I would go with the 64' Woodsided cars also. Beautiful pieces!

My Z-4000's (have two)

My Yellowstone.

Railking Allegheny from the Protosounds 1 days. 

My favorite MTH item is the first diesel engine Mike announced at York in the spring of 1993. I ordered this CSX Dash8 directly from Mike at his table at the spring 1993 York meet. It was delivered in October 1993 to me at my house by UPS. I was thrilled with it and still run it occasionally. The nice thing is it is conventional and can run on any AC transformer. Here is a picture of the engine and the catalog Mike gave me to convince me I should order it. I have bought many many more MTH engines and cars.

Dudley, I well remember those first 'catalogs' - brochures actually and became an authorized dealer. His next announcement was for the full-scale die cast UP Challenger that blew everyone away!  The heft, detail, and ProtoSound were truly 'state of the art' back then. One of my customers had brought in a R.O.W. brass articulated steamer to show us which was impressive, but the MTH Challengers were far above it in everything and man, could they smoke!

My MTH Ives 1134 Black Wide Gauge Steam Engine.

My Hiawatha and 6200 CTA subway. 

Guys and gals

My top favorite steamer would be the Railking Imperial PS-3 (2017 era.) U.P. Challenger #30-1724-1 it is my 3rd one. This engine is all LED's now.  My top favorite diesel would be the Railking green/ white Southern PS-1 (1999 era.) NW-2 #30-2157-1 and still has its orginal electronics and bulbs with the JW BCR and still runs.   Finally my top favorite car is the Railking Aquarium blue marlin car #30-79280 (2010 era.) still operates well.  I still love the Railking trains but some steamers look funny (too compressed or odd looking if compressed in wrong places) I don't why that is but some do and some don't.  The Challenger looks bit short from the cab which should have moved back at least 1/4 inch then it will look right oh well.   It took me while to get used to it's short cab.  I like it's well cast in details which is impressive for one piece cast metal boiler.  I am sorry it is the end of the Railking line in Jun 2021. 

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8 ERV (easy to read version)

Tiffany (widowed, Sept ,15,2019)

triplex

The Rail King Hiawatha may be my favorite engine by any manufacturer of all time.  

SP 4449 Holiday Express

I've sold all of my locomotives since downsizing to n scale but my favorite was my PS 3.0 Premier Challenger.  It was by far the smoothest running locomotive I'd owned.

NYC/P&LE A-2 Berkshire. Totally unique and not made by anyone else. Unlikely this or many of the other one off engines that MTH made will be available in the future.

Pete

When I reentered model railroading in the late 1990's, I was taken by MTH's better scale models than Lionel. I started buying various cars and locomotives. I was able to collect the first 12 MTH Premier boxcars and tank cars. About 10 years ago I sold off all but the first 6 boxcars and tank cars, which are on display.

And my favorite locomotive is the Railking Family Lines EMD MP15

Easy choice, DCS.  Simple, affordable and you don’t have to keep buying stuff like an ever growing list of expansion modules and special cords.

Premier PRR decapod ERR retrofitted, the NC5 and N6b cabin cars and the neat buildings they offered.

Z-4000

Jim, 

Z 4000.   Great choice.

Hope a follow on MTH entity keeps making new ones, even if they are antiques, they are still great for O gauge.

Just did a Collector's Gallery article on it in the Feb/March issue of O Gauge Railroading.  It's developmental history is fascinating!

Ed Boyle

1999 Railking Mohawk.... still runs great!! JohnA 

@Ed Boyle posted:

Jim, 

Z 4000.   Great choice.

Hope a follow on MTH entity keeps making new ones, even if they are antiques, they are still great for O gauge.

Just did a Collector's Gallery article on it in the Feb/March issue of O Gauge Railroading.  It's developmental history is fascinating!

Ed Boyle

Ed,

I just read that article last week.  Never knew about the Z-2000 previously planned.  I'm also amazed that the Z-4000 hasn't had to have a redesign in all these years, and they have been able to make the things without parts obsolescence.  I'm sure they have had challenges to keep pumping them out.  I do know at least one of the 2 main boards in it has had revisions.

Most of the repairs I've done has just been the pots that control the throttle.

Jim

Well have literally several dozens of MTH power units and like them all.  But the most significant engine takes me back home.

But the BL-2 tugs at me too!  It is so ugly but yet a real beauty!

Ron

@Jim Sandman posted:

Ed,

I just read that article last week.  Never knew about the Z-2000 previously planned.  I'm also amazed that the Z-4000 hasn't had to have a redesign in all these years, and they have been able to make the things without parts obsolescence.  I'm sure they have had challenges to keep pumping them out.  I do know at least one of the 2 main boards in it has had revisions.

Most of the repairs I've done has just been the pots that control the throttle.

Jim

Jim, the Z-4000 sold today has had some changes over the years. The boards for the early ones 1998-around 2001 are NLA. Not sure if there have been other changes since but the early ones should be avoided.

Pete

The one I kitbashed slightly and painted myself:

Here's one of my favorites: The Railking GENERAL 4-4-0 steamer with ProtoSound 1.

I would have to say MTH's ps2 Santa Fe 2-10-4. Here is a video I made with the locomotive in it.

I'm a big fan of Mth "cabeese". A number of them are great.Mth dump cars have super smooth operation.

As of late. The operating water tower. I prefer it to the competitors operating tower because of the functioning chain detail and Mth came in at a lower price point.

This was my most rewarding preorder in years:

I'm grateful for MTH itself .... because the company was/is the game changer in O gauge model trains.  There are so many products which are my favorites and I'll begin with

the Z4000  ... Proto Sound and all its incarnations & Proto Smoke ... the RailKing line  - especially RailKing scale and articulated steamers such as the Y6b.  ..... the huge variety of road names especially the obscure short line and switching roads, the Premier BL-2, the Docksider, the Premier P5a modified, RailKing buildings such as the Car Dealership and Brewery with smoke,  the work caboose with air whistles.  I'll be back with more MTH I love.  Meanwhile here are a few photos 

Short lines 

RailKing Docksider

Premier P5a modified. 

The Z-4000 and PS-2 and PS-3 upgrade kits.

The kits turn any engine into a DCS engine, including my favorite the K-Line Boston & Maine Berkshire. 

The true light of my life.

The Flying Brick!

That's easy and it's the first MTH product I bought back in April, 1997.  It still remains my favorite today.

MTH 20-3023-1 W.V.P.&P. 4-Truck Shay Steam Loco w/Protosound .

I'd have a very long list of MTH engines that all have been my favorite. So thinking it over, I really think the whole DCS system has been my favorite. The available upgrades made the system shine. I have it inside all types of engines and it's allowed me to own and run together more engines than I had expected to ever own. I have built consists that have handled long trains with grace.

 I hope what MTH started will be honored in the history of O and the rest of the scales for many decades. Making a quality product that's a true value for what it does and what it can do for many years. I'm proud to own what I've got.

@Dan986 posted:

The Rail King Hiawatha may be my favorite engine by any manufacturer of all time.   

Gorgeous! I guess that's another one I have to buy. Just mailed off the credit card payment for the MTH 49er I bought a few days ago.

There is lots to love about what MTH did O Gauge and if were not for what I think were some crucial mistakes venturing in to HO, S and Gauge one. I believe MTH could be viable right now. 
But I would have to say the Scale Wheel 3-2 models with fix pilots are the bell of the ball for me. I can finally have the reliability of 3 rail operation with fixed pilot more prototypical look.

I think they would have done good make all there trucks this way cheaper production and more offerings.

Far and away, my favorite MTH item was the McKeen car displayed at York several years ago.  Unfortunately, it did not go into production.

Z4K probably ought to start my list, but it doesn't. The single most important MTH item is Mike. His love of trains, efforts, imagination and business acumen gave us all the stuff listed above. So IMO, there is no question about what is my favorite MTH "item".

Gerry 

At the turn of the century, I collected the MTH UP Merger Series Freight Car Sets. So, over the pass few catalogs I couldn’t resists these SD70ACE Diesels. These are my favorite lash-ups and one is usually on the track.

The Chicago 6200s in the bicentennial colors:

And the green/cream 6200s:

For freight cars, probably this one, now two-railed (the cabin car is a K-Line, I believe):

I only have two MTH locomotives; the UP 4141 G .W. Bush and a scale GG1 in the silver Congressional scheme.

@totrainyard posted:

My MTH Ives 1134 Black Wide Gauge Steam Engine.

I'll agree with the 1134 types. I have about 8 of them between Dorfan, Flyer and Ives.

Steve

I would have to say my MTH premier Wabash E-8's with PS 3.0, LED Mars light, headlight, and 2 working smoke stacks per A unit.  Thank you Mike Wolf for all the joy you have brought to the hobby for me and countless others with your products.

Watch this clip at the 0:30 mark.

1.Rail King Hiawatha steam engine 

2.Sinclair operating gas station

3.GM Aerotrain

4.CTA El train

5.North Shore Electroliner

Me again,I had to post my top 5 MTH favorite items. All five are true marvels of O gauge modeling to me.

A couple more of my favorite MTH pieces are the breakthrough operating accessories they made in the early 2000s . The Sinclair Gas Station and Mel's Diner.  There are interesting back stories for each of them and they both work well with clever animation and sounds.  Their size/footprints got in they way of being used in a  lot of smaller layouts and you will find them set up to operate on tables that are separate from the layouts themselves in some cases, because they can't be squeezed into available layout space.  Also, price increases over the years didn't help their popularity either.

Still and all, they are fun to watch and great pieces for larger layouts.

Ed Boyle

Funny I should follow Ed Boyle with this one 

I haven't had much luck. This is the oldest and my only surviver out of 5 MTH. No board in this import ETS   I added the headlights myself.

I'll add one.  Maybe not may favorite, but a cool accessory I've not seen mentioned yet.

Those little operating passenger and freight station platforms.  The illusion of the disappearing passengers or freight is pretty simple, but it's still pretty darn neat.

-Dave

@DG posted:

My favorite MTH item is the first diesel engine Mike announced at York in the spring of 1993. I ordered this CSX Dash8 directly from Mike at his table at the spring 1993 York meet. It was delivered in October 1993 to me at my house by UPS. I was thrilled with it and still run it occasionally. The nice thing is it is conventional and can run on any AC transformer. Here is a picture of the engine and the catalog Mike gave me to convince me I should order it. I have bought many many more MTH engines and cars.

 

 

Fantastic story!! I really like how you have the original advertisement to go with it! 

Hard to beat the original and being first in line!!

Here's another favorite item of mine. It is the I Love Toy Trains set. I got the Dockside Switcher as a gift from a friend. I bought the freight cars from the I Love Toy Train Store and the caboose I received for my birthday.

Most of my equipment is MTH so I like it all but my very favorite is my newest piece, the latest run of the PS3 SP GS4.