MTH just posted it’s 2017 Gauge 1 catalog online. Features the Daylight and dash 8 on the cover. The Big Boy and Daylight both have many upgrades like die cast frames and wheels and of course they come with DCC and DCS so you can pick what you want. The good sound and smoke continue as nice features. Good to get pre-orders in. I think the Big Boy may be already sold out. I’m waiting on mine. Seems to take a year.
It’s great to see they are making product.
It’s also great to see the DCC support, but they still are not doing a good job of DCC, many basic, standard DCC requirements are not met, like working in “service mode” on a programming track.
For experienced DCC users like me, I can work around it, but this issue and several other features that do not work under DCC are an issue, especially on something so expensive.
Nevertheless, I applaud MTH for adding DCC and coming into the current century. I’m hoping this support will improve, but I’m pretty confident it will, since there are many people that run ONLY DCC with PS3.0 locos, no DCS. MTH’s success in the HO market depends on DCC compatibility and performance.
I also see the little “dig” early in the catalog on 1:29, but it’s true, MTH is true to scale for 45mm track. I wish they had a fuller product line and DCC 10 years ago, I would be all 1:32.
Greg
Nice to see that they atleast have plans for future product, hopefully it see the light of day sometime in the near future.
MTH has never been a company that has had solid release dates, my original NYC Hudson took 3-years from when they first introduced it way back when (sadly it no longer operates).
I still say that something just doesnt look right on the steam locomotives, the Big Boy and the others in this recent catalog have that annoying space between the boilers and the drive wheels.
I am sure it is so they can negotiate the tighter radius curves but my NYC Hudson doesnt have this (what I call ) awkward spacing.
To be fair, I cannot remember ANY large scale manufacturer who hit their release dates on locos! The very popular Aristo Consolidation, probably the best engineered of their steamers was mentioned by Lewis Polk about 6 years before it was released.
I looked at a number of prototype pictures of Big Boys, and I would have to agree there is more “gap” in the model, or it sure looks like it.
I notice the catalog says, on the Big Boy page: new for 2015 … (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-money-mouth.gif)
Greg
Yea, that gap looks oversized. I wonder what they did to get such a large gap. Is the boiler too small in diameter, or is it sitting to high?
It is good to see that they are still players in the large scale game. They aren’t putting out nearly the product that they used to, but who is? If it takes this less of a commitment to stay in the business then it’s alright with me.
OK, here I am, casting about for a link, and Jerry has it as the last line in his post. RTFP, Steve! 
Vincent D’Agostino said:
Nice to see that they atleast have plans for future product, hopefully it see the light of day sometime in the near future.
MTH has never been a company that has had solid release dates, my original NYC Hudson took 3-years from when they first introduced it way back when (sadly it no longer operates).
I still say that something just doesnt look right on the steam locomotives, the Big Boy and the others in this recent catalog have that annoying space between the boilers and the drive wheels.
I am sure it is so they can negotiate the tighter radius curves but my NYC Hudson doesnt have this (what I call ) awkward spacing.
Well, those gaps are annoying only if you get down on your hands and knees and put your head at track level. How often do you do that? I suspect they are there as a compromise to allow these steeds to make it around our corners. remember, even a 20 ft diameter (10 ft diameter) curve when blown up to 1:1 is about the smallest diameter curve that a two truck Shay can negotiate in the 1:1 world.
Quitchyerbellyachin. 
I think it is a necessary evil… look at the minimum radius the USAT Big Boy needs, what tiny percentage of people have that broad of a curve.
Most MTH people have very tight, toy like curves, and MTH would be idiots to snub the majority of their customer base… LGB makes everything R1 compatible, and their philosophy has worked for them.
Greg
p.s. this means I agree with Steve (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Everyone keeps focusing on the Big Boy, take a look at the 4-8-4 that is in the catalog Jerry linked to.
No one is focused on the big boy, I used it as an example. No one is arguing with you. Do you believe that your comments fell on deaf ears just because I used the big boy as an example?
Greg
No not at all, I just think the spacing on the 4-8-4 is even worse.
The 4-8-4 Daylight looks nice because it has the added siding to cover the spacing, but the others …
I will probably still order something just to add to my collection, not sure on the steamers though as I had terrible luck with my Hudson from MTH (1st production run).
But there VO1000 diesel switchers are some of the smoothest running locomotives I have.
You know, since my layout is on the ground, I don’t notice this stuff so much, but boy, when I put my Aristo consolidation at eye level, it sure looked weird. In this case, the big gap is prototypical, but I’d expect the gap to not be necessary on a 4-8-4…
Not owning a MTH 4-8-4, do the drivers slide sideways in the chassis, or are the center 2 blind? It indeed does not seem to make sense that the gap on a 4-8 would need to be increased for tight curves.
Greg
On my HO Tenshodo GN S2 4-8-4 there is about an eighth of an inch of space above each driver . The spring hangers invade a tad, if you’re up close. She has lateral play.
John
Ray said that it is usually two years after they are in the catalog before they show up here. Not sure why, just repaints and they have the molds.
Jerry Barnes said:
Ray said that it is usually two years after they are in the catalog before they show up here. Not sure why, just repaints and they have the molds.
Jerry, I know they made the Daylight 4-8-4 and the Freedom train before, but did they offer those other 4-8-4’s that are in the new catalog? Shortly after MTH had introduced the VO1000 I had to step away from the hobby for a few years so I may have missed them when originally released.
Yes Vincent, Ray has some photos on his web page of them. I didn’t know anything about them until I saw the photos there. Maybe they didn’t selll many?