Mantua 2-6-6-2 Articualted Logger

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grlakeslogger

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Sep 2, 2003
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Re: Mantua 2-6-6-2...

Originally posted by Lighthorseman
I recall wanting one of these for YEARS, and before I did anything about it, Mantua drops off the map. :( Prices on Ebay went ballistic. Mantua 2-6-6-2s were going for over $200.00 USD for a while. Sadly, there was no way I was going to pay that.

After John Tyler, Mantua founder, died, the company was eventually sold. A few years ago, members of the Tyler family re-purchased it. That's when the prices went crazy almost overnight. Around Nov. 2000, I was at the Nat'l. Hobby Show in Chicago--I worked for a hobby shop for a while--and went by Mantua's booth. I believe MSRP on this loco had just hit $239.95. I mentioned the fact that many of our customers had stopped buying Mantua after the price increase. They must have heard a lot of similar comments that day. Mantua decided to call it quits not long after they released their 75th Anniversary HO set.

By the way, nice tank car in that set!

I hope Model Power does well--Mantua always meant rugged engines that were easy to work on and to kit-bash.
--Stu--
Click to expand...
 
C

camelot

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Jan 12, 2003
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For everyone interested in the Mantua Cassic Logger and the Camelback , this is the reply that i got by email when enquiring about them through thier web site...

The logger the middle of the year,the camelback maybe end of year. Thanks, Michael

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MICHAEL SICURELLI
MODEL POWER/MANTUA
180 SMITH STREET
FARMINGDALE, NY 11735
800-628-2803 (Phone)
631-694-7133 (Fax)
www.modelpower.com

Unfortuantly for me i am hopeing that the spectrum HO Class B climax will be out about then and i have just got to get one of those But at the price they are advertsing it might just be too goog to resist:D

Cheers

Ian
 
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justind

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Jul 8, 2001
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Uintah Railway

I happened to grow up near Vernal, UT so I was somewhat fascinated by the Uintah Railway and love that Mantua actually offers a model of their 2-6-6-2T's, but haven't been able to afford one yet.
The line was actually narrow guage with a constant 7.5% grade in some places that even Shays were struggling with the loads of Gilsonite, so the articulated was the answer to their power needs. The coal bunker was actually raised to the level of the roof and beveled out, and with the tanks on the boiler and plenty of room for boxes of heavy scrap metal on the front of the frame, they were some powerful, sure-footed beasts that could traverse some amazing radius. In fact the Uintah came up with the design themselves and it looked pretty funny on some of the crazy curves of that line.
After the Uintah kicked up its heels the two 2-6-6-2T's were sold to the Sumpter Railway, and then to a railroad in South America. By then the tanks had been taken off the boiler and they were using a tender. This wasn't the best idea, as the lack of weight compromised the engines sure-footedness and they didn't perform as well anymore.

I'm sure most of you probably already knew this, but it is fun to talk about (at least for me :D ) and the history is interesting of the line is interesting.
 
G

grlakeslogger

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For my part, it is always great to hear it from somebody like yourself, who saw it first hand. Around what year were the locos sold to the Sumpter?

Oh, and thanks also, Justin, for the info about the boxes of scrap metal and the unusual shape of the coal bunkers. I'd never heard those two bits before. Anyway, neat locos!
--Stu--
 
Lightbender

Lightbender

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Dec 28, 2003
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www.thegemdoctor.com
Hello Justin,

Thanks a bunch for those details I really appreciate the insight. I have ordered the tank version as I prefer the looks of it over the tender version. I have been told that I can not expect a delivery before April, sigh.

As a matter of fact I know nothing about this little beauty, but then I know little of North American traction in general and even less about the logging lines. I have to admit that I am running many steamers that are quite alien to my steam experience. England never had anything like the 4-4-0 AStd's, Climax's, Heislers or Shays that run on my rails. Of course it doesn't help that I do my research by looking at pictures until I see something that widens my eyes and drops my jaw.
 
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sumpter250

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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by justind
The loco's were sold to the Sumpter about 1939. I'm not sure how long they kept them after that.
The Lucien Sprague articulateds, the largest ever used on American narrow gauge rails, came to the Sumpter Valley RY, in the spring of 1940. The 251 had her tanks removed right away, the 250 kept hers until that winter. They were sold to the International Railways of Central America, in July 1947. They were out of service by the mid sixties, ending their days at Escuintla,
Guatemala.
There is a great article in one of the Narrow Gauge Gazette on these puppies. I forgot what year it was published, however, I believe it was within the past 4 years.
Click to expand...
May/June, July/August, Sept./Oct 1999,Narrow Gauge and Shortline Gazette.......may/june-Uintah,
july/aug-SVRY, Sep./oct. IRCA.
Mallory Hope Ferrell's book, Rails Sagebrush and Pines, is one of the very few references on the Sumpter Valley Railway.
Pete
 
oleirish

oleirish

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Nov 6, 2005
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I like those models,so if I only use one double air pump on my logger its close to right,now what do you recomend for an replacement boiler,the tender I can scratch build,I've throught about an old mantua 2-8-2 cast boiler,It will probley need a lot of granding to fit but I think it can be done.anyway great work on all the loggers on here gives me lots of ideas for sure.Here is proto type
bthkel1rp.jpg



my logger
airpump5ej.jpg
not a real good picture
 
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