Got to the point of doing the valve gear and got stuck. Instructions where terrible.Couldn’t find the info I needed on the web. All I really needed was to see one running to answere my question. Then I remembered Trainboy had that animated running gear Gif in his signature.BINGO!!! Just what I needed.
Doesn’t run too bad for a cheap kit. When I can afford it, I’ll get the Bowser super detail kit and NWSL motor for it. For now, it looks pretty good under the tree.THANKS Trainboy!
Wonderful! Do you have any pictures?
which mikado kit ?
Wish I had pics-Santa hasn’t brought me a digital camera yet.[:(]
It’s the old Tyco Mantua Mikado from about 1975. I found it at my LHS real cheap.I know it’s not very detailed, but it was a lot of fun to build. Now I can’t wait to get some detail parts and a real motor for it.
Cool. There’s nothing like building one from a kit! (except maybe scratch building)
I’ve built several Mantua steam loco kits, a couple were Mikados. You are right, that valve gear can be a real bear to assemble properly the first time you try it. If you’re going to do more of them, a little advice for the riveting: get the Bowser rivet tool, it’s like a center punch with a cup around it to give the rivet a flare. And get a flat piece of steel, about 3 inches diameter or square to use as a hammer block to back up the rivet and hold the rods flat until you flare the rivet.
Thanks Tom, I got that advise before I started and used it to build this one. I might try the Bowser rivets next time. They look like a two part rivet that’s a little higher quality.