Model Railroading > HO Milwaukee Little Joe's

I've heard several rumors of MTH doing an HO scale Milwaukee Road Little Joe's. These would include pantographs that raise via DCC control and would retail for $450. This rumor has come from several different directions. Any of you know something I don't?

I had also heard Walthers was looking at doing an HO Bi-Polar and making an Olympian hiawatha.

All just rumors??

Adam

Rumour? At the moment I would say, yes. However, I will add that I have long wondered why Broadway did not do the Little Joe using the head start they had with the GG-1 underframe. While I doubt it would be exactly correct as is, the chassis surely would have been a good start and everything thereafter would be a tooling.

The Milwaukee Road is a huge cult following and a Joe would very likely rival a UP Turbine for sales.

If MTH is doing it, the best thing they could do is change their name and branding. There is a large negative outcry against them (of which I have no opinion) but they are trying to bring good product to market. Taking a step away from their "I'll beat Athearn" with their product development might be a good step for them.

Rick

If you subscribe to the MILWmodelers list on Yahoo, these "rumors" appear to be true. Just wish it was anyone but MTH!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/14/09 14:48 by Milw_E70.

Milw_E70 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If you subscribe to the MILWmodelers list on
> Yahoo, these "rumors" appear to be true. Just wish
> it was anyone but MTH!


Hmm.. this is going to be really INTERESTING. I'm still surprised that BLI never stepped up to the plate on this one, but they exhibited little interest in it a few years ago - despite having just turned out a really nice GG-1. I guess they just wanted yet another Pennsy model.

Cheers,
Harry

That's awesome if MTH is doing the Little Joe, cause all of the MTH whiners, will not buy any, leaving more for me to buy!


DMIR230

If walthers is truly going to do a bi polar I'd look for a announcement for the missing cars to the Olympian first.

Even if you have to rip out the motor and make the unit a dummy and put it in front of a couple of SD-40-2s it would be worth it to have an affordable model of this locomotive.

Athearn's release of the UP Gas Turbines gave me hope that they would consider the Little Joes as well. The details on the turbines is fantastic. To be honest, I will have a hard time ponying of $450 for MTH given what I've seen at the local hobby shop.

BTW, powered raising/lowering of the pantographs is far down on my list of desirable features.

The Little Joe could also be painted and detailed for the South Shore.

I could have bought an unpainted brass Little Joe for the same amount at show a few years ago. I kick myself for not doing so.

Jim

> I'm
> still surprised that BLI never stepped up to the
> plate on this one,


Well, "they" - as in BLI, now MTH's Korean partner - have. It just took a settlement in an international lawsuit and a divestiture of BLI's early assets along with Lionel's HO scale materials to get around to the Little Joe.