Model Power/Mantua purchased by Lionel

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I do not think I have seen this in the MR News on this website, or in the Forums, but Lionel has posted a statement saying they have acquired the Model Power/Mantua line of HO scale trains from ATI Model Products. It is not clear to me exactly what they are saying.

First, Model Rectifier Corp. has been advertising both former Model Power and former Mantua stuff. Is MRC also ATI?

Second, is the acquisition just the Mantua part of the holdings or also the former Model Power which would presumably include structures in addition to trains?

Third, Model Power also had some N scale stuff and the Lionel announcement refers only to just HO. Does MRC retain anything of its Model Power acquisition?

I am not sure any of this means much to me as a modeler but it is always interesting to know what’s going on in the hobby.

Dave Nelson

2

Apparently this was announced early August 2018, as witnessed from the thread on the railwire.net forum. There is much speculation on that thread as would be expected, but for N-scalers there is this:

Hmm, linking is wonky, trying this URL then:
https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=45212.0

3

I heard about this in this report from the national train show in KC (skip ahead to about 11:50):

https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video;_ylt=AwrE1xuczrNbxxIAYOlXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEyb3ZxOTE0BGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQjQwMzdfMQRzZWMDc2M-?p=kansas+city+national+train+show+2018&fr=ymyy-t-999&vm=r#id=1&vid=d9c8b02394938728ca6cc90850fafcae&action=view

4

Several years ago MTH bought the S Helper line as a way to get into S. And while they produce some of it, it’s very slow and much of the line has still not been made in the many years since the purchase.

Maybe Lionel will be different, but especially for N scale I suggest that if you like Model Power / Mantua, buy as much as you can now.

Paul

5

Side note rant:

Its a real shame. Mantua used to be a well known company, for making premium products. Then it was bought by Model Power. Now it, and Model Power are just being thrown around, first by MRC, now Lionel.

6

I have not been following model railroading very closely for a while now, and this is the first that I have heard of this, and I don’t know what Lionel’s plans are, BUT don’t sell Lionel short on potential Quality or detail, Lionel has several lines within the O Gauge market, and their High End stuff is way more impressive than anything that Mantua or Model Power ever produced.

Just sayin, wait to see what they put out before writing them off.

Doug

7

Okay so I am not the only one confused by Lionels announcement

8

Wonder if they will introduce “3 rail” HO track and locos? That would end any confusion caused by those pesky reverse loops and turntables…

9

Here is Lionel’s announcement:

Lionel is pleased to announce that it has agreed to a deal with ATI Model Products Inc., doing business as Model Power, to acquire a broad range of model train tooling used to produce the Model Power/Mantua product lines. Final details of the agreement are being worked through and tooling is expected to transfer to Lionel in September of 2018. No previously produced product is contemplated in the transaction. This strategic acquisition will accelerate Lionel’s expansion in the HO category, while adding complementary products and accessories to other portions of its business. More details will be shared as they become available.

10

I don’t know about that. Mantua was always OK and produced some logging stuff that was only available elsewhere in brass. Model Power at one time made great kits but this quickly digressed into making toy stuff for the mass market, basicaly what Life-Like made before they came out with their proto stuff and that kinda changed everything.

11

That´s why I went back to my old Marklin 3-rail AC trains, which also put an end to nearly all track cleaning questions.

[swg][swg][swg]

12

Mantua became TYCO and their quality went down.

Model Power building kits are the same repackaged Euro kits that were sold as Pola, AHM, IHC, etc.

13

Lionel has come out with some HO scale trains within the past 10 years (maybe a little longer) with a Veranda Diesel Engine if I’m not mistaken. Think they came out with a Polar Express train in HO scale a year or two ago? In any event, this is good for the hobby, especially if they make the trains the way Model Power did, with all of the weight to these cars.

This should be looked at as a good thing for the hobby, not a bad thing…

Neal

14

I Believe that it was 2003, that Lionel did the Union Pacific Veranda Turbines (Not Diesels). Lionel also Produced the Late Union Pacific Challengers as well.

These are models to look at in regards to what Lionel can do in HO, both models were very well done, Highly Detailed, High Quality models.

In the Veranda Turbines Lionel did 2 Road #'s in each of the Grey and Silver trucks(both were correct)

Lionel went all out with the Challengers, they did 2 Road #'s in each of 6 versions 4 for the Union Pacific, Black/Coal Fired/ No Smoke Lifters, Black/Oil Fired/with Smoke Lifters. Two Tone Grey&Yellow/Oil Fired/with Smoke Lifters, Two Tone Grey&Silver(My Favorite)/Oil Fired/with Smoke Lifters

Plus they did 2 Road #'s for Rio Grande, and 2 Road #'s for the Clinchfield, which they even had separate tooling for the Clinchfield, and modeled them as modified by the Clinchfield, with a Single Stack, instead of the Dual stacks as used by the UP and Rio Grande.

Lionel produced these from Metal, and they were equipped with Full Dual Mode DC/DCC with Sound.

I have a complete collection of these models and have been very Happy with them, while I was still an active member of the Columbia Gorge Model Railroad Club in Portland, OR, these wer popular during our open house weekends in November, especially my 3980 TTG/Silver pulling a set of TTG/Silver Passenger cars. If you have seen the Disney STYLE childrens movie “Train Master” that was filmed at the CGMR, and my Passenger train makes a brief appearance.

I don’t know what Lionel’s HO plans are, but they are Very capable of “Getting it Right”, I would look more to the Challengers and Veranda Turbines, than the HO “Polar Express” as what to expect, the PE was designed and intended for a Childrens market, not the Avid Modeler.

Doug

15

Hopefully Lionel will do well and make products that are attractive to non-model railroaders, and the hobby will grow.

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Go Lionel HO!

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-Kevin

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16

I think the logical assumption is that Lionel will at least early on just be making products already produced under the Mantua or Model Power name. Mantua’s 4-4-2 and 2-6-6-2 were good engines, especially when they started to come with can motors in the late eighties.

At one time at least, Cary made a USRA boiler shell and detail set to fit on the Mantua/Tyco 2-8-2 or 4-6-2 chassis. It would be great if Lionel could work out a way to factory produce models like that, kinda like what Athearn did when it bought the Highliner F-unit shell line and used them to make Genesis F-units that were a big step up from their old ‘bluebox’ F-7s.

17

Now THAT is an interesting idea that had not crossed my mind. I assume Bowser is sitting on the Cary tooling. LeeTown also made after market parts to convert various Mantua engines to different prototypes, Jersey Central and such. So did an outfit called Mellor, if memory serves. But that tooling might be long gone.

One thing the “real” Mantua HO (by which I mean the die cast steam locomotives) had in common with Lionel O and O-27 is durability. The fragility of so many cheap beginner HO trainsets is one of many reason the retention rate into full fledged model railroading has not been what it could be.

Dave Nelson