O Gauge Inflation Buster? The New MTH Baldwin AS-616 Train Engine!

[@UncleSalty-nz5uk]

This model is actually an old MTH Premier tooling from the mid 90's. I bought 2 brand new. They were $379. Now, almost 30 years later it has command control, upgraded sounds and it $10 cheaper? I'd say that's a great deal. Good review Eric.

[@MMID303]

Railking is the best value in O guage. Many of their scale diesels look perfectly fine when paired with their premier cousins.

[@bogusbits6810]

“L - aye - mah” not “L - ee - ma”

[@jkurtz601]

Wish this would come in ho scale

[@northpennvalleysteamrailroad]

MTH RailKing will always be my favorite. It is a shame some of the product line’s tooling has gone to Lionel, they have way more than enough tooling, not to mention that their trains are the most expensive in the hobby. Great video Eric!

[@Ericstrains]

Thanks!

[@tempertantrum6464]

At least Lionel is using the old MTH tooling. They bought up a lot of tooling from Mantua, Model Power, and the like in HO scale and they’re just sitting on it doing absolutely nothing with them. So annoying.

[@northpennvalleysteamrailroad]

@@tempertantrum6464 True. I do rather someone use it than not being used at all.

[@asteroidrules]

I am so glad that they were able to keep MTH going after Mike retired. Anyone doing more o gauge stuff is great, and the Railking line continue to be great value for money and great on tight curves which allow for more compact layouts. Also Baldwin diesels are just great.

[@jordaneriksson5417]

I can agree that Baldwin Diesels are Great Friends with some of their older Steam Counterparts

[@railchief74]

Those knifes are starting to become a main character of your shows. Those Railking engines are so unique and amazing to run. Now I want a southern pacific Baldwin Now. Great video Eric

[@lonestarrailfanning9722]

Very informative video. I like the engine! I found myself a Railking MP-15 switcher at my local hobby store for around the same price. Runs like a champ!

[@Ericstrains]

Yep, got a video coming soon on that switcher as well!

[@joestrmic7928]

​@@EricstrainsEric can i still buy model trains online as normal

[@UrMomsChauffer]

Considering that many new HO scale locomotives are retailing for not much less than the price of this, this is an absolute steal. Might be cheap enough to get me back into O gauge

[@zachwheeler9846]

Very nice train for the money, has all the basic details it needs, has decent sounds, and its scaled. I mean $370s for a scale model with sounds to me seems like a pretty good deal. Great review Eric!

[@Steven_Williams]

Great video Eric! I have three Railking Scale engines that I have bought over the last two years. The Railking Scale EJ&E SD9 that I have even has smoke. All three are custom runs no less. "Big Ups 👍from Chicago "Train Dawg"!"

[@EricZolner-zz8bj]

My name is Eric and I too like trains. I've recently gotten into 3 rail O and I've been looking to go into some command control locomotives and this one looks good to me. Baldwin Diesels always add character to a layout and being from Northeastern Pennsylvania almost every railroad here ran Baldwins.

[@Ericstrains]

Very cool!

[@Prewarpostwaramdmore]

In Alaska, you can get pretty nice knives with Wooly Mammoth ivory handles. I have one, and I love it. Very cool.

[@scottstrainloft5965]

Love this RailKing model from MTH. I have this exact model and really like it, especially the SP Black Widow paint scheme. Thanks for sharing.

[@DavidFortney-tx3gc]

Nice review, love the rail king scale locos. Have quite a few and well worth for people to look at. Thank you for doing a review on such budget friendly locomotive.

[@Ericstrains]

No problem 👍

[@daivdwalker2374]

Love that engine rumble at idle very cool

[@eottoe2001]

That's a good price. Look at the DCC HO and N scale units now. The $350 would have been $30 in 1955. TY for the videos.

[@anthonycoach4551]

I just love the older MtH engines I don't care what people say and talk about Lionel but I really think MtH was a better buy there engines are very nice and affordable I have all MtH stuff the older PS3 stuff and there still running and talking fine I love this one on the cab chatter I like the talking stuff..don't git me wrong Lionel is good but there just too pricey if you ask me..and I don't see much difference between the 2..

[@Ericstrains]

MTH has always delivered more for the money, hands down.

[@shayfan05]

The new MTH Alco C628/630’s are really nice runner and great pulling power.

[@davidstrainsandlego]

Very nice engine, glad to see more baldwin diesels

[@brianlohr3412]

i liked the assortment of cars u put behind the nice looking engine !!!

[@Ericstrains]

Thanks

[@andy41417]

Well done. Love the bonus feature Lionel horse car too!

[@allegheny48]

Thanks for an informative review, Eric. I have the B&LE version on order. The Bessemer acquired 7 of the Baldwins, wound up selling the first 2 and keeping the remaining 5. Ordered without MU controls, they were used for heavy switching here in Conneaut, OH and elsewhere on the system along with local freight movements. They were still running in 1970. Interesting that MTH has the model set up for running long nose first. I would imagine that Baldwin offered the units set up for running either short or long nose first.

[@wellthatsjustprime4107]

Bringing the Buster to the Inflation

[@garys0scale525]

Easy “Hoss” on the speed, that rough on those 🐎!!!

[@lionelhudson7097]

I just got mine last month.

[@Ericstrains]

Nice!

[@danieldoesdumbstuff]

Ayyyyyyy im on the patreon list

[@Ed-ICE-Berg]

Nice diesel - love the old school diesel’s made in the ‘40s - ‘60s.

[@mmclic]

I'd like to thank Eric for presenting this--I wouldn't like to see this become a hobby only for the rich.

[@Walt1960]

I really like the start up.

[@Shipwright1918]

Interesting stuff. Was very pleased to find my own "inflation buster" recently, a Lionel Alco C-420, for $130.

[@johntingle5455]

Where and is it new?

[@ZombieSlayer-dj3wb]

Thats a very good price for o gauge

[@mytrainhobby5318]

Good video, planning on getting one of these.

[@Ericstrains]

Enjoy it

[@deweyhall712]

The hobo union approves of eric, and his layout... 😊😊😊

[@tomamerman9740]

Thanks.

[@jodysmith8048]

While we understand that manufacturing costs on new O gauge/O Scale trains are not getting any cheaper as the years go on and it probably would not be a surprise that if there wasn't a little bit of price gouging going on with Lionel to explain some but not all of why their prices are the way they are considering you can still get quality new locomotives from Atlas and MTH for much less than what Lionels prices are and it's no wonder why some people are saying Lionel is sort of acting like a monopoly

[@Ericstrains]

competition is always a good thing. Menards has been great for the hobby.

[@DynamicDuo795]

MTH has always made affordable trains with many rich features. The MTH Railking line has always been and always will be the very best value in the world of O gauge. Nothing else comes any where near. Your getting the same high end MTH DCS and Protosound system as the Premier Line but at a price that won't hurt your wallet.

[@Ericstrains]

Yep

[@charlesmcclure5994]

Great-looking engine, and an awesome price 👍👍

[@JonatanGronoset]

It sounds like a tugboat, I love it!

[@tomamerman9740]

Love your layout. Just wondering what you think about k-line trains

[@Ericstrains]

I loved K-line when they were around.

[@ASPEST2017]

I wish I knew they made a BLE one I love that road speaking of which could you do more of those types of roads anyway nice video

[@daivdwalker2374]

And 4 that price you just can't beat it great 4 anyone's collection

[@ELWtrains]

Yes great deal love that diesel sounds good choice 👍

[@BearCreekWoodworking]

MTH no longer makes a catalog, right? So if that's true, how do you find out what products MTH is making these days?

[@Ericstrains]

Check their website and get on their mailing list.

[@RailRide]

I second this. They have new announcements almost every day, either regular-issue models or special runs commissioned by their dealers.

[@Datboi169]

I have seen these Williams engines on amazon for around $200, but it's hard to find any info on how to run, sounds etc. Great video btw!

[@Ericstrains]

Williams are ok, but they’s no digital control or anything. Much simpler.

[@Datboi169]

@@Ericstrains That explains it. Thanks for the info Eric

[@ericwilliams2619]

Very awesome sounding locomotive very affordable price I agree 💯 Eric you are not going to find a railking locomotive any cheaper again affordable price 👍🏻✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️

[@angeloavanti2538]

Sweet price for sure. Runs nice.

[@Demon_Outlaw]

Love horses 🎉🎉. Good price for locomotive

[@danielhemple8649]

I enjoy my as 616 but I think the RS one is even a better deal with more details

[@KidYo]

Great video

[@alienrefugee51]

You should make another channel for knife connoisseurs. I'm sure there's an audience for it.

[@Ericstrains]

I have one lol. It's called Kitbashed Survival.

[@ILSRWY4]

Wow! That is such an old start-up sound file.. I don't mean the primemover sounds or the horn, I mean the people talk, the dialog, its been around easily since the late 2000's (2006-2009ish). Would like to hear something more modern and newer sounding. but you are getting what you pay for. Nice all around model though.

[@Broncort1]

At least it has a smoke unit.

[@FireMedic1111]

Wow , $400 bucks affordable lol. What crazy times were in..

[@Ericstrains]

$350

[@malanstecker]

How is it controlled? Can I use a Lionel 80W transformer with bell and whistle to control the MTH locomotive throttle and sounds? I also have the Lionel LionChief. Will the LionChief APP or universal remote control the MTH Rail King?

[@Ericstrains]

It’s runs like any other mth locomotive

[@echorad]

Does Lionel have a comparable loco product line to these RailKing SCALE 1;48 locos

[@Ericstrains]

not really

[@johnblair8146]

That's a lot of loco for the money. An inexpensive way to get your hands on a DCS engine.

[@ChristianShirk-oo9jh]

Didn’t mth go out of business a few years ago or did they downsize and sell some of there tolling

[@Ericstrains]

They're still in business, just on a smaller scale.

[@ChristianShirk-oo9jh]

@@Ericstrains ah ok I know the prices on there ho models are through the roof went to a train store in Florida and a single standard DC sd40 was $450 kinda crazy hope they become a bigger company again because there models in person look/sound amazing

[@RailRide]

@@ChristianShirk-oo9jh MTH's HO tooling went to ScaleTrains.

[@ChristianShirk-oo9jh]

@@RailRide ah ok I thanks for the info I knew they sold it but wasn’t aware of who they sold it too guess that’s why most of the scale trains stuff looks great

[@SSTHECAMARO]

Imma be honest I’ve never heard of this diesel locomotive 😂😂😂😅

[@Ericstrains]

Neither had I before I got one lol

[@ryansnyder7444]

Wait I thought mth closed when mike retired

[@BriansModelTrains]

Tariffs on Chineee produced goods is the reason for increased prices. Thanks to both political parties for that. USA $ is still $trong. Too bad they are all buiiding products in China; maybe Norh America can build stuff once again. If companies can build real Locomotives here I do not know why they can not build models. Wallet friendly Loco's (compared to most) are always welcome and the MTH has PS3 wich is a bonus.

[@Ericstrains]

ok

[@RailRide]

All of the engineering expertise specific to model trains (as well as the supply chains for various parts like motors) is over there in China (and to a lesser extent Korea and Indonesia). Not to mention a ready supply of people willing to do kind of long-winded fiddly assembly work needed for contemporary model trains. Watch Rapido Trains' channel to see videos in their own factory of how this stuff gets designed and built. To move all this stateside means starting from zero and rebuilding _decades_ of institutional knowledge basically from scratch. A design engineer for Progress Rail (EMD), Wabtec (GE) or for that matter Siemens, for all their qualifications and experience won't know diddlysquat about the ins and outs of engineering the guts of a miniature version of the stuff they do at 1:1 scale, especially at a cost compatible with consumer-level customers who won't be earning one red cent off their purchases, unlike a "real" railroad. And assuming some deep-pocketed entrepreneur with the patience of a saint (he'll have to be 'cause he isn't going to make a ton of $$$ doing it) tackles all these hurdles and manages to still have a viable operation at the end of _that_ meat-grinder, they'll still have to subject their customers to eye-popping price increases compared to the competition because of the sort of wages they'll need to pay their assembly staff to stick around long enough to actually get good at their jobs. Now, I'm not cheerleading for China -- I watch a lot of channels devoted to explaining all the ways the CCP's endemic corruption, the all-show-with-little-substance "tofu dreg" infrastructure that results from it, and all manner of misery-inducing shenanigans they inflict upon their populace. I'd love to see someone make a go of model train production stateside. But one has to be a realist about it -- how many are willing to actually _buy_ the more costly equipment from a n00b manufacturer as opposed to _saying_ they would because it sounds patriotic?

[@Coolbradandrew87]

What about the Lionel Strasburg 2-10-0? Was it canceled?

[@Ericstrains]

No, just hasn't arrived yet.

[@NWCR_1]

If I could this much attention through the KZbin algorithm would be great.

[@RRIA_America]

What

[@NWCR_1]

@@RRIA_America a higher number of views on each of my videos, that’s all

[@danshobbies13]

Right now the bargain is the MTH SD70ACe with caboose. $349.99. That’s what I’d buy.

[@Ericstrains]

Yeah but that’s not a scale model. It’s still a great deal though!

[@Sir_Ram]

hi there

[@jordonfreeman166]

Vote for Pedro.

[@Andrew7923]

$370... your definition of reasonable and mine are not the same.

[@Ericstrains]

🤣 there it is. 🙏

[@michael61985]

Still to expensive

[@Ericstrains]

Thanks

[@TheSonofruss]

lol an O scale engine less than half the cost of my N scale Big Boy