MTH K4

[cjcrescent]

My reference was to what companies are offering the model at this time.  I have the Gem, Key, PFM and some other cast offs.  The Marklin/Trix Big Boy, or whatever you want to refer to it, still seems to be on Ebay but they are mostly all the same production road numbers that I have, 4013 and 4015.  I did notice recently a 4021 available.

I see some in stock at dealers, but I get the impression they are not in demand maybe because of their price.  The PCM is about the same price and is die cast metal.  It might be built by Whoever took over the Marklin/ Trix products. 

Trix is the two rail DC official portion of Marklin sold in the USA.  It is understood Trix is built by Marklin but the EU versions are not all the same by Marklin/

http://www.trixtrains.com/

 

The price of Trix and Marklin has always been a turnoff for me. Marklin has always been one of the highest quality models on the market, but the "shoe" pickup AC motor requiring track with 3 rails, studs, buttons etc etc.. has always made it look to me "toyish". When Marklin started making American prototypes, they found these weren't selling well due to incompatiablity with NA standards.
They then brought them out under the Trix name, with complete compatibility electrical wise, but their earlist offerings came with european couplers, and flanges that couldn't run on anything but code 100 rail. Times have changed.

[andrechapelon]

PS Andre; ya left a few makers out. You forgot used brass.

I didn't forget anything. I was listing CURRENT manufacturers of HO scale K-4's.

Andre

 

[cjcrescent]

PS Andre; ya left a few makers out. You forgot used brass.

I didn't forget anything. I was listing CURRENT manufacturers of HO scale K-4's.

Andre

 

Well pardon. I am well aware of the current manufacturers, as well as the brass importers of the past, and have owned a K4 from Bowser for the past 35 yrs. (Gift from the wife when we first got married)

I still say a  locomotive, no matter who makes it, that doesn't follow the NMRA standards, is a bad deal for anyone who buys it, and if you think about it, also the folks who makes it. I doubt seriously that MTH will recoup anywhere near their initial investment in this locomotive and the PS3 system in HO.

[andrechapelon]

PS Andre; ya left a few makers out. You forgot used brass.

I didn't forget anything. I was listing CURRENT manufacturers of HO scale K-4's.

Andre

 

Well pardon. I am well aware of the current manufacturers, as well as the brass importers of the past, and have owned a K4 from Bowser for the past 35 yrs. (Gift from the wife when we first got married)

I still say a  locomotive, no matter who makes it, that doesn't follow the NMRA standards, is a bad deal for anyone who buys it, and if you think about it, also the folks who makes it. I doubt seriously that MTH will recoup anywhere near their initial investment in this locomotive and the PS3 system in HO.

It's not our problem, it's MTH's. MTH can go back to being a 3rail O gauge supplier if they can't cut it in HO. Lionel's done that multiple times.

Not that it's relevant to this discussion, but I've got a small collection of 3 rail O gauge (mostly MTH) that I got to brainw...... er, I mean to use to get the grandkids interested in trains. If the look on my 2 year old granddaughter's face was any indication, she's hooked.

Andre

[cjcrescent]

Not that it's relevant to this discussion, but I've got a small collection of 3 rail O gauge (mostly MTH) that I got to brainw...... er, I mean to use to get the grandkids interested in trains. If the look on my 2 year old granddaughter's face was any indication, she's hooked.

Andre

Reel her in slow and she'll stay fasinated! My daughter fell in love with trains when she could hardly walk. She had her own pillow where she sat on top of the layout and would watch the train just making the laps around the room. When she was big enough, she started building kits and as the years went by she became an award winner at several regional contests. She got to the point where she was almost as good as I am, then along came softball, college and something she called BOYS, (I thought they were demons from h*** myself.) She now 27 and asked me the other day if I had anything she could build. Guess what the answer was.

[Nataraj]

I miss the nice lionel HO.......... I have 2 challengers ( freight and passenger ) and really want a turbine. Too expensive though......

Their stuff was top notch ( At least the die-cast stuff )