Some things I search for are easy to find. I’ve found that the easiest way to get an answer is to ask on this forum. I really do appreciate all of the help I’ve received so far. Could anyone help me identify this wreck of a loco. I believe it is from the early eighties. It’s the last of the engines form my uncle that I have yet to identify. Any and all information would be great. I believe it’s missing it’s trailing trucks. Thanks
well, i don’t know the manufacturer but it looks like either a 4-6-2 Pacific or a 4-6-4 Hudson which had the trailing truck broken off. you can actually see the excess space between the tender and the driving wheels. judging by the tender’s 6-wheel trucks, i think its a damaged hudson. maybe you should google “80’s train manufacturers HO”. i think its a TYCO or something. do some research and maybe you will find something. as for running qualities, i think its better to sit in the display case.
i may be wrong…
Notice the term clunker! I am planning on breaking it down a little and rusting the bejesus out of it. I was just curious what it was that I was going to trash. I saw somebody do that to a steamer and plant it next to an engine house. I figure that’s the best that this cheapie deserves! Thanks for the guess
It’s a Tyco or Mantua Pacific. http://tycotrain.tripod.com/steamengines/id8.html The name should be on the underside of the tender, IIRC.
You can get the trailing truck and side rod screw here. You’ll need the screw set for a six driver loco.
http://www.yardbirdtrains.com/YBSMparts.htm
I don’t know who gave it those stylin’ red hubcaps, though.
That is a old Mantua 4-6-4 or 4-6-2.Both engines was also release by Tyco.
Thanks for the information. I pulled this thing out of storage after almost twenty years. The funny thing is, it totally tried to destroy itself after I lubed the side rods and gears. I still have the screw to fix it. This engine is the reason that I bought the spectrum 2-8-0. I wanted a shorter wheel base and a smooth runner. Sometimes this old equipment serves a purpose in showing me what I don’t want! I have noticed that my athearn bb diesels are almost indestructable.
I think it is a Mantua 4-6-2. My brother owned one very early in the 80’s I dont know what happened to it. I think the red axle ends on the driving wheels is a painted touch up because they probably didnt waste the paint for that at the factory.
Hopefully the rods on the other side are still organized so you can try and reconstruct them after getting the bolts.
Those old sparkys bring back memories where Brass danced in dreams and longing for quality running instead of 12 volt on or 12 volt off. LOL.
If you ever get it running again, take a video if you can. Anything still running after 20+ years deserve praise.
Those Athearn BB engines are so indestructable. I finally sold the last of mine after seeing what the amp meter does when I fire it up. Not to mention the humming. whew!
By the way what is that peice of N scale track doing near the engine?
Those can be re motored and made to run pretty smooth. They’re pretty good pullers too. That yardbird site has new motors.
Before it destroyed itself, it ran around the track at breakneck speed. In all fairness, the athearns took a while to work out the kinks as well. The n scale track is being used for a quasi mining operation. I’m pairing it up with an n scale ore car. My layout is a design on a dime type operation. I just have to be crafty with what I put together. I know that to an experienced modeler, my layout will be severely lacking. To me it’s just having fun and taking my mind off of work. The problem I see with making this a rust bucket, is I have a consolidation that is my best engine. I think I’ll have to do some serious weathering and aging to make it passible. Possible it was easier for the mining company to maintain a smaller engine?
Apparently all that was wrong was a loose main rod screw, which flew off while you were running it. As long as you still have the screw and spacer, it can be put back together very easily. Those Mantuas are also virtually indestructible, and as Loather remarked can be made into very smooth runners with some of the can motors available.
I’ve reattched the screw acouple of times. It likes to work itself loose. Is it diifecult to remotor an engine like this? I know it’s really easy to take the boiler off. Three screws and off it comes.
It’s very simple. The motors are virtually drop-in replacements. There are pics and instructions posted here: http://www.yardbirdtrains.com/YBMotorIndx.htm
You need to tighten the screw carefully with a small pair of pliers.
Put a drop of Lock Tight or even super glue on the threads. My Mikado used to do the same thing. The motor in mine is held in with one screw and has one wire. (DC)
If I recall, I only saw one wire as well. I’ll have to try the lock-tight.
I have a 4-6-2 Pacific from Mantua that was remotored with a Helix Humper motor with a flywheel. I replaced the side rods and bolts with parts from Model Power. I got mine as a Christmas present about 35 years ago. One of the side rods had almost worn thru at a bolt hole. I insalled a DCC decoder and it runs pretty good.
Hey steamfreak!!, Thanks for the tip on the yardbird link. I got a Mantua tank logger 2-6-6-2 that I wanna remotor and convert to DCC. As I remember,its been a couple years since I ran it, the electrical pickup was lousy on that loco. Any recommendations?
Without a tender I guess it comes up a little short in terms of pickup. If it only picks up current from 3 drivers on each engine, you could make wipers to make all 12 drivers collect current, and maybe metal wheels on the lead and trailing trucks as well. Just guessing here, since I’ve never owned one.
I never did buy into Mantua stuff. The engines were more generic, but inexpensive kits, but their a kit bashers paradise. Someone made a Virginian Triplex with Mantua chassis and parts.
I have the 0-6-0 remotored and regeared with NWSL, can pull a looong string of cars at a crawl.
Great for switching.