Click on the "image" link in the table to see a pop-up window with the car image. All images are Copyright © by and available through kind permission of Micro-Trains Line, Inc. except where starred (*) where they are Copyright © and available through kind permission of The N Scale Collector's Society (Nn3 and Z Scale examples).
Where available, I have indicated the prototype from which the body style is drawn. Contributions to this part of the table are heartily encouraged!
This table includes both the "new" (starting January 2005) and "old" (November 1972 to December 2004) catalog numbers. MTL officially changed to an eight digit catalog number for all items including rolling stock in January 2005.
This table includes both the "new" (starting January 2005) and "old" (May 1988 to December 2004) catalog numbers. MTL officially changed to an eight digit catalog number for all items including rolling stock in January 2005.
Notes:
*The first release of the 15701 D&RGW caboose in July 1989 is described as having the two window cupola. MTL's
own notes indicate that it only had the one window cupola, and some copies are labeled as such, but two window cupola
versions do exist. The first release date would be Nov 1990 if the 15701 release wasn't counted.
^Advertised as a new body style for Nn3 with first regular release in January 2011, however, was previously issued
in a Special Run in 2003 (NSC # 03-117 for example). Body style is a repurposed Z Scale Single Dome Tank Car.
**There is not yet a new catalog number for this series.
This table includes both the "new" (starting January 2005) and "old" (March 1985 to December 2004) catalog numbers. MTL officially changed to an eight digit catalog number for all items including rolling stock in January 2005. First release dates were taken from MTL's Z Scale release database, available on their website, and may note the release of a car with Marklin couplers, Magne-Matic couplers, or both simultaneously. (Simultaneous releases did not always take place especially in early productions.)
Note that besides being renumbered, the categories of cars have been regrouped, so that, for example, all 40 foot boxcars are in the same number sequence. The table is therefore ordered by the new sequence; it would be too confusing otherwise. There seems to be plenty of room for growth, given the spaces in the numbering systems! Also note that the 40 foot gondola does not have a new number as MTL has declared it "obsolete"-- I guess that means no more of them!
Notes:
*The final release of the 14300 series was the 14303 Union Pacific reprint in November 1999.
+The 20 and 40 foot containers first available only with the Gunderson well car as of May, 2007. Undecorated containers were released in 4-packs (760 00 000 and 761 00 000) in April, 2008.
Decorated 40 foot containers were released starting in February 2009 and decorated 20 foot containers starting in June 2009.