New MTH Chicago Metra Cars (Pics)(Added Video)

Those car's look awesome,the layout look's

great too. Enjoy

 

THANKS, ALEX

Gorgeous cars Art. Spent a lot of miles on them for a few years. You just need a few E-9's to round out the power.

 

Ray Marion

Art...makes me want to take a ride on those cars again.  I remember the ol' E-units and those double decker cars...  Thanks for the pics...

 

Alan

They look great, nice engine to pull them.

Hello Art those cars look great. Id love to see your layout sometime. I dont know if you remember me or not you and BNSF Mike met in yorkville at a place to sell me a few atlas cars.

I am felling better now.and would love to see your layout and see what you have been up to. I live in sandwich which is close to you.  Thank you  Scot Pensgard       email me

Are the car sides fluted, or smooth? They look smooth, but wouldn't the real Metra cars be fluted? They do look really great though. Whatever it is about the lights and interiors really make them stand out.

Depends what part of Metra you are modeling. Former Burlington cars are fluted stainless, but many former C&NW cars where flat.

Art the new Metra cars look GREAT!!! I hope MTH DOES A NEW Metra Engine in PS-3 SOOOOON. I plan to get one for my Chicago grandson. I have the Metra cars on order but have not heard from the dealer...I better call them...Thanks for posting all the nice pictures.

The C&NW and Rock Island had smooth side cars, but none of these were painted in a solid silver Metra scheme. They had painted bands across the sides in Metra service. CB&Q/BN and MILW had all silver fluted side cars, but they didn't have the Metra name up high. These cars look like the current Metra cars with the name up high, but if that's the case they should be fluted. In the first pic it looks sorta like there are fluted sides. Just curious.

Wow Art those look great. I love all the detailing on the end car. I really like how you can change the lights with a flip of a switch, very nice touch. Once I get my Joliet station finished you can bring them over for a few end of the line shots, one end in Joliet and the other in Chicago.

 

Now, when will we be seeing some GM&O passenger service on your layout?

They look great. Are they the "72-foot" cars or has MTH stretched them?

All in all not bad, they look pretty good.  It is hard to tell but did MTH incorporate the ditch lights on the cab car?

First, thanks for the compliments.

 

The cars are not perfect replicas of today's Metra cars, but are close enough for me to really add to the look and feel of my Chicago area. These cars are smooth sided and today's real cars are fluted. As has been pointed out, Metra has run smooth sided cars before, but not in this paint job as far as I know. They do not have ditch lights.

 

The overall look is first rate in my opinion and I really like them. I feel it adds a lot to any modern interpretation of Chicago and Union Station.

 

Art

Just got off one a few moments ago. These look beautiful, just like the 'older' cars (compared with the 2003 Amerail ones) with the smaller windows.

Looks nice Art

They do indeed look nice Art. I sure wish someone would offer the fluted double deck cars, then I could put together a short train for the original CB&Q, as pulled by an S3 or S4a Hudson. Now THAT would be really nice.

Art, those cars are very nice!!  A perfect replica of modern-day Chicago!

Those are very nice.    Looks like a Michigan train or Hiawatha on the next track.  Definately Chicago!   Nice cars, nice Chicago feel.

Very cool Art, nice addition to your CUS complex.

These cars are as good as they get for what is available right now.  What I liked about these particular cars was the paint scheme that matches what is currently operating on the Metra today.  Granted, they are not fluted or 21" in length, but MTH has done a wonderful job with the detail on these cars.  There are two switches underneath the cab car that give the operator multiple operating choices for lighting the cab car end.  The interior detail is much better than in the past.  MTH is finally starting to include passengers in their cars, although not alot of them, but it is a start.  Like Chugman stated, if you are going to try and model a modern Chicago Union Station, you have to have the Metra operating along with Amtrak.  What really looks great is to see this Metra train running down the BNSF racetrack on Chugman's layout.  Maybe we can urge Chugman to take a video of this action soon and post it here for all to enjoy.

 

Jim

Those are terrific looking cars, Art - kudos to MTH, the lack of fluting notwithstanding. The smooth sides also lend themselves to the gray and pink (or faded red) METRA scheme, as well as the red and yellow 1970's Rock Island scheme or the green and yellow C&NW scheme.

Art, Looks like Jim has a GREAT IDEA

I will try to shoot a short one before I have to leave for a meeting and post.

 

Art

Art, That sounds GREAT!!!!! T H A N K S

Here is a short video that I shot in a hurry.

 

Art, VERY NICE, THANK YOU!!!!!

Nice video Art, they do look good.  A nice mod would be to add a film to the windows to get that greenish tint they all have....Overall a nice product for sure.  Thanks for the video Art.

WAY COOL!!!  Thanks Art....

 

Alan

Very COOL! Great to see more Chicago based equipment on three rails. The video was a great idea. Thanks!!

Thanks for the video, shows it all, nice cars, especially the end or lead car.

They do look nice but the Milwaukee Road West line here by me uses all fluted stainless steel cars with green tinted windows.

Art

 

I like the cars, will probably pick up a set; but would like them a lot more as fluted!

Because these cars are fluted.

 

Alan( the other one!)

 

Very cool watching the train in push service. 

 

Thanks Art!

Sweet video!  I picked up a set, and although they are not fluted, I am very pleased with them.  Seems like I've been waiting a lifetime for them to be produced -- in my younger years no one made an HO version, and then I got back into O gauge the year after MTH produced their last set.

 

I also grabbed a set of C&NW bi-levels.  I grew up 1/2 block away from the CNW noth line, and now I am still 1/2 block away, just a bit north.  It brings back some very cool memories.

 

Mike

Great stuff Art! Just getting into model railroading, have some MTH ps3 bnsf engines and cars, have the MTH ps2 cta subway cars (orange line), and just recently was able to buy a MTH ps2 Metra Engine (city of Joliet)! Will post some pics soon, my goal is to do something similar to you, I grew up taking the Metra into union station everyday from downers grove, so been trying to collect all these local trains Look forward to seeing more from you.

- Nick
nicholasleby.com

Those look great Art! Reminds me of being in Union station in Chicago a few months ago.

Wonderful!

 

Peter

What is the MTH Number on these cars?....20-

I ran into these at the Illinois Railway museums Diesel Days today.

franktrain

 Chicago Northwestern bi-level commuter cars, 07/21/2013