MTH F40 #20-2150-1

[TrainGuy4014]

Any opinions on this MTH locomotive? I am thinking about buying one, and Would like to know about it.

[Flintlock76]

I've been an MTH customer for years and have always been 100% satisfied with any of their products.  OK, that being said.

The MTH F40 20-2150-1 was issued in 1997.  It's a Proto-Sound engine so it's not going to have all the up-to-date electronic features the 2024 MTH engines are going to have.  The "20" in the product code indicates it a "Premiere" model, that means scale-sized and top of the line.  Scale size means it might  not operate on curve diameters of 031" but I can't find any information concerning that. 

Best I can do.  If you don't mind me asking who's selling it and how much to they want for it?

[TrainGuy4014]

It is selling on Trainz.com, for $220.

[Flintlock76]

TrainGuy4014

It is selling on Trainz.com, for $220.

 

Trainz.com is a pretty righteous outfit, I've dealt with them myself several times and have always been satisfied.  You can take what they tell you in the product descriptions as gospel and the prices are very fair. 

I'll let you in on a strategy I've used when shopping on Trainz.  Watch the price on what you're interested over the course of days.  If it doesn't sell within a certain amount of time Trainz will drop the price until it does.  Mind you, this is a bit like "playing chicken" with everyone else out there but it's worked in my case several times.  I won't say on what articles but I watched the prices drop on some things I was interested in over the course of two-three weeks until the hit the point I said to myself "Now, or never!"  and made the jump.  There's some I lost out on but eh, so what?  Not the end of the world!  

[El Fixes Things]

I guess I'll chime in, that while I have bought from Trainz on a couple occasions, and recieved what I bought, I've definitely spoken with some people who have had some negative experiences dealing with them, but I don't know how common or uncommon it is. The vast majority of their customers seem to be happy enough, but I don't think they're perfect. 

I have noticed that, especially when it comes to listings for replacement parts, sometimes they will have the incorrect image with a listing. I also remember when I purchased a replacement worm shaft for my 0635 Lionel pacific, the worm gear on the shaft I recieved was full of cracks. None of them had completely run through the worm or distorted it to the point of causing obvious binding, so I could still use it, but it did bug me. It was the last one they had in stock, and I couldn't get another one from anywhere else, so I decided it wasn't worth trying to work something out, since I'd probably have to return the part if I wanted any compensation (assuming they even offered), and I'd be back to square one with an engine I really wanted to run.

I think you run the same risk of buying from them, as any other large online seller that is always trying to move inventory- more often than not, things will go well. But there's room for stuff to go wrong sometimes.

-Ellie