First taste of MTL SW1500

[Denver Road Doug]

Overly critical on everything isn't good.

While I somewhat agree, I also think that this is somewhat the personality of this forum.   Some may not like, or feel comfortable with it, but I don't think it necessarily a *bad* thing. (unless/until it gets personal or over-the-top vicious toward a manufacturer)   

The one angle where I think your statement is very valid is "boy who cries wolf" syndrome.  At some point, the message gets lost or at least diluted if the same over-the-top blasting of the same problem with the same manufacturer gets beat to death and then beat some more.   This mostly happens with MTL since they have such a high volume of products, and also tend to have what most on this forum would consider "an agenda that doesn't optimize us as customers".      

A good example is the squashed boxcar tooling....been that way for a looong time. Seems like newer tooling isn't following suit, but it is painful to see nice schemes released on those boxcars and yet they're really almost an automatic NO for most of us.   (admittedly I've bought a few of the weathered cars.)   So continuing to beat that dead horse just dilutes the overall message, methinks.

Likewise, it's obvious that the MTL SW1500 is NOT an innovative model railroad product.   I think that's been obvious for some time, and I *get it* that we keep hoping beyond hope that something magical would happen when the product hit the streets.  That didn't happen, so I agree with some of the others....let's move on and start figuring out how to improve it.   

[Smike]

wait... now the problem is that we don't have a problem.... 

I think Lou answered the question, maybe his photo of bigfoot SW1500 wasn't clear, but I think he knows what he is looking at. (Yes Ride height is high as per proto...)

[ljudice]

wait... now the problem is that we don't have a problem.... 

I think Lou answered the question, maybe his photo of bigfoot SW1500 wasn't clear, but I think he knows what he is looking at. (Yes Ride height is high as per proto...)

Exactly...  and kudos to MTL for fixing this - as they said they would.  I think it's odd they didn't rush out photos of the corrected model to end this debate - although I know there are other problems that people have brought up.  This was the big one for me, the signature look of the loco and I am anxious to see one up close.

[MichaelWinicki]

Likewise, it's obvious that the MTL SW1500 is NOT an innovative model railroad product.   

For innovative the Atlas S2 may end up being the one.

[sdodge]

Exactly...  and kudos to MTL for fixing this - as they said they would.  I think it's odd they didn't rush out photos of the corrected model to end this debate - although I know there are other problems that people have brought up.  This was the big one for me, the signature look of the loco and I am anxious to see one up close.

Yes, excellent! I may have to re-think my no purchase now statement, especially since they are coming out with a Groom Lake Belt Line version (#51 of course)! 

[mcjaco]

The one angle where I think your statement is very valid is "boy who cries wolf" syndrome.  At some point, the message gets lost or at least diluted if the same over-the-top blasting of the same problem with the same manufacturer gets beat to death and then beat some more.   This mostly happens with MTL since they have such a high volume of products, and also tend to have what most on this forum would consider "an agenda that doesn't optimize us as customers".      

Which is really what I'm referring too.  This particular thread has had so many "wolf" moments it's kind stirred into a bash thread without much foundation.  There was three or more pages of complaints about the fuel tank being completely innaccurate, when Joe clearly indicated weeks earlier with a picture that the correct fuel would be on the model.  I think this group gets a little to quick with trigger finger on prototype fidelity innaccuracies, and to then state "well it's Railwire, it should be expected" is a bad course of action. 

[tom mann]

And back to the model!

[peteski]

I can accept some inaccuracies depending on what they are, but riding to(o) high

Kiz, looks like someone else besides you hasn't been paying attention. 

[Kisatchie]

Kiz, looks like someone else besides you hasn't been paying attention. 

Whew! I thought I had to suffer alone.


Hmm... Kiz, could you
suffer to make me a
loan...?

[Gozer the Gozerian]

Ride height was always the same...we didn't change anything and when it was first brought up I posted and end to end photo of ours and the SW 1200 stock.  Interesting how these conversations morph. (not picking on ljudice) 

Joe

Exactly...  and kudos to MTL for fixing this - as they said they would.  I think it's odd they didn't rush out photos of the corrected model to end this debate - although I know there are other problems that people have brought up.  This was the big one for me, the signature look of the loco and I am anxious to see one up close.

[ljudice]

[JanesCustomTrain]

Ride height was always the same... Interesting how these conversations morph.

Unfortunately the pictures on your website as well as the pictures on ebay all show a shell which is sitting way too low on the mechanism. How did that happen ? Why is there no clear picture from the manufacturer, who I assume would like to sell many of this model, available on your website ? A clear picture would have eliminated all most of the conversations.

Jane

[DKS]

Yes, and if you look closely you can see the frame mechanism poking out below the shell, especially the part that fits under the battery boxes in the rear. Not a viable solution in my book.

This is hardly an issue... at least when compared to those extended electrical pickup tabs...

Unfortunately the pictures on your website as well as the pictures on ebay all show a shell which is sitting way too low on the mechanism. How did that happen ? Why is there no clear picture from the manufacturer, who I assume would like to sell many of this model, available on your website ? A clear picture would have eliminated all most of the conversations.

This.

[johnh35]

Ride height was always the same...we didn't change anything and when it was first brought up I posted and end to end photo of ours and the SW 1200 stock.  Interesting how these conversations morph. (not picking on ljudice) 

Joe

Joe, I have a question about that picture. It would appear that the mechanism is not completely seated into the shell in that picture. You can clearly see the metal protrusions that fill the battery boxes on the SW9 sticking out below the shell on the SW1500. Is the shell manufactured to fit in that manner? 

[u18b]

I had no idea I was such a prophet years ago.