MTH RailKing O gauge New York subway set

EVER NOTICE THAT when you visit a layout that has some sort of subway system designed into it, when you peek into the subterranean station, 9 times out of 10 you’ll see a trolley car darting through the dim light?

Since 1998 MTH has had a remedy for this: a modern subway train can now deliver those subterranean commuters to their destinations. MTH has introduced its second subway train, this time a licensed Metropolitan Transit Authority outfit that is sure to warm the heart of any displaced New Yorker or Jerseyite.

The body style of these units is simple and clean. The model mirrors the sedate look of the prototype. The ABS plastic shells do a good job mimicking the stainless-steel prototypes with anti-graffiti sides. The bodies are smooth, interrupted only by ribbing on the lower third of the side and, of course, four doors and three windows.

The cars have illuminated interiors and create a rather nice looking train. The outfit comes as a four-car set, and a two-car add-on is also available.

Decoration is well applied, minimal yet realistic. A car number, route letter, and MTA logo pretty much cover it.

Since a subway system is tough to model, one staff member suggested a good subway layout would be one where the train was only seen or heard through drains and grates placed in the O scale streets and sidewalks (perhaps with a 1:48 scale Marilyn Monroe strategically posed). No doubt others will come up with concepts to better display these trains.

If you can talk yourself into the fact that this outfit is supposed to run in the light of day, MTH has something special for you! To enhance the operating experience, the ProtoSound system includes a fun feature allowing you to trigger a stop and a sequence of sounds.

By pressing the bell button until you hear the hiss of an air line, the train announces a station stop. The train then automatically stops and you hear the sounds of people rushing in and out of the cars. On some stops you hear the roar of another subway train passing by. This sound is so good that you can almost feel the forced air rushing by. The train then warns you to stand clear of the doors, the doors chime a warning, and occasionally you hear someone shouting to “hold that door.” The subway train then accelerates out of the station.

Pretty neat. I think that this is by far is the most effective use of the ProtoSound freight yard or station sounds yet devised for operator fun.

MTH’s instruction manual offers advice on creating an electrical track trip so the train will stop itself and then go through the cycle automatically.

Our low speed average for this train was 11.9 scale mph, and the high end was a brisk 108.4 scale mph. (Don’t you just bet Big Apple commuters wish they could be whisked around that rapidly?)

Though most owners won’t be tagging freight cars at the end of this train, the drawbar pull was 2 pounds, 4 ounces, roughly equaling more than 100 modern, free-rolling pieces of rolling stock on straight and level track.

This is a lot of fun in a small package. The RailKing subway train is a fresh idea that pays off in fun. So if you’ve ever wanted an O gauge rapid transit system and wanted to move beyond the trolley car stage, your local train dealer may have the answer for you!