2016 Amherst Railroad Show Report

[peteski]

I bought one of these directly from Arnold:

Did you pay MSRP or at a discount?
The only annoyance is that the pinstripes around the red stripes are silver (not white). Otherwise it is a great little loco (even if it uses an old-school mechanism design). 

[Joetrain59]

Are the "new" MP/MRC Moguls and Americans available yet? Mine do run very well already, though.
 Joe D

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I think the price was like $300 for a 12 car variety pack. Highlights include a 40' Railbox PS1 and a 3 dome "Tanktrain" tank car.

[peteski]

I think the price was like $300 for a 12 car variety pack. Highlights include a 40' Railbox PS1 and a 3 dome "Tanktrain" tank car.

Yup, those are the ones!  I also did a mental  !  I really regret not taking a picture - that was so bizarre!  I recall buying those cars in either Child World or Toys-R-Us stores for couple of bucks a pop.

Yes the ex. Model Power Americans and Moguls were also displayed there.  All the items were still marked as Model Power. I wonder if MRC will retain that brand name...

[VonRyan]

Did you pay MSRP or at a discount?
The only annoyance is that the pinstripes around the red stripes are silver (not white). Otherwise it is a great little loco (even if it uses an old-school mechanism design). 

Their show-price was $110. Which is better than ordering online or somesuch nonsense.

[garethashenden]

Their show-price was $110. Which is better than ordering online or somesuch nonsense.

I wish I'd known that.  I didn't think to ask if they had a show price.

[mmagliaro]

Model Power: MRC has assisted with QC. New run of Moguls and Americans. Sagami motor, totally new electrical work and needlepoint pickups. New runs of the FP-7 are coming. Again, new motor and electrical work. They want to retool their ore car. They are also very interested in some flavor of PRR Atlantic? Not sure if it's an E6. Rep mentioned the prototype had gloss paint. Will be released in  HO as a Mantua first.

Sagami motor?
Actually, although their factory was supposedly destroyed by an earthquake in the 1990s, I looked on the web and found
that they are still in business.  But they do not appear to make anything smaller than a 16mm diameter motor now, which
would be far too large for an N steam loco.  Did the rep actually say "Sagami"? 

[peteski]

Sagami motor?
Actually, although their factory was supposedly destroyed by an earthquake in the 1990s, I looked on the web and found
that they are still in business.  But they do not appear to make anything smaller than a 16mm diameter motor now, which
would be far too large for an N steam loco.  Did the rep actually say "Sagami"?

I wonder if they meant Mashima?  Spookshow's review of the 4-4-0 and 4-6-0 mentions 5-pole Mashima motors.

[mmagliaro]

I wonder if they meant Mashima?  Spookshow's review of the 4-4-0 and 2-6-0 mentions 5-pole Mashima motors.

The original releases of the 4-4-0 and Mogul had 5 pole Mashimas (they are 1015's or perhaps 1020's).  I have both
engines, and have had the 4-4-0 apart to confirm that it is one of the usual closed-can 5-pole Mashimas we know (and love).
Those were the only two MP steam that had those.  The others got some other cheaper thing.

I can't believe they would retool the frame to accept a different motor. 

Did you happen to see an actual preproduction sample of these, or is it all just sales talk for now?

[peteski]

Daniel (not me) mentioned Sagami. I went past the MRC booth but I didn't speak to anybody, or fondled any sample models. I did see them all sitting on display. Maybe Daniel got more personal with them.