Hi all! I have a few questions for all those who have seen/run/own either an FT A/B set from Intermountain and or MTL. I’m thinking of picking up one or two sets in the blue and yellow Santa Fe Freight scheme. How do they run? How do their running characteristics compare to other manufacturers like Kato and Atlas. How do they look? Paint wise and visually/prototypically? Paint as sharp as an Atlas or Kato engine? Anyone have any problems with them? How easy was it to install a decoder? Thanks all Dave Hughes
I don't own any but have run sets that belong to club members on our NTRAK layout. They both run as well as Kato and Atlas. The painting was excellent on the examples I have seen. The IM has more add on detail where the MT has some molded on grab irons, especially on the nose. The IM seem to couple closer together for a more prototypical look, at least on the ones I have seen. I have not had either opened up to see how DCC would be installed.
N Scale Supply has done us a great service by posting a feature-by-feature comparison of the MT and IM units, including pictures of the bare chassis, assembled and disassembled: Click Here: IM/MT FT comparison Thank you N Scale Supply!
Digitrax makes lightboard replacement decoders for each of these brands. I have done the install on the MT set and while it was not difficult, it was tricky. I benefited by asking for advice from those who had done the install. Once Atlas is back up you can search their DCC forum to see what advice was offered ACLer.
I bought only IMRC units. Early runs had some problems with noise and drawbar installation which IMRC corrected. In the few roads that both MT and IMRC made the same paint schemes... "I" felt that the IMRC units looked better. Both apparently run about the same. You may need to look at them side-by-side at an LHS and perhaps run them to see which you prefer.
I have both. I like the MTs better. With one exception, my MTs run better at slow speed than the IMs. They both pull about the same. IM has the better customer service of the two. IM's list price is better. IM gives more selection of road numbers. It is easier to take apart the MTs. The street prices of the older issues of the two got to be pretty close (with IM's being a bit lower), so when I was acquiring my FTs, I bought more MTs than I did IMs.
One of my MT B units grumbles as it runs. I think it is a tower gear mesh problem. The other three units help to get it along and are very smooth.
My pair of MT FTs (NYC) are not very well matched, resulting in a rather loud gear noise. If it runs for awhile, it sounds better. The pair of IM FTs (NYC same number!!) is matching better, and thus running smoother. As I think the speed match is a bit random, I think the two engines are pretty much equal in terms of quality. I am now waiting for IM F3's, have a set of NYC on order, and I hope that MTL will come out with another first generation diesel someday (Baldwin or Lima transfer units in PRR would be great ). Cheers, Christoph
IM, no contest. I have seven ABBA sets, after being disappointed with the MT offering. Problems with the MTs include open gearboxes that suck up lint, dust and hair from the tracks into the gears; pivoting coupler boxes that gave me many problems including the worst unintentional uncoupling I have ever had with a locomotive set, and unprototypically-wide coupling distance. I shake my head over the thought that MT's first diesel would have so many glitches with the...couplers!!! The detail is good, but if you break the delrin grab irons, they are impossible to re-attach with any cement or adhesive I have tried. To each their own, but I have cast my lot with IM for a long list of reasons...
WBFan has got to be the unofficial "Sultan of FTs" so I will defer to his opinion. I have seen his in action on the Sun-N-Sand NTrak, and there are no finer running locos. His ABBA set made quick work of a 110 car freight that was giving an Atlas FM Train Master plus 4 of the Atlas Alco RSD4/5's all they could handle. Of course, the detail on his set is of "magazine cover" calibre, too.
Hmmm, not to sure abot that roof grille work on the IM's tho, the mesh looks out of scale to me? whoppit
I have 5 IM ABBA sets and prefer the IM FT's to the two MT FT ABBA units that I own. The IM's are better detailed and run far better than the MT FT's. The decoder installation in the MT FT's is not "routine" and patience is required. Digitrax now makes a drop-in decoder for the IM FT's. Previously I was hardwiring a Lenz 521W into the IM FT's. Stay cool and run steam....
