[Doug]

M.T.H. are producing a range of feature-rich O-gauge Princess Coronation Class locos.

The locos are produced with both High-rail wheels (code 100/85?) and scale wheels.

Models produced
6252 City of Leicester
6233 Duchess of Sutherland
46229 Duchess of Hamilton
46245 City of London
46254 City of Stoke-on-Trent

Product Features
* Die-Cast Boiler and Tender Body * 1:43.5 Scale Proportions * Die-Cast Metal Chassis * Authentic Paint Scheme
* Metal Wheels and Axles * Constant Voltage Headlight * Die-Cast Truck Sides * Real Coal Load
* Precision Flywheel Equipped Motor * Remote Controlled Proto-CouplerT * Engineer and Fireman Figures
* Operating Firebox Glow * Metal Handrails and Decorative Bell * Decorative Metal Whistle * Lighted Cab Interior
* Locomotive Speed Control * Proto-Scale 3-2T 3-Rail/2-Rail Conversion Capable * Synchronized Puffing ProtoSmokeT System
* Wireless Drawbar * Proto-Sound 2.0 With The Digital Command System Featuring: Quillable Whistle With Passenger Station Proto-Effects
* Unit Measures:23 7/16" x 2 11/16" x 4 5/16" * Operates On O-54 Curves

Original MSRP $1199.95

For full details of the models, follow this link: http://www.mth-railking.com/list.asp?searc...p;muun=princess

About M.T.H.
M.T.H. Electric Trains develops some of today's most popular & innovative locomotives, rolling stock, accessories & command control operating systems. Since 1992, M.T.H. has produced over 6,500 different items in O, Standard & Large Gauge sizes.

Patented M.T.H. features like the locomotive speed control system, locomotive remote uncoupling system, synchronized puffing smoke & the excitement of Proto-Sound 2.0 & DCS are unparalled by others in the industry. Although innovative, every M.T.H. product is easy to use, easy to setup & fun to operate. More importantly, all conventional features found in M.T.H. products can be accessed with a simple transformer equipped with only a bell & a whistle button.

 

[neil_s_wood]

I have to say I am seriously tempted to get one of these. That's not a bad price for what you're getting.

I'd love to see that going round my garden.

I'd better have a serious think about this.

 

[ashleyh]

British Outline O Gauge is looking increasingly tempting !

There is a nice and growing range of ready to tun Diesels from Heljan, a good range of brass goodies from Bachmann and Tower Models,
Skytrex............hmmmm....how to break this gently to the wife!

I wonder if the wheel profiles are more course scale akin to Basset Lowke though ?

Ashley

 

[Richard Johnson]

**All that glitters isn't gold though - the rear end of the loco chassis looks like a copy of a hornby and is nothing like the prototype - the sweeping rear frame extension members are totally missing and there's enough daylight under the foorplate to fly an N scale plane through.... plus the MTH digital system isn't all that DCC friendly, in that it has only limited usability with DCC systems.

And.... US designed O scale is 1/4" to the foot = appx 6.3mm/foot whereas UK O scale is 7mm to the foot - quite a big difference.

The price looks OK but I think it reflects what it is - a big toy, not a scale model.

I really do think you could do much better in an O scale loco - certainly there are O scale Coronations out there that leave this one in the dust for accuracy.

Richard
DCCconcepts

 

[neil_s_wood]

Thanks for that injection of reality Richard, I was seriously thinking about this.

 

[Brian Considine]

I have to agree with Richard on this one - £600 buys a lot of "alternatives". They do look a bit like overgrown early Hornby's.

 

[Mercator II]

They also have the tender lining wrong on the LMS versions, it should follow the edge up and onto the top side sheets and stay below them like the BR version.

The trction class should be above the cab side number and why has the LMS versions got electric flashs?

Brian

 

[Richard Johnson]

QUOTE (bro sewell @ 24 Apr 2008, 17:30) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>They also have the tender lining wrong on the LMS versions, it should follow the edge up and onto the top side sheets and stay below them like the BR version.

The trction class should be above the cab side number and why has the LMS versions got electric flashs?

Brian

***Not to mention the boiler banding - For the LMS they shouldn't have all the bands lined - just adjacent to the cab front and smoke box bands... and the tender lining is much coser to all of the the side sheet edges than in BR days....

Basically, they haven't done the research at all.... a shame

 

[80class]

Begs the question as to what market MTH are aiming for.

Rob

 

[7113]

QUOTE (Doug @ 23 Apr 2008, 23:29) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>M.T.H. are producing a range of feature-rich O-gauge Princess Coronation Class locos.

Product Features

Metal Wheels and Axles..........................1
Constant Voltage Headlight.....................2
Engineer and Fireman Figures.................3
Decorative Bell......................................4
Locomotive Speed Control......................5
Wireless Drawbar..................................6

Very obviously aimed at the US market I feel, to take the items from the initial post I find odd as numbered.

1 - I would hope so - I'm really not sure that that in itself is a feature.
2 - Why would a coronation want one?
3 - I prefer the word Driver personally
4 - See point 2
5 - Well it's always nice to be able to control your model
6 - What's one of those?

In all honesty I think it's a very expensive toy.

Regards

 

[Martin71]

They look very good but for that price I would have thought they would have got the above mentioned right. These I assume are marketed at modelers and my on query is cab lighting. I love it, nearly all my steam loco's have cab lighting, but does the general modeler want this?

m

 

[Richard Johnson]

QUOTE (Martin71 @ 24 Apr 2008, 20:44) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>They look very good but for that price I would have thought they would have got the above mentioned right. These I assume are marketed at modelers and my on query is cab lighting. I love it, nearly all my steam loco's have cab lighting, but does the general modeler want this?

m

**Actually Martin if you compare them with the prototype they look like c**P - I'd say the target is not modelers, but toy train people. If they wanted to be taken seriously they'd not add cab lights as the prototype did not have cab lights - in fact until after WW2 there wasn't any form of "convenience electrickery" on board at all really..... So for the LMS ones at the very least it'd be a total no-no.

Richard

 

[nickparsons]

Hi to all of you out there looking at the MTH Duchess

I do not work for or are contracted to MTH in any way.

MTH are aware of comments as to the accuracy of their model and are working to correct these, they are aware of the standard they have to reach to satisfy UK customers. The model as shown in the forum is NOT the model as manufactured !!

The sound as recorded is up to their usual standard on their HO and O American outline, the quality of the sound reproduction will be superb !! !! Seriously it will be that good it will blow you away !!
I have a good selection of OO British outline sound equipped, both as from the factory (Deltic and Duchess) as well as custom Loksound (8001 Exeter Cathedral, King, Castle and Star) + USA HO Broadway, Proto 2000 and the (HO) MTH Mowhawk blows them all away, and then some !!

Wait until you hear the Duchess's Driver and Fireman talking !!

Kind regards Nick

 

[br1972]

QUOTE (Nickstrainz @ 12 Sep 2009, 14:16) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Wait until you hear the Duchess's Driver and Fireman talking !!

Would that be the 'Lancashire' accent version by any chance Nick?

Cheers
Geoff

 

[Richard Johnson]

***Can't be.... or they'd need a wee screen with subtitles for the US customers.

Its all very well to extol its virtues however its also important to say that its MTH's own digital system and NOT DCC - it will work on DC, sort of, but it gives lip service to it only and is a cause of much frustration among DCC using owners. MTH does some things really well, such as their synchronised smoke which is really neat.... however its my experience that with a couple of exceptions their loco's are good but not great in any way, and their implementation of DCC protocols isn't one of those things.

Richard

 

[nickparsons]

Hi All

Thanks for your response.

Not Lancashire (sorry) or Camden or Crewe (well one is from close to Crewe), but all the voices recorded are British !
(and if they cannot understand a British accent, then tough luck !)

The HO locos are pretty good on DCC, but as always with MTH everything of theirs works best with the MTH DCS system !!
The model is assumed to sell more in the USA, simply as that is a [much] bigger target market ! So several of the features are squarely aimed for there.
Re the cab light, I'd just paint it over with matt black if you don't like it.
I use Digitrax, and my modelling buddies use NCE, the HO MTH models work very well with the DCC. I have Railroad and Co also, and with this I can do everything and then some compared with DCS.

There's a reason why the catalogue prototype model piccys seem to look like old Hornby models........
MTH's latest USA in both HO and O steam models are really very good, as good as any of the ready to run offerings from such as Proto2000, Broadway, Atlas etc. I'm hoping this model is to at least the same standard. (the Chaplan Pacific they did last year is very good)
RM hopefully will review the model when its available.

(Note though not one of my Hornby or Bachmann UK steam run anywhere near as good as any of the US models, a shame that is, and there is no real excuse for that is there ?)

Kind regards Nick

 

[Nick12DMC]

QUOTE (BRITHO @ 24 Apr 2008, 11:57) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Very obviously aimed at the US market I feel, to take the items from the initial post I find odd as numbered.

1 - I would hope so - I'm really not sure that that in itself is a feature.
2 - Why would a coronation want one?
3 - I prefer the word Driver personally
4 - See point 2
5 - Well it's always nice to be able to control your model
6 - What's one of those?

In all honesty I think it's a very expensive toy.

Regards

When they say "Speed Control" they mean cruise control. This a standard feature on MTH PS2 engines. The loco can go up and down
grades and hold the same speed. This is a nice feature.

I have a O gauge Lionel Legacy Lionmaster Big Boy with Lionel's version of cruise control and it works great.

Regards
Nick H

 

[pedromorgan]

QUOTE (Richard Johnson @ 24 Apr 2008, 02:05) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>**All that glitters isn't gold though - the rear end of the loco chassis looks like a copy of a hornby and is nothing like the prototype - the sweeping rear frame extension members are totally missing and there's enough daylight under the foorplate to fly an N scale plane through.... plus the MTH digital system isn't all that DCC friendly, in that it has only limited usability with DCC systems.

And.... US designed O scale is 1/4" to the foot = appx 6.3mm/foot whereas UK O scale is 7mm to the foot - quite a big difference.

The price looks OK but I think it reflects what it is - a big toy, not a scale model.

I really do think you could do much better in an O scale loco - certainly there are O scale Coronations out there that leave this one in the dust for accuracy.

Richard
DCCconcepts

I understand the trailing truck has been completly redesigned and is now just about perfect. the newer prototypes and the production models are light years ahead of the model featured on the OP.

I hope to get my hands on one of the production models and take a few pics next week.

QUOTE (bro sewell @ 24 Apr 2008, 09:30) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>They also have the tender lining wrong on the LMS versions, it should follow the edge up and onto the top side sheets and stay below them like the BR version.

The trction class should be above the cab side number and why has the LMS versions got electric flashs?

Brian

Its been corrected. there were several faults with the lining but i understand its all been dealt with.

The production models also feature correct tenders rather than a generic tender featured in the early leaflets.

This model is certainatly not a toy!

Peter

 

[Richard Johnson]

*** I'm writing this under my name rather than usual signature as its nothing to do with my business:

The tender comments is an interesting challenge - the coronations were a complex lot of loco's with many sublte pairings and changes during the producton life of the loco. if they get close they will do well. I hope they do, UK modellers are a fussy lot.

Be sure to get a side on shot - I may be cynical but even in HO MTH fails with many loco's to look as good as most brands in some areas... I'll happily wager a few $$ that its still a swing type rear truck with lots of daylight as the loco is sold with hi-rail wheels as well... so I'm happy to guess that is not a couple of unmistakable sweeping extended frames with rear bogie tucked within it as it should be to look like a Princess Coronation.... its a "set-track" brand after all.

The coaches look to be a reasonable price.... less than $110 for an LMS O scale coach is very reasonable.

I really hate the term cruise control - Its a really really stupid simplistic US description of the real purpose and benefit of back EMF.

Actually I confess that I really don't approve of MTH as a company much at all - they are far too keen to use tactics I find unattractive in business - they even tried to claim patent rights on back EMF when back EMF had been available in both DC and DCC systems well before MTH even existed.

Its a measure of the incompetence of the US legal system that it even got heard as an issue, and the patent application couldn't have been accepted if anyone had bothered to check the facts... As it was, it created a furore and took a combined effort of NMRA and several Mfrs and wasted more than a year to show the truth of the matter, delaying new model releases ...and their ambit claim created unnecessary cost for many mainstream model train makers.... so indirectly cost us all.

google "nmra MTH patent back EMF" and you will see what I mean. My layouts will always be MTH free zones.

regards

Richard

 

[Davo]

Spot on, Richard!

Every US model railroad magazine has had regular negative comments from readers about the performance of MTH locos on real DCC and their incompatability with most systems.
They appear to have some of the same attitude to users as Union Pacific had recently when they demanded that enthusiasts pay royalties for using their logo on their model trains!

My suggestion is not to jump in and invest your savings without reading ALL the reviews of MTH products very carefully . . .