"Our Trade Topics department aims at helping you evaluate merchandise toward your own particular needs and standards. While we gladly specify points of excellence and points of caution, we feel that realistic description is most helpful of all. We are also on the lookout for suggestions that will help you make the best use of the materials.
yeah unless it is from walthers. they only sold a few pieces of junk and i must have gotten them all. besides, they guy who wrote that is probably dead by now anyway.
grizlump
ATLANTIC CENTRAL"Down played" and "alluded to" are exactly how it was handled in the past. Sheldon
Sheldon
It couldn't have been downplayed all that much prior to this, Sheldon, because I understood it the first time.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Interesting, I will have to wait till mid-September to read the review but it might be a good direction for MR to take.
On a side note, I was reading the November 1972 MR and in the Trade Topics section it had this blurb:
Merchandise that we feel is unsuited for any kind of modeler - advanced or novice- will not be reviewed"
I find that over the years they have pretty much stuck to this ideal and do not generally get very negative but that is not the intent of the reviews from what I can gather.
CNJ831 tstage Actually, this has been pointed out (or at least alluded to) in prior MR reviews of MTH HO locomotives. I distinctly remember them saying that in order to run one at "top speed" on DC, you needed a full 24V to do that. Tom Quite correct. As I recall, this fact was specifically pointed out by MR regarding the very first HO locomotive MTH offered, although this shortcoming has been rather down-played in subsequent reviews of later MTH models. CNJ831
tstage Actually, this has been pointed out (or at least alluded to) in prior MR reviews of MTH HO locomotives. I distinctly remember them saying that in order to run one at "top speed" on DC, you needed a full 24V to do that. Tom
Actually, this has been pointed out (or at least alluded to) in prior MR reviews of MTH HO locomotives. I distinctly remember them saying that in order to run one at "top speed" on DC, you needed a full 24V to do that.
Quite correct. As I recall, this fact was specifically pointed out by MR regarding the very first HO locomotive MTH offered, although this shortcoming has been rather down-played in subsequent reviews of later MTH models.
CNJ831
"Down played" and "alluded to" are exactly how it was handled in the past.
Is that MR's bias toward DCC or toward their advertisor? Anyway, I'm glad to see it not down played or slanted this time. I felt this review gave a fair accounting to both the customers (ALL of them) and MTH.
What I like initally about the J is the fact that it can run a steam/smoke generator to make it look more realistic. I bought the best J on the market last year- from BLI- before MTH came out with theirs. I saw one at a show and picked it up- for it being "all metal" it isn't that much more impressive than my BLI, if at all. Certainly the price tag is not impressive.
My biggest turn off to the J is the way the wheels are done. Both the driving wheels and the pilot wheels are WAY TOO SHINY. On the prototype this was not the case. They are black all the way to the rails; there aren't any little silver shiny rims going around the circumference. The lack of the axle ends being painted is a turn off as well- I painted mine on my BLI and isn't a huge deal.
The turn(s) off for me from MTH is the steep price tag and the way the wheels are modeled. Could have done better (especially for the price!)
Modeling the N&W freelanced at the height of their steam era in HO.
Daniel G.
Since MTH is trying to convert everyone from DCC to DCS, I doubt that they care too much about the speed problem at 12 volts DC.
At $449 list, I think they're a little steep for HO.
Enjoy
Paul
ATLANTIC CENTRALThe speed chart in the rewiew shows that at 12 volts DC the loco only went 30 smph, no higher voltage was charted! The text does mention that the loco will handle up to 24 volts DC, and also points out that 24 volts exceeds NMRA S-9.
Sheldon,
September MR just came today and the number one product review is the new MTH N&W Class J (like we needed another one, but anyway), and finally, without too much dancing around, this review actually pointed out the lack of suitable speed in DC operation at NMRA recommended voltages.
The speed chart in the rewiew shows that at 12 volts DC the loco only went 30 smph, no higher voltage was charted! The text does mention that the loco will handle up to 24 volts DC, and also points out that 24 volts exceeds NMRA S-9.
Thank you to Dana Kawala and to MR for telling the truth openly.
Mike Wolf, may once again remind you that you will not be getting any of my business. I know you will not loose any sleep over that, but for every person like me who speaks up, there are likely hundreds who just buy something else.