MT WTF?

[Chris333]

In the new MR there is an ad for Micro Trains new body style 33' hoppers in Z scale.

WHY? When there are these:
http://www.zscalemonster.com/full_throttle/2000/
http://www.zscalemonster.com/full_throttle/3000/

How about a 50' flatcar instead. (you know, something that isn't already made!)

[wcfn100]

Looks like they copied the same error on the off-set side that the N scale car has. 

Why can't they just ask if there is anything that might need correcting?  As Chris pointed out, the same cars are already on the market so there's no point in secrecy.


Jason

[Sokramiketes]

Women run the company.  Really, that's the only explanation I can think of as to why we just don't understand.   

[Chris333]

That reefer they just released is probably close to the PenZee reefer:
http://www.zscalemonster.com/pennzee/reefer/pz-2011.htm
But at least they seem to be out of production so MT is OK with the reefer, but really Uncle Will is cranking out 1or 2 hopper roadnames every month. There is just no need for another hopper. Looks like the MT's will have some brake piping detail, but think of all the other cars you can buy anywhere. Built them instead.

[JoeD]

This is a project to support an upcoming series.  I'm working on a number of new body styles that I hope will fill in some of the gaps we have in the line.

Joe

In the new MR there is an ad for Micro Trains new body style 33' hoppers in Z scale.

WHY? When there are these:
http://www.zscalemonster.com/full_throttle/2000/
http://www.zscalemonster.com/full_throttle/3000/

How about a 50' flatcar instead. (you know, something that isn't already made!)

[JoeD]

There's is a steel side, steel roof reefer.  Ours is a wood sided wood roof version.  We are working on the option to do this car with metal roofs, but they are ribbed and not pressed steel like the former Pennzee car.

Joe

That reefer they just released is probably close to the PenZee reefer:
http://www.zscalemonster.com/pennzee/reefer/pz-2011.htm
But at least they seem to be out of production so MT is OK with the reefer, but really Uncle Will is cranking out 1or 2 hopper roadnames every month. There is just no need for another hopper. Looks like the MT's will have some brake piping detail, but think of all the other cars you can buy anywhere. Built them instead.

[DKS]

That reefer they just released is probably close to the PenZee reefer:
http://www.zscalemonster.com/pennzee/reefer/pz-2011.htm
But at least they seem to be out of production so MT is OK with the reefer, but really Uncle Will is cranking out 1or 2 hopper roadnames every month. There is just no need for another hopper. Looks like the MT's will have some brake piping detail, but think of all the other cars you can buy anywhere. Built them instead.

AZL has a woodside refer. https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=23808.0

[Chris333]

Of course I don't know MT's plans, but it just seems like they would get Full Throttle cars to decorate for your series. Like you guys do with the MP 4-4-0 locomotive and others in the past.

[Sokramiketes]

Of course I don't know MT's plans, but it just seems like they would get Full Throttle cars to decorate for your series. Like you guys do with the MP 4-4-0 locomotive and others in the past.

You think they're going to work with Full Throttle after MTL tried to pull the rug out from under FT by not letting FT use MTL trucks and couplers anymore? 

[Catt]

Funny how people bitch because MTL won't carry the N line over to Z,and as soon as they announce their intention to start doing just tha people start bitching because they are doing it.

Guess there is just no pleasing some people.


Oh wait a minute I forgot we were discussing Micro-Trains here.

[JoeD]

Pulling the rug out implies the decision was made to purposly hurt someone.  That wasn't the reason.

I suggested we use the FT cars, but there were a number of technical issues raised that made the decision for us.  Sure we used the MP FP7 and the 4-4-0 and had to deal with some of those same techincal issues of compatibility, shrink....not as easy as you might wanna think it is. Sorry...

I also find it amazing how no one groused when Bryan released a mill gon...arent there others on the market now?  I saw it as a good thing and I doubt anyones share in selling mill gons were effected when a better model was released.  But, being MTL...what we do is different I suppose.

And Mike...the shot about MTL being run by women is so last century.

Joe

[DKS]

Guess there is just no pleasing some people.

That's not the point. In this case, it's a situation of needlessly duplicating cars that already exist.

So, you really want MTL to bring everything from N down to Z, even if it means duplicating cars available from other companies?

Pulling the rug out implies the decision was made to purposly hurt someone.  That wasn't the reason.

Whether or not it was deliberate doesn't matter; the net effect is the same. And what's the sense in duplicating rolling stock that already exists in a market that has a crying need for more variety?

I also find it amazing how no one groused when Bryan released a mill gon...arent there others on the market now?  I saw it as a good thing and I doubt anyones share in selling mill gons were effected when a better model was released.  But, being MTL...what we do is different I suppose.

In this case it's different because it's putting someone's business in jeopardy.

[Chris333]

I don't know what the Athearn mill gon is based on, I don't own one, but Bryan's model is of a specific model, a PRR G26. Plus us N scalers already have a few 50' flat cars to pick from.

Also give MT a pass on the reefer, that wasn't my point.

[Sokramiketes]

Pulling the rug out implies the decision was made to purposly hurt someone.  That wasn't the reason.

How would you phrase it?  FT had to scramble to tool their own truck with little notice? I didn't want to type that many words originally.

I suggested we use the FT cars, but there were a number of technical issues raised that made the decision for us.  Sure we used the MP FP7 and the 4-4-0 and had to deal with some of those same techincal issues of compatibility, shrink....not as easy as you might wanna think it is. Sorry...

Huh?

I also find it amazing how no one groused when Bryan released a mill gon...arent there others on the market now?  I saw it as a good thing and I doubt anyones share in selling mill gons were effected when a better model was released.  But, being MTL...what we do is different I suppose.

A) Bigger market in N.  B) Different prototype.  C) Better detailed. D) Body mount couplers.  Do I need to continue? This Z scale hopper thing hardly equates to that.

And Mike...the shot about MTL being run by women is so last century.

Joe

I got word that my tongue-in-cheek comment might be more true than I would have thought otherwise. 

I know they employ you Joe, but you don't need to jump in to defend them here unless you have clear reasons as to why everyone else's first impression is wrong. 

And I'm just going to chuckle next time you tell me that tooling resources are scarce at MTL when a project like this gets a green light from management before new RPO sides or a revamped N scale coupler. 

[DKS]

I suggested we use the FT cars, but there were a number of technical issues raised that made the decision for us.  Sure we used the MP FP7 and the 4-4-0 and had to deal with some of those same techincal issues of compatibility, shrink....not as easy as you might wanna think it is. Sorry...

Technical issues? Compatibility? Shrink?

Huh?

They're Z Scale. They were originally sold with MTL trucks/couplers. They are entirely compatible with any other Z Scale rolling stock, MTL or otherwise.

Sorry, but this strongly resembles a bovine byproduct.