The 2-6-6-2 Mantua w/ tender

[jr switch]

We have had plenty of snow so I didn't expect to get the new 2-6-6-2 very quickly. Very pleasantly surprised to get home from work today and find it had arrived.
There is a few things on this that are something of a surprise. First of all, there's no draw bar. The engine and tender wiring plug snaps together tightly enough with small lock tabs that a draw bar isn't needed. You get a plastic rail guide with it to simplify putting it on the track and it works great. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm hoping it can be used with some of the other steam engines also. The front and rear trucks on the engine are spring-loaded electrical pickups, along with the tender trucks, so it's getting plenty of juice.
It runs great, has a good slow speed, and the articulation is cool to watch. One thing I want to ask some of our steam experts, the compressor pipe comes from the front of the cab, along the left side to the dual compressors on the front. The front of the pipe has a 90 degree so that it points to the compressor, but the end just hangs in space. Not connected to the comp. I realize that in taking a curve to the right, this line would have to flex, but it did on the real one. Would this have been a rubber hose, connected to a metal line on the prototype? If so, I'll figure a way to connect to the compressors. Any suggestions?

 

[Nomad]

Hey Jr Switch , I got mine the other day to. I also went with the tender, it fit my layout better. Are you running yours with dcc? I am using dc for now, until the lhs gets decoders in.
Some things I found with mine That might help you. A couple of drivers were out of gauge, and the lead truck kept derailing. The drivers were easy to regauge, and for the lead truck, I loosened the retainer screw a quarter turn, so it dropped down further and put more pressure on the rail.
Hope you enjoy yours as much as I do mine.

Loren

 

[jr switch]

Hey Loren, good morning. I'm just running DC for now. The space I'll have for a layout just isn't going to allow me to have enough different trains running to justify going to DCC. I'm only going to have two complete circuits. One for frieght and the other, my pass cars.
How do you reguage the wheels? I'm running on a 22" curved oval at present and mine seems to be doing fine.
I still can't get my photos from the Adobe photoshop or whatever to post. I can get them up on the screen, but not on the forum. Wanted to get the painted, unlettered, but that went out of stock, so in a panic, I got the Western Maryland.
What type of train will you be pulling? Were these logging engines? Anyway, they look good going around the track and it'll be fun to weather. Take care----John

 

[bigsteel]

hey jr,great news about your 2-6-6-2.most engines have instructions telling you how to regauge wheels ,atleast my life like and atlas ones did.and thse engines were more famous when C&O had them (i LOVE C&O) with the 'flying pumps configuration.they were mostly used for HUGE coal drags in the mountains of west virginia.these were some of the most powerful engines ever built!they might have been used for logging but like there famous owners 95% of the time it was mile long coal drags.--josh

 

[pgandw]

The Mantua 2-6-6-2 is a model (maybe more of an interpretation..) of the narrow gauge Unitah Railway engines, which were later sold to the Sumpter Valley, and eventually ended up in Mexico. The Unitah commissioned 2 locos of the design to get reasonable trains over their very steep (6%+) and very sharp curves (something like 12" in HO).

When later sold to the Sumpter Valley, they were used in logging service. The tenders were removed and the tanks added.

The Mantua mechanism has obviously been widened to standard gauge. I don't know whether other parts, such as boiler and cab, were enlarged also.

just my thoughts

 

[jr switch]

Hey Josh, how are you doin---Good morning Fred, I remember seeing a photo somewhere of one of these with a long line of hoppers behind it. It's really a cool looking little engine and I'm real pleased with it. Thanks again Josh.
Have either of you ever said something with out thinking it through? I did just that in the beginning of this thread. I had asked the forum if the compressor line to the front had to have a hose on it for flexability and then when I looked closer I discovered that the compressors are mounted on the front of the engine and of course, don't turn with the articulated front end. One small drop of super glue and now the comp. line is connected to the compressors. I guess this is proof that even the learning impaired get to play with trains.
Well Iv'e got to get to work, but I'll check back later. Thanks for the info Guys-----John

 

[oleirish]

I have an older mantua 2-6-6-2 w/tender,and mine runs great,have added a few details to it allso.I have down loaded a lot of info on maillit loggers,mine was the old "BOOTH KELLY"
I removed the tanks and added an tender,It is now waiting for a sound unit.
JIM

 

[Russ Bellinis]

I think the Northern Pacific had some 2-6-6-2 mallets that were very close to the design of the Mantua model with tender. They would have been used from around 1910 until they were replaced. The Sierra Railroad also had one in standard gauge for a while in the early 50's when they were trying to find a way to keep running steam before they gave up and bought diesels.

 

[jr switch]

Jim, what tender did you use with your 2-6-6-2? And the tender was just pulled and had no electrical pick-up? How were the side tanks fastened to the side of the engine? Sounds like a really interesting transformation and I'm just curious about how you did it. Could you post a couple photos?
These engines don't appear to be real big and yet would have produced a lot of pulling power for their size. The later 2-6-6-2's seemed noticably bigger and heavier. Am I right? It amazes me that the side rods, on these models, hold together as well as they do, as small as they are. And the rods on these are pretty complicated
Anyway, this one is a good runner and runs well at the slower speeds, so I'm happy with it. John

 

[jr switch]

Russ, my wife and I were just out there at Xmas time in San Clemente. We had lived in Mission Viejo for about 10 years prior to recently moving back here to the midwest. Sure wish I had gotten into this hobby a lot sooner due to there are some great train stores out there and the closest to me here is Indianapolis, about 80 miles away. And only two or three stores for HO rather than the several you could go to. Plus, the once or twice a year run down to Balboa Park to see the Tehachapi layout. There are some things I miss about California. Right now, with a ton of snow everywhere, and the temp. this morning at -8 degrees ,we sometimes wonder why we moved at all.

 

[Russ Bellinis]

Russ, my wife and I were just out there at Xmas time in San Clemente. We had lived in Mission Viejo for about 10 years prior to recently moving back here to the midwest. Sure wish I had gotten into this hobby a lot sooner due to there are some great train stores out there and the closest to me here is Indianapolis, about 80 miles away. And only two or three stores for HO rather than the several you could go to. Plus, the once or twice a year run down to Balboa Park to see the Tehachapi layout. There are some things I miss about California. Right now, with a ton of snow everywhere, and the temp. this morning at -8 degrees ,we sometimes wonder why we moved at all.

It has always seemed odd to me that So. Cal. has so many model train stores in an area where we don't have basements, but back East where basements are a necessity, the model train shops seem to be fewer. I have to make a point of only supporting the model train stores near me, or I could easily go broke!

 

[jr switch]

Russ-- I wish I had paid more attention when my brother-in-law and I ran over to the store in your area while we were out there. Sort of small storefront, deep store with a long rectangular layout a little to the left as you walk in. A 4-8-8-4 on the layout, among others. Several shelves of freight cars in the rear left corner and a small "O" or "G" layout in the right rear corner. Very helpful friendly people. I bought a stock car, tanker, and two box cars for about $40.00 and really pleased due to ready to roll with metal wheels and knuckle couplers. Wish that store was a short drive from where I live.

 

[bigsteel]

the only LHS i have which is close enugh to use is "dons hobby shop" , i've never been there but apparently they dont have much in the way of trains.and "hobbly lobby" is even worse,there employee's dont know jack about trains!either way i wish i could get a hobby shop nearby to get stuff as cheap as the ones you got JR.--josh

P.S im only 4 posts from 200!!

 

[jr switch]

Josh, your a funny guy! What happens when you post your 200th entry? Please tell me that the moderators and forum organizers all get together and pick out a surprise steam engine to send you! No?-----are you sure?----there is no surprise?-------------crap
John

 

[bigsteel]

Josh, your a funny guy! What happens when you post your 200th entry? Please tell me that the moderators and forum organizers all get together and pick out a surprise steam engine to send you! No?-----are you sure?----there is no surprise?-------------crap
John

I know I'm hilarious aren't I ,as for the 200th entry...i wish!!!if that was the case the forum would be in serious debt problems and the server would blow up do to eager typers writhing in pain do too there extreme carpultunnel! --josh

P.S--1 away!

 

[jr switch]

OK Josh, this is it! 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1----I'm asking you a question so that you will be forced to answer---How far are you willing to drive to find a good train store? I can get some paint and my super glue locally, but I have to drive at least 60 miles to see trains. Every once in awhile, I make the trip, even tho I only buy engines over the internet. Hobby shop prices on steam engines are too high-----

 

[Stan Bolsenga]

2-6-6-2 disaster

Got my 2-6-6-2, tried to outfit for dcc with a TCS T1. Didn't work at all. Called manufacturer and they said to send back. Haven't heard back yet. Big disapointment.

 

[jr switch]

Stan, did you get one with the tender? What did you have to do to set it up for DCC?It seems that this type of installation would be much easier if the manufacturers would send a diagram and recommend the appropriate system to use with their engine. For a lot of us, tearing into one of these might be a little tricky. That's just one of several reasons I'm in no hurry to try DCC, plus the cost of course.
Well, I feel your pain cause I have one in with Bachmann myself. Called their service dept and was told it could be a month or two. Other than one small spot in the track it doesn't like, mine runs like a champ, so hang in there and hopefully it won't take too long--
John

 

[Russ Bellinis]

Russ-- I wish I had paid more attention when my brother-in-law and I ran over to the store in your area while we were out there. Sort of small storefront, deep store with a long rectangular layout a little to the left as you walk in. A 4-8-8-4 on the layout, among others. Several shelves of freight cars in the rear left corner and a small "O" or "G" layout in the right rear corner. Very helpful friendly people. I bought a stock car, tanker, and two box cars for about $40.00 and really pleased due to ready to roll with metal wheels and knuckle couplers. Wish that store was a short drive from where I live.

That sounds like Arnies Trains. They advertise here on the Gauge. There are probably 6 or more hobby shops within a 20 mile radius of my house. If I tried to support all of them, I would be broke in no time flat! I go to the Hobby Warehouse because they are good people and are less than 4 miles from my house.

 

[jr switch]

Your right Russ, it was Arnies. I completely understand what your saying about having too many choices of hobby shops. When we lived out there, there was a shop somewhere that had something I thought I needed all the time. I think I pushed my wife's patience to the limit a little. I'm sure that it's best that Indianapolis is 70 miles away! John