Repowering a Mantua 2-6-0 or 4-6-0

Try Yardbird, the D8120 kit.

The DB8120 looks just like the Mantua can motor kit I bought thru Mantua parts dept, back a few years ago when Mantua was still a business. I put mine into a Mantua Pacific. The kit is little more than a can motor and cast bracket that lets it mount on the same screws as the old Pitmann open frame motor. On my Pacific the improvement in low speed creep was dramatic. The stock open frame motor was not bad, slowest speed was 5 scale miles/hr. With the can motor installed the slowest creep speed dropped way down to 0.01 scale miles/hr. It would creep forward tie by tie. I like the old die cast Mantua's. With some detailing and good coat of paint and decals they can look as good as brass. They pull better than plastic, 'cause they are heavier. The Pacific came with an unexciting plastic casting that combined pilot, boiler ladders, and front mounted twin airpumps. I replaced the entire thing with cast brass detail parts (airpumps, pilot, airpump dirt shield) soft soldered to a bit of 1" brass bar stock. The Mogul and the Ten Wheeler might benifit from a simular rigging. Glaze the cab windows and give 'em a working headlight.

David Starr

DM: I think these both would have an angle-mount PM-1. I assume the 2-6-0 eventually got the drop-in can motor upgrade that the other PM-1 powered engines got. I don't know if the 4-6-0 stayed around long enough to get a can motor.

Mogul:

I would think the Helix Humper #160 or #161 would work, since they are designed for PM-1 equipped locos. #161 appears to be the same as #160, except that the Flydrive isn't pressed on.

Maybe Model Power has a motor you could use.

Cordially yours: Gerard P. President, a box of track and a solid-state Ampack