O GaugeWatch.com

Check out the latest offerings in MTH’s 2010 Volume One catalog (pdf).  Be patient because it may take a while regardless of the speed of internet connection.  The Premier Line European engines are looking good but my favorite in this catalog is the Turbo Train Passenger Set on page 96.  Learn more about actual Turbo Train here.

I like the fact that MTH will build regional items for markets that can support them.  According to the MTH email newsletter,  three more items have been added to MTH’s regional line-up.  Photos and descriptions were taken directly from the newsletter.

Marburger Dairy RailKing Modern Reefer Car

Item No. 30-78117 MSRP: $44.95 Anticipated Delivery: December 2009

Adam’s County Apples RailKIng Modern Reefer Car

Item No. 30-78118 MSRP: $44.95 Anticipated Delivery: December 2009

West India Fruit Premier Line 36_ Woodsided Reefer Car

Item No. 20-94359 MSRP: $49.95 Anticipated Delivery: December 2009

Each of these cars can be ordered from any M.T.H. Authorized Retailer.

Mike Wolf Interview

Toy Collector Magazine, which has changed its on-line format (more on that below), has posted an interview they conducted with Mike Wolf, the owner of M.T.H. Electric Trains.  There is no date on the post so it could have been published months ago.  I missed it and maybe you did too.  In the interview, Mr. Wolf has some interesting comments and insights about the state of the O Gauge hobby.  It’s a good read.  Check it out here.

New Look

If you read Toy Collector Magazine on a regular basis you know that it was a very visually appealing electronic publication released monthly.  It now has the look and feel of a blog.  The ‘wow’ factor of the visuals in the monthly magazine is lost but the move to a blog format is smart one.  No more publishing deadlines, more search traffic, easier to manage.   Read more about the format change here.

In MTH’s latest electronic newsletter there is an announcement that MTH is spreading the word about Lionel Corporation Tinplate products by entering into a “second agreement with Lionel to produce two additional items celebrating this exciting new relationship”.  The newsletter states the following:

“The new agreement allows M.T.H. to produce an HO Operating Action Car, complete with “moving” graphics of iconic Lionel tinplate items and a One Gauge hopper car. Both cars come decorated with Lionel Corporation Tinplate graphics designed to spread the word to the HO and One Gauge marketplaces about Lionel Corporation Tinplate.”

Do you think HO and One Gauge/G Scale modelers are going to purchase these items or is this Lionel and MTH’s way to ease everyone into the notion that MTH is going to produce more Lionel branded products outside of tinplate?

You can sign up for the MTH electronic newsletter by visiting the MTH website.

MTH has released their 2009 Ready-To-Run Catalog.  Check it out here (pdf).

This is old news but I just recently got a chance to check out Episode 7 of a video series entitled "Bob’s Train Box" on the Classic Toy Trains magazine website.  In Episode 7 Bob interviews MTH’s Taylor, the star of MTH’s product demo videos and MTH’s Art Director.  When I read about the video on the PreWar Times blog I thought to myself "good for MTH for allowing Taylor to do a video interview, sounds like it could be interesting".  Well, I finally did check it out and it was very interesting to say the least.  You be the judge.  Check it out here and let me know what you think by posting a comment.