MTL single window coach looks like a winner

[Mark5]

My (many tried) methods of trying to remove MTL printing results is that the paint comes off long before the lettering shows any effect.

I have to point out that the PRR coach is not painted - the body is molded in that color. I have not tried it on a painted car as yet.

Mark

[thomasjmdavis]

we also offer undecorated and unpainted cars as well.  I think we have undecorated painted in PRR red in stock and the pullman green.  I don't know if we've put up the 160's yet but they will happen eventually.

Joe

On the 160 undec.....now I need to play the guessing game on when or if the car will appear in factory applied Erie two-tone green in my lifetime.  Would be just my luck to get the last yellow stripe applied and have a 6 piece set appear with baggage, mail-baggage, 2 single window coaches, diner (ok, no Erie diner is really close, maybe 949 prior to the rebuild program- for my purposes, consider it optional), and Pullman 10-1-2 "Lake Worth" (IIRC).  I am sure that MT would sell at least 5 sets, maybe as many as a dozen.

The undec diner might be one of those things you need to call or email customer service for.  The website only has listings for a 10-1-2 and a Mail-baggage as of 2-17-20 at 1 PM EST.  But my own past experience is that customer service can often find things that are not listed- I've had good luck with things like this in the past.

Now, back to work on taxes, so I can get my refund and buy more trains.

[peteski]

I have to point out that the PRR coach is not painted - the body is molded in that color. I have not tried it on a painted car as yet.

Mark

Are you sure Mark?  MTL always molds their cars in a color that is very close to the paint color for that run.  The paint they use is also very thin.  If they used unpainted plastic, that would be the first I have witnessed that on their cars.

[nickelplate759]

I have an undec diner that is definitely unpainted, but all the other undecorated cars I have were indeed painted green.

[peteski]

I have an undec diner that is definitely unpainted, but all the other undecorated cars I have were indeed painted green.

That doesn't surprise me.  But Mark had a car decorated for PRR.
Here is my experience (I still have many examples in my stash):

Back when Kadee/MT sold dimensional data only cars, those were painted and Tampo printed.
Unassembled car kits were sold unpainted, in assorted colors (depending on which run they were taken from).
Undecorated freight cars are also unpainted, and also sold in assorted colors.
My experience is with  freight cars only - I have never bought any undecorated passenger cars.

[thomasjmdavis]

Certainly all the MT cars I have that are lettered have paint on them....  Beyond that, I take the 5th, as I would not want to incriminate myself by admitting to stripping paint off a PRR car in order to use it in a kitbash of a  Wabash mail-baggage.

In the early days of MT passenger cars, I bought several undec RPOs that I think were unpainted. 

[spookshow]

Anybody know if that two-axle truck is based on a Pullman-Standard prototype? Or is it something else?

Thanks,
-Mark

[thomasjmdavis]

Anybody know if that two-axle truck is based on a Pullman-Standard prototype? Or is it something else?

Thanks,
-Mark

My first inclination is to say that it is a Commonwealth (I note on your website that you aren't very happy with the use of that manufacturer name as an identifier)- or at least all the major casting are.  If the number on the NYC coach is indicative of which specific car series was modeled, the cars of that series were made by ACF.  But just about every car maker in the US built coaches on the same basic plan for NYC.  And Commonwealth (which merged into GSC in 1929 or thereabouts) made truck castings - or entire trucks- for just about every carmaker, Pullman included.  But, that said, I am trying to look it up..... 

I don't think it can be a "Pullman-Standard" (although it could be "Pullman")- as the merger between Pullman and Standard Car Co. only came in 1929, and the new name was not adopted until 1934 (IIRC).  In any case, the trucks on NYC coaches made by Pullman, Pressed Steel, Standard Steel Car Co, ACF all look very similar, if not identical- with variations more influenced by the date of the car than the specific manufacturer. 

[spookshow]

Thanks, Thomas.

-Mark

[dougnelson]

Are you sure Mark?  MTL always molds their cars in a color that is very close to the paint color for that run.  The paint they use is also very thin.  If they used unpainted plastic, that would be the first I have witnessed that on their cars.

I have three undecorated PRR MTL Heavyweight cars - two sleepers and an observation.  As marked on the label, they are all "painted and unlettered".  The cars are molded in a red tone, but they are definitely PAINTED.  I have not seen the new PRR coach, but I seriously doubt that they have changed their approach and produced these cars unpainted and lettered.  Unpainted plastic, however well matched, usually look like unpainted plastic.

[Mark5]

I stand corrected. I was more focused on removing the lettering - so I went back and took a closer look. Yup, you can see the paint vs non-paint on the end casting here (d'oh!) 

Make's Joe's tip more impressive!

Mark
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[peteski]

Yes, the quality of MTL decoration (thinness of the paint, and top notch lettering), are the reason they are IMO one of the top quality manufacturers.

Their early attempts at ink-jet decoration were not up to their standards, but since then they have upgraded their equipment and the results are quite impressive. Still, I wish they would not use ink-jet to print the entire yellow side of their billboard reefers (but I'm probably the only modeler in the world who notices that).