With few exceptions, MTH detailing has always been greater than Lionel detailing. The earlier JLC line is the exception and a lot of the later Legacy line/Vision Line as well. Lionel will take short cuts every chance they get when it comes to separately applied detailing by casting it into the boiler. For me, I'd rather NOT have all the bells and whistles and simply have a visually stunning, highly detailed model. Lionel did do a whistle steam system early on but they stopped stating that smoke fluid eventually builds up and blocks the smoke from escaping. Best thing about Legacy? - Whistle steam, super slow crawl speed, I don't care about any of the station sounds. MTH's PS3 can match the very slow speed of Legacy and they too have Whistle steam though theirs is not as easy to set up due to the construction of the hand held unit. Electronics can be very frustrating when trying to operate these models but I have to give the reliability factor to Lionel as MTH PS2 and 3 tend to be more finicky. Great comparison here RJ!!!
Love what you did in comparing their differences and not that one is terrible and the other is awesome like so many in the hobby tend to do when it comes to the Lionel vs MTH subject! Also the shot with the Taco Bell and the low angle shot on the ground were super killer RJ😁. Keep ‘em coming man!
I don't have any MTH engines, Im not setup to run them with Command Control. I have always wanted to get one to compare with Lionel. Many people attest to MTH being better quality built and better detailing for the premier line compared to Legacy. This video was great in showing some of these differences. Thank you for putting it out there for all to see.
Subscribed, Thumbs Up and a comment -You sold me on MTH. Nothing against Lionel but this MTH model at this time is killer. Also, its guys like you that will keep this hobby alive after this old SOB has checked out. I would like to see MTH open up a programming interface to its control system. I would love to program(Python, C++)my own UI and apply other automation.
Very good comparison RJ. You noted your observations and what you like about both manufacturers products. The L&N paint scheme looks awesome! Thanks for sharing and Happy New Year.
My only gripe is the MTH sounds flat compared to the Lionel. Or maybe more “toyish”. That being said the physical details are stunning and Lionel should absolutely take note! Great video!! -RTT
🎉RJ I would like to thank you publicly for bringing the RF&P F-19 to everyone attention. If it was for you I would of slept on that one. I asked Ryan Kunkle from Lionel about the color on the RF&P F-19 and he said it’s going to have a deeper richer Russian Iron blue on the boiler. You may not have the layout or trains that your TH-cam buddies may have but we see and hear you RJ also your buddy Sidney from SIDS trains. Continue college get your degree and you will eventually get your dream layout.
Hello Kevin! Thank you for the kind words. I had been sending pictures back and fourth with Ryan for quite awhile about the RF&P Pacifics in real life, the color of the boiler, etc. so it was great for me to see in the catalog. Funny thing is I graduated from college over two years ago, my layout is small because it is in my parents house and since I am hardly there, it doesn't make sense to take up a lot of their basement. I live in an apartment in DC because its where my job/girlfriend/friends are and because housing prices are astronomically high in the DC area. It still might be a few years before I have a "big layout" but it'll all come in due time.
What a great comparison! I’m hoping to find an MTH Southern 4501 eventually. Something I noticed with the Lionel 4501 in this video is that the number font they used on the tender is wrong (there are many variations of Railroad Roman, just not used on this engine). The Lionchief 4501 does use the correct font on the numbering.
Great acquisition RJ! MTH has always been a great value for the money spent and honestly I don't think Lionel would be as good as they are now if they didn't have to "look in the rear-view mirror" now and then to see MTH gaining on them or getting ready to pass! You can't beat MTH smoke, it'd turn a yard fogger green with envy! Hey, I see you've got a Heinz "Euchered Figs" car too! Let me know if you want to know what a euchered fig is, it took me a few years to find out! The wife approves of your Mets ball cap, she HATES the Yankees! One last thing, HOW did you get from Manassas to Deer Park so fast? Do you know something the rest of us don't? 😉
Thank you Wayne! I am curious what an euchered fig is. I never thought about it, I just thought it was a cool freight car. I wish it took one second to get from Manassas to Deer Park, haha. Let's Go Mets!
@@rj.trains Long story short, I'd asked around to all the old-timers I knew and none of them had any idea what a euchered fig was. They knew about the card game called "eucher" but that was it. I even contacted Heinz and they had no idea. (Nobody on staff old enough to remember!) Then I contacted the authors of a VERY fine book called "Billboard Refrigerator Cars" and they very graciously replied and told me euchered figs were figs reduced to a compote, popular in the Midwest but apparantly nowhere else. If you like those old billboard cars "BRC" is a super reference book, it's darn near got them all! Worth grabbing if you see it!
They were actually the ticket signs on the old Wyandanch train station. I knew people who worked on the demolition of the station and were given permission by the LIRR to take the signs
Both are nice but your right about the detail. If MTH ever improves the base of their sounds Lionel could be in trouble. I have an older legacy Mikado from 2012 and it looks and sounds great. The detail was better then than now. I think the bean counters want them to cut cost imo.
(Tom here.) Maybe LIONEL needs to hire some newer model train experts to design better trains. After all, they'll need to catch up with these MTH engine designers to garner the market they once had way back when. Maybe the LIONEL people have been resting on their laurels......as they say. Well?
I prefer MTH models, but their electronics give me so many issues that I run only Lionel Legacy engines. Both are great in many ways, but when it comes to running reliability, Lionel all the way.
Ok ngl this whistle in the mth sounds like the whistle from sometimes they come back not 1218 but the cass Shay whistle yall know what im talking about
@@TrainTableRailroad MTH engines are good value for the money, I own seven of them and have never been disappointed. And MTH has an easy "fall back to conventional operation" option if you don't want to go to another control system. I'm a conventional runner myself so it makes no difference to me.
After years of buying both Lionel and MTH engines I have found the quality and reliability of MTH engines way better than Lionel. When you do need parts MTH has them and they are easier to work on. Lionels sould Quality is way better, although MTH has improved in that area. I run my stuff a lot and due to past issues am now only purchasing MTH.
I don't like the newer ps3 3 😝😝😝😝 I'd stick with mth ps2 2 the old version mth premier ps2 is the best n collection because of mike wolf. Mike's train house 👍🏻😊
With few exceptions, MTH detailing has always been greater than Lionel detailing. The earlier JLC line is the exception and a lot of the later Legacy line/Vision Line as well. Lionel will take short cuts every chance they get when it comes to separately applied detailing by casting it into the boiler. For me, I'd rather NOT have all the bells and whistles and simply have a visually stunning, highly detailed model. Lionel did do a whistle steam system early on but they stopped stating that smoke fluid eventually builds up and blocks the smoke from escaping. Best thing about Legacy? - Whistle steam, super slow crawl speed, I don't care about any of the station sounds. MTH's PS3 can match the very slow speed of Legacy and they too have Whistle steam though theirs is not as easy to set up due to the construction of the hand held unit. Electronics can be very frustrating when trying to operate these models but I have to give the reliability factor to Lionel as MTH PS2 and 3 tend to be more finicky. Great comparison here RJ!!!
Great video RJ. That L&N looks sweet!
Thank you!
Congratulations on the beautiful engine RJ
Thank you!
Great video RJ! That smoking quillable whistle on the MTH is something else. My favorite of the two for sure!
Thanks Matt!
That is a title that will bring everyone out of the woodwork...! Great video, RJ! The Mike looks good...been tempted on picking one up.
That was the plan, let's see how many people it brings out of the woodwork haha
Really enjoyed the video!!! Thanks for sharing!!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Love what you did in comparing their differences and not that one is terrible and the other is awesome like so many in the hobby tend to do when it comes to the Lionel vs MTH subject!
Also the shot with the Taco Bell and the low angle shot on the ground were super killer RJ😁.
Keep ‘em coming man!
Thank you Drew that means a lot!
Mth
I'd be happy with either one, but that MTH sure is sweet! Nice one buddy!
A fair comparison of two great models, RJ. IMO, MTH has scored a winner with this new Mikado. Great details and features. Very good looking.
I don't have any MTH engines, Im not setup to run them with Command Control. I have always wanted to get one to compare with Lionel. Many people attest to MTH being better quality built and better detailing for the premier line compared to Legacy. This video was great in showing some of these differences. Thank you for putting it out there for all to see.
They are really nice and you can access a lot of the MTH features even in conventional which is nice.
Subscribed, Thumbs Up and a comment -You sold me on MTH. Nothing against Lionel but this MTH model at this time is killer. Also, its guys like you that will keep this hobby alive after this old SOB has checked out. I would like to see MTH open up a programming interface to its control system. I would love to program(Python, C++)my own UI and apply other automation.
Very good comparison RJ.
You noted your observations and what you like about both manufacturers products.
The L&N paint scheme looks awesome!
Thanks for sharing and Happy New Year.
Great and Awesome trains RJ, those mikados look great and sound awesome, 😊👍
Thank you very much!
I love Rjs 12 days of Christmas been waiting all year
🎄🎄👍👍😁
Hope you enjoy!
Great video as always
Glad you enjoyed
I love the freight train sets too!
My only gripe is the MTH sounds flat compared to the Lionel. Or maybe more “toyish”.
That being said the physical details are stunning and Lionel should absolutely take note!
Great video!! -RTT
🎉RJ I would like to thank you publicly for bringing the RF&P F-19 to everyone attention. If it was for you I would of slept on that one. I asked Ryan Kunkle from Lionel about the color on the RF&P F-19 and he said it’s going to have a deeper richer Russian Iron blue on the boiler. You may not have the layout or trains that your TH-cam buddies may have but we see and hear you RJ also your buddy Sidney from SIDS trains. Continue college get your degree and you will eventually get your dream layout.
Hello Kevin! Thank you for the kind words. I had been sending pictures back and fourth with Ryan for quite awhile about the RF&P Pacifics in real life, the color of the boiler, etc. so it was great for me to see in the catalog. Funny thing is I graduated from college over two years ago, my layout is small because it is in my parents house and since I am hardly there, it doesn't make sense to take up a lot of their basement. I live in an apartment in DC because its where my job/girlfriend/friends are and because housing prices are astronomically high in the DC area. It still might be a few years before I have a "big layout" but it'll all come in due time.
I love this Mikado.
What a great comparison! I’m hoping to find an MTH Southern 4501 eventually. Something I noticed with the Lionel 4501 in this video is that the number font they used on the tender is wrong (there are many variations of Railroad Roman, just not used on this engine). The Lionchief 4501 does use the correct font on the numbering.
Great acquisition RJ! MTH has always been a great value for the money spent and honestly I don't think Lionel would be as good as they are now if they didn't have to "look in the rear-view mirror" now and then to see MTH gaining on them or getting ready to pass!
You can't beat MTH smoke, it'd turn a yard fogger green with envy!
Hey, I see you've got a Heinz "Euchered Figs" car too! Let me know if you want to know what a euchered fig is, it took me a few years to find out!
The wife approves of your Mets ball cap, she HATES the Yankees!
One last thing, HOW did you get from Manassas to Deer Park so fast? Do you know something the rest of us don't? 😉
Thank you Wayne! I am curious what an euchered fig is. I never thought about it, I just thought it was a cool freight car. I wish it took one second to get from Manassas to Deer Park, haha. Let's Go Mets!
@@rj.trains Long story short, I'd asked around to all the old-timers I knew and none of them had any idea what a euchered fig was. They knew about the card game called "eucher" but that was it. I even contacted Heinz and they had no idea. (Nobody on staff old enough to remember!)
Then I contacted the authors of a VERY fine book called "Billboard Refrigerator Cars" and they very graciously replied and told me euchered figs were figs reduced to a compote, popular in the Midwest but apparantly nowhere else.
If you like those old billboard cars "BRC" is a super reference book, it's darn near got them all! Worth grabbing if you see it!
Brotherman, MTH IS HARD TO BEAT, BUT WE LOVE BOTH....AAAAAAAA 😊😊☝☝
Where'd you get those old LIRR ticket signs?? they look awesome!
They were actually the ticket signs on the old Wyandanch train station. I knew people who worked on the demolition of the station and were given permission by the LIRR to take the signs
@@rj.trains ahhh nice! very lucky
Great video! Both of those locomotives look great but pers only I would rather have the mth especially because of the nice smoking whistle
Thanks RJ😃
Thanks RJ
I personally prefer Lionel because of its control system, slow speed operation, superior sounds and remote!
Morning from Australia
Say what you will, Wikipedia called it. MTH brought innovation to a stagnant hobby, lowered prices, and forced its competitors to up their game.
Both are nice but your right about the detail. If MTH ever improves the base of their sounds Lionel could be in trouble. I have an older legacy Mikado from 2012 and it looks and sounds great. The detail was better then than now. I think the bean counters want them to cut cost imo.
(Tom here.)
Maybe LIONEL needs to hire some newer model train experts to design better trains. After all, they'll need to catch up with these MTH engine designers to garner the market they once had way back when. Maybe the LIONEL people have been resting on their laurels......as they say. Well?
😍😍😍😍😍🥰🥰🥰🥰
MTH is better with the smoking whistle that actually comes out of the whistle and not a hole in the boiler.
You can't beat the steam coming out of the whistle like that
Nice review and like you I think MTH is better. But you do need to get a caboose for your L&N engine.
I’ve got one on preorder ;) not too many L&N cabooses out there
I prefer MTH models, but their electronics give me so many issues that I run only Lionel Legacy engines. Both are great in many ways, but when it comes to running reliability, Lionel all the way.
Great point!
I've had the opposite luck I have 15 MTH models with over 3000 scale miles with everything original and Lionel models waiting to be fixed
Ok ngl this whistle in the mth sounds like the whistle from sometimes they come back not 1218 but the cass Shay whistle yall know what im talking about
Can you run mth on a Lionel controller?
No but you can run Lionel on an MTH controller
@@rj.trains that’s so weird.. I want to try out mth at some point but I just don’t know what to do first…
@@TrainTableRailroad MTH engines are good value for the money, I own seven of them and have never been disappointed. And MTH has an easy "fall back to conventional operation" option if you don't want to go to another control system.
I'm a conventional runner myself so it makes no difference to me.
MTH Wins. Not even close.
Personally I like Lionel
They are both great for different reasons
@@rj.trains agreed!
My name is Uncle Ariel Ethan Mermaid.
After years of buying both Lionel and MTH engines I have found the quality and reliability of MTH engines way better than Lionel. When you do need parts MTH has them and they are easier to work on. Lionels sould Quality is way better, although MTH has improved in that area. I run my stuff a lot and due to past issues am now only purchasing MTH.
K-line
K-Line video is coming soon....
Some video mostly Mth 15 seconds of Lionel you need to make a fair run on both .
I don't like the newer ps3 3 😝😝😝😝 I'd stick with mth ps2 2 the old version mth premier ps2 is the best n collection because of mike wolf. Mike's train house 👍🏻😊
MTH is better. Don’t @ me
Give me your NYC Legacy Atlantic then
@@rj.trains AEM7 for Atlantic
I thought MTH was a dead company
Lionel overated and grossly over priced I will stay with MTH.
Lionel has no fidelity to scale or detail , MTH makes fine scale modles
A beauty RJ. Looks great....more realistic due to the detailing. A fine addition. Thanks!