2017 O Gauge Ready-to-Run Train Set & Accessory Catalog Sneak Peek

January 25, 2017 - Expanding on the popular 2016 M.T.H. Norfolk Southern First Responders and Veterans Engine and Caboose sets, the 2017 O Gauge Ready-to-Run Train Set and Accessory catalog will be headlined by two more iterations of the popular NS schemes, this time in full ready-to-run set configurations.

Norfolk Southern First Responders Diesel RTR Set

Norfolk Southern Veterans Diesel RTR Set

Look for these exciting ready-to-run train sets and a full lineup of add-on rolling stock, accessory, track and command control components in the 2017 RailKing O Gauge Ready-to-Run Train Set and Accessory Catalog debuting later next month.

Design the Blue Comet Award Train — and Compete for the 2017 Award

January 25, 2017 - As announced in our latest O Gauge catalog, we're bringing back the Blue Comet Award — our annual award to the person or organization who does the most to promote the O Gauge hobby to the general public — for its sixth season, and introducing a new tradition: a Blue Comet Award Train that the winner will operate for one year, before passing it on to the next year's winner (in the same manner as hockey's Stanley Cup). Note that previous winners are invited to compete again this year.

We're also holding a contest to design the paint scheme for the Blue Comet engine, a RailKing ES44AC GEVO hybrid diesel with flashing charging lights, and the caboose. Each year's Blue Comet Award winner will also receive their own personalized award boxcar.

Click here to learn more about the Blue Comet Award Rules and the Blue Comet Train Design Contest. Previous Blue Comet Award winners and runners-up are invited to compete again this year.

Note that entry deadlines have been extended:

Blue Comet Locomotive & Caboose Design Contest: February 28, 2017

Blue Comet Award: March 31, 2017

Monthly 2017 Vol. 1 Catalog RailKing Spotlight

January 25, 2017 - Each month throughout the coming months, M.T.H. will be spotlighting various items from our 2017 O Gauge Volume 1 catalog. This week's feature will focus on select RailKing O Gauge offerings including the Pennsylvania 0-6-0 B-6 steam locomotive, EMD SW-8 Diesel Switcher and select RailKing rolling stock items including the Flat Car with Die-Cast Auto Loads, Auto Carrier with Die-Cast Auto Loads, Bay Window Caboose and Die-Cast Metal Auxiliary Steam Water Tender. Each of these items are currently slated to begin delivering in March 2017.

0-6-0 B-6 Steam Locomotive  - Switch engines are an essential, specialized piece of railroad equipment that look quite different from their kin that work the mainline. Because of the nature of their work, moving cars around railroad yards, switch engines spent much of their time waiting for their assignments. That meant steam switchers needed smaller fireboxes, boilers, and tenders than road engines.continue reading		EMD SW-8 Diesel Switcher  - EMD's 800-hp SW-8s and 1,200-hp SW-9s both debuted in 1950, marking the next stage in the evolution of one of railroading's longest-lived diesel families. The first SW-class engine, the 600-hp SW1, appeared in 1939, and the SW-units remained in the EMD catalog until the 1,000-hp SW-1000 was finally retired in 1986.continue reading

Flat Car with Die-Cast Auto Loads - High quality, traditionally sized RailKing Freight Cars provide detailed bodies and colorful paint schemes for the O Gauge railroader. MTH makes an enormous variety of RailKing Freight Cars, including many different car types and roadnames. No matter what era or part of the country you are modeling, RailKing is sure to have something for you.                                continue reading		Auto Carrier With Die-Cast Auto Loads - From the beginning, the auto industry depended on railroads to get its cars to distributors. For the first half-century or so of auto production, boxcars were the freight car of choice, often with special end doors and wider side doors to facilitate loading and unloading. Some automobile boxcars also featured interior racks to help pack more autos into a car. Nonetheless, an automobile boxcar of the 1940s or '50s could still only transport a few automobiles.  continue reading

Bay Window Caboose - As freight cars grew taller, observing a train from the cupola of a caboose became increasingly difficult. In the wooden car era, another problem with cupola cabooses was sagging roofs. In an effort to solve these problems, the Akron, Canton & Youngstown railroad introduced the bay window caboose in 1923.                    continue reading		Die-Cast Metal Auxiliary Water Tender - Steam locomotives require water to operate - a lot of water. Holding tanks in large steam locomotive tenders sported reservoirs capable of holding 30,000 or more gallons of water, but often that wasn't enough.  continue reading

Each of the above RailKing items can be ordered through any M.T.H. Authorized Retailer.

To see the entire 2017 Volume 1 RailKing Lineup, click here.

O Gauge Items Just Released During The Week Of January 15, 2017

January 25, 2017 - To review last week's list of the O Gauge items M.T.H. Electric Trains released during the week of January 15, 2017 click HERE. You'll find these at your local M.T.H. Authorized Retailer.

As always, you can stay apprised of the latest shipping dates by checking the M.T.H. Shipping Schedule. Once items have shipped, use the M.T.H. Product Locator to find a retailer reporting the item in stock.

Hurry Before They're Gone, Just Five Or Fewer Of These Items Remain In Stock

January 25, 2017 - Each week, M.T.H. releases product lists spotlighting quantities of Five Or Fewer items that are remaining in our onhand inventory. In many cases, these items will NOT be re-run in the future and these lists could be your last chance for ordering them before they're GONE FOR GOOD. Don't miss out on these items! Click on the appropriate product line link below and then any item number in the corresponding list to purchase that item from the M.T.H. Online Store or order directly from your local M.T.H. Authorized Retailer.

RailKing One Gauge

M.T.H. HO Scale

Lionel Corporation Tinplate

Premier O Scale 2-Rail

Premier O Scale 3-Rail

RailKing O Gauge

M.T.H. S Gauge

Tinplate Traditions

M.T.H. Show Schedule For Week of January 22, 2017

M.T.H. Electric Trains will be attending the Amherst Railroad Society Railroad Hobby Show on January 28 - 29, 2017 at the Eastern States Exposition Fairgrounds in West Springfield, Massachusetts.

HO, S Scale, O Scale, One Gauge and tinplate model railroading fans attending the event will have an opportunity to meet and ask M.T.H. Representatives questions about the M.T.H. product line, company direction and future plans as well as see product demonstrations and pick up a copy of our latest catalogs.

www.railroadhobbyshow.com

- West Springfield, MA

Saturday, January 28, 2017:
9:00am - 5:00pm

Sunday, January 29, 2017:
9:00am - 5:00pm

If you are interested in seeing a list of all the M.T.H. shows we will be attending over the next few months, CLICK HERE.

Check Out The MTH Smart Phone App

Learn more about the app by clicking HERE.