New 2014 Tinplate Catalog Due?

David

I believe they have done one catalog each year for the past few years at the time the spring catalog is released, about the time of the April York meet.

Thank you!  

David

I'll worry about the next catalog when I get my existing preorders

Steve

Steve,

   Come to think about it, I did not receive my MTH Tin Plate catalogue this year,

I will have to look around for one, maybe David over at Bill & Walts in White Oak will have one.  I just stopped in this last week to pick up a few things and did not happen to see it laying out anywhere on display.

PCRR/Dave

Yes, they usually are out at April York.

And let's hope there are some new offerings this year (meaning 2014). The last tinplate catalog was just about all re-hashes of previous years with a few tweaks. Really a disappointment.

A couple of dealers I spoke with back in the spring/summer mentioned that their tinplate sales were way down and more than a few cited the lackluster catalog.

Wasn't the deal with MTH and Lionel for 3 years? I too hope tis program continues.

Brad

Correct. Original deal was for three years, and I know somebody posted something a while back about an extension.  Not sure for how long but pretty sure we'll see a 2014 LCT catalog.

If its anything like the 2013 catalog... I say bring back the Ives and Dorfan trains.

Sunrise

I totally agree with both Sunrise and Steve.  I think the MTH / Lionel relationship has run its course, unless they bring out some new items. 

The relationship ends when MTH and Lionel stop making money from it.

There is a lot more they can make in Standard gauge and there must be more in O-gauge. Question, invest to make different stuff. I for one would love to see a 42 and all the others that look like it.

I think that's the situation.  MTH has a certain capacity with its manufacturers in China; that capacity is being used for Lionel at present because of the current contract.  MTH owns the rights to Ives, so it's keeping that in the bank for when the Lionel contract expires.

I agree that there is a lot of unexploited potential still in the Lionel line:  a lot of the early Standard Gauge stuff: the 33, 38, 42, 402... and a lot of the early passenger cars have never been reproduced.  The early 10 series or 100 series freight would be fun.

The same is true for Ives.  I think MTH could have a real hit if it did the 3237 locomotive. It is quite scarce in vintage form, and there would be a good market for a repro.  Also, MTH already has the tooling for a lot of it - the cab is the same as the 3245 short hood which MTH has already done. 

And no one has ever reproduced the original pure Ives freight in either Standard or O, there's a lot of potential there.

Gentlemen,

    I got to tell a I was disappointed in what happened, especially with the remake of the Tin Plate Rolling stock, which I really wanted to invest in.  I wanted a Repro 810 Crane Car and matching gondola, and many other cars, it never happened, so I invested in the Lionel originals, both another 810 Crane car and the mini 2660 Crane car with matching gondola for my 263E.  The Gondola that MTH did finally make was delivered to me damaged, and was not the color listed in the MTH Tin Plate Catalogue.  I reordered the Green Gondola car and it never came either, so I called and cancelled the order that I had with Western Depot, again purchasing the originals at the train shows, ofcourse the guys at the train shows wanted a lot more money for the originals, but I bit the bullet and bought them any way.  David over at Bill & Walts in White Oak, Pa picked up several more pieces of Rolling stock for me, and I now have almost everything I want for my Tin Plate work trains, most of it is original Lionel from way back however.  Purchasing what I wanted in Tin Plate was more work than I figured it would ever be, MTH kind of let me down big time.  The 263E Gray Engine and 12 wheel Coal Car are fantastic however, especially with the DCS slow speed remote control, a dream come true for me, I always wanted to run it with remote control, my Grandfather told me that in the future I would probably live to actually do it, and my dream actually came true because of MTH.  I know my Grandfather is watching as I stand with the remote control in my hand, operating the

the Tin Plate.  I waited all my life for this to happen and still had to invest in the original Lionel rolling stock for the remote control 263E work train, but it finally happened.

PCRR/Dave

I would like to see more of the very early stuff.  How about some more 2-7/8" stuff?  How about getting with Disney and produce the 1536 Mickey Mouse circus train?  I for one would be all in for a clockwork or "new electric version" Donald Duck rail car!

We all love to wish & dream, but my bet is if it takes new tooling, it won't happen.

Steve

Steve,

   I believe you are right, however I would love to see a P3, O Gauge Silver Presidential Train, they should have the tooling for it already, or a big Red 263E Christmas Train with Red 12 Wheel Tender, a Repro, Red & Green 810 Crane Car, Red Gondola Car loaded with metal Christmas Silver boxes, a Black, Red & Silver Tanker Car and a lighted work type 2 tone Red Caboose.   Yep I am ready for some new P3 Tin.  All kinds of neat stuff MTH could do with the tooling they aready have.

PCRR/Dave 

Steve and I talked about how nice a Polar Express style set in tin would look......maybe a future project.

In 2012, I attended Trainfest in Milwaukee and had an opportunity to discuss the topic of new items with one of the MTH guys.  in a nut shell,  he told me that new tooling is very expensive and given the economy, MTH was not willing to produce items that requiring new tooling unless the demand was there (Preorders).   He gave me an example - the Lionel Steamliner Jr (1700) was cancelled due to lack of preorders. 

as Steve said, we can dream!

I've said it before. The last endeavor in tinplate that has not been done yet, is Marklin gauge one tinplate. Only Bernd Thul, Hehr, Berendt, Ritter and Wilag have made tiny hand made batches of Marklin gauge one tinplate replicas. And those go for thousands of euros. I have heard that MTH's Primere Line of European O gauge trains is what's making them real money. And Ace Trains, Darstaed, ETS and more have saturated the market with European O gauge tinplate. But not large gauge one. Even 3 rail tinplate gauge 1 tinplate track is expensive and hard to find. Mr. Thul does make it in his very small machine shop in Germany. A couple of us has purchased it. And it's beautiful 7 tie per piece exact Marklin replica. But again, expensive hand made by one man. And wouldn't be great if MTH made these beauties like the CER, HR66 and big tinplate crocodile that would run on standard gauge track for us Americans? It would be very simple to offer them in either gauge one or standard gauge. Maybe I should make this a new thread. But, if you haven't, looked at how beautiful a Marklin CER loco & tender is. Then look on ebay Germany. And then look at the prices! Restored or not.

Sure it has!  Marklin offered the MAXI line of tinplate trains for a few years (based loosely on both U.S. and European prototypes).  The stuff is beautifully make and runs like a fine Swiss watch.  I have a whole lot of it--mostly locomotives--and am definitely glad I decided not to sell it some years ago when I moved to Ohio.

The line was discontinued because people these days do not want to pay for quality workmanship and materials.  They just want cheap.

I'll second the request for a #5.  At first I thought the #6 had possibilities, but after seeing it in person, it seamed too big and shiny.  The humble #5 or #51 with the smaller tender would be just right for a STD switch yard.