What I particularly like about Micro-Trains

[tom mann]

Although MT has more body styles than Atlas, it seems like Atlas has more.

I am hard pressed to think of more than 20 MT styles.

[Chris333]

Bottom of this page:
http://www.nscalesupply.com/MTL/MTL.html
I count 100 without including the trailers.

Some thing are small like:
Hopper
Hopper with peaked ends
Hopper with notched peaked ends
3 body styles

[Sokramiketes]

I may bite on the LV XM this month.

Haven't had a chance to look into it yet, but it certainly seems plausible... do we know if this is really an honest to goodness welded PS-1 scheme???

[Frank Amato]

Haven't had a chance to look into it yet, but it certainly seems plausible... do we know if this is really an honest to goodness welded PS-1 scheme???

Quick peek at my Nov '93 RMJ shows LV 62000 (built June 1947) and 62738 (built October 1950).  The paint and lettering match the MT model, but the real cars were delivered with 7' wide Superior doors.

[FrankCampagna]

I just bought a BLW special run of offset hoppers with the large B&O. These will go with the soon to be released Atlas hoppers in the older scheme. I've always liked MT.

Frank

[Denver Road Doug]

Trying to keep this positive, here are the things I like about MTL:
-Their couplers!  They're not perfect, but definitely top of the line, and I shudder to think if n-scale would even exist if Rapido's were still a selling point.
-They only occasionally offer a car that I need, so despite their amazing rate of announcements, I seldom have to "pay the piper".  Given all the products we have in N, this is a good thing.  And I'm really not trying to be facetious about that.  I think that MTL does a good job of spreading the wealth, so to speak.
-I like that they sometimes do off-the-wall stuff like the scale test car.  This gives me hope that some of the more obscure freight cars could get done eventually.
-They actually do have reasonable prices for some releases.  Example is the recent BNSF boxcar that I bought discounted for under $12.  (and suprise it even had Micro-Trains couplers!)
-Recently, there is even some level of interaction between MTL and modelers via various web forums.  I don't think they've realized in the past how important that is and that not all their customers belong to the N-Scale Collectors group.
-They at least "point you in the right direction" of a prototype.  May not be correct, but at least you can usually quickly flesh out what the discrepencies are and make a semi-informed decision.
-They keep the element of surprise in play.  This adds a little fun and excitement to the hobby for me anyway.  I hate Atlas doing their quarterly announcements....takes the fun out of it.

[GaryHinshaw]

* One strength MT has had since the Kadee days is the quality of their body tooling: the cast-on details are still second to none (same with most of their truck side frames).   As an example, compare the crispness of an MT center beam to a Red Caboose one (which is still a fine model).

* I also give them credit for being the first too offer auto racks with etched metal panels. I thought that was a good sign of progress (alas they were a bit top-heavy), but they haven't really pursued etched details much since then.

That said, I would guess that only a few percent of my rolling stock is MT because they offer so little of what I really want.  To echo what Chuck said about Kato in a different thread: unless my view of the market is *way* off, they're just leaving money on the table by not releasing a bunch of their war horses, e.g., 89' flats in a variety of TTX schemes & numbers.  Hello??

[tom mann]

That said, I would guess that only a few percent of my rolling stock is MT because they offer so little of what I really want.  To echo what Chuck said about Kato in a different thread: unless my view of the market is *way* off, they're just leaving money on the table by not releasing a bunch of their war horses, e.g., 89' flats in a variety of TTX schemes & numbers.  Hello??

Yeah, this is a mystery.  After years of inaction, they release the DODX scheme - almost in a blatant attempt to be frustrating.

They could probably sell 12 packs of them in TTX.

[DKS]

* I also give them credit for being the first too offer auto racks with etched metal panels. I thought that was a good sign of progress (alas they were a bit top-heavy), but they haven't really pursued etched details much since then.

FWIW, I believe the platforms on the Ortner Rapid Discharge Hoppers are etched.

[3rdrail]

Here's another thing in favor of Micro-Trains. I placed an order for a Micro-Trains car announced May 30 on June 3 and received it from Chulvis today, June 7. I placed an order with Chulvis for two InterMountain cars announced in August 2007 on August 28, 2007. I don't have them yet, nor does Chuck...Sure would like my Baker's Chocolate milk reefer and IHB boxcar.

Not quite as bad as PCM, but...  :-\

[Dave V]

That said, I would guess that only a few percent of my rolling stock is MT because they offer so little of what I really want.  To echo what Chuck said about Kato in a different thread: unless my view of the market is *way* off, they're just leaving money on the table by not releasing a bunch of their war horses, e.g., 89' flats in a variety of TTX schemes & numbers.  Hello??

Yeah, this is a mystery.  After years of inaction, they release the DODX scheme - almost in a blatant attempt to be frustrating.

They could probably sell 12 packs of them in TTX.

Had anyone asked MT point-blank why they won't do a few more runs of TTX 89' TOFCs?  At the very least it would probably be their most popular Runner's Pack ever!  You'd better believe I'd buy a pack.

[Ryan87]

Here's another thing in favor of Micro-Trains. I placed an order for a Micro-Trains car announced May 30 on June 3 and received it from Chulvis today, June 7. I placed an order with Chulvis for two InterMountain cars announced in August 2007 on August 28, 2007. I don't have them yet, nor does Chuck...Sure would like my Baker's Chocolate milk reefer and IHB boxcar.

Not quite as bad as PCM, but...  :-\

True however Micro trains announces less than ten cars a month, in one (maybe 2) roadnumbers each.

Where as Intermountain Announced 4 body styles, in 16 different paintschemes this month with a total of 96 different road numbers, it's a different ball park....

[3rdrail]

Here's another thing in favor of Micro-Trains. I placed an order for a Micro-Trains car announced May 30 on June 3 and received it from Chulvis today, June 7. I placed an order with Chulvis for two InterMountain cars announced in August 2007 on August 28, 2007. I don't have them yet, nor does Chuck...Sure would like my Baker's Chocolate milk reefer and IHB boxcar.

Not quite as bad as PCM, but...  :-\

True however Micro trains announces less than ten cars a month, in one (maybe 2) roadnumbers each.

Where as Intermountain Announced 4 body styles, in 16 different paintschemes this month with a total of 96 different road numbers, it's a different ball park....

Perhaps IMRC would be better off announcing fewer cars and actually producing what is announced in a timely manner.

As to the 89' flats, I understand that these are hell on 9.75" radius curves. The whole N scale market is not made up of modern era modelers with 18" radius and above curves. I model the prewar steam era and have 7" radius curves on my portable layout.

[bobcat]

MT delivers monthly on what they announce.

Too bad they don't announce much, if anything of what I want. :-[ ???

[DKS]

...however Micro trains announces less than ten cars a month, in one (maybe 2) roadnumbers each.

Where as Intermountain Announced 4 body styles, in 16 different paintschemes this month with a total of 96 different road numbers, it's a different ball park....

This may perhaps point to the more successful business model. It would appear that InterMountain is promising much more than they can deliver. They might perform better if they scaled back their schedule just a tad...