Mantua Pacific - 1980's

[hotrainlover]

Dear Board,
I was given a HO Mantua Pacific several years ago.  I want to order parts, and install a decoder in it.  I looked up the site for these engines, but there were 3 "Runs" in the 1980's.  Does anyone have any info on markings, or what I should look for to choose the right one?

This is a a metal engine, with a metal tender, if that helps.

[Jim Banner]

I have two of these, bought used/not working.  One has an enclosed gear box and is the better runner of the two.  The other has the more usual worm-on-motor-shaft plus pinion-on-axle arrangement.  If memory serves, they originally had Pittman style open motors but were easily converted to can motors.  Remotoring may be cheaper than installing a high current decoder, depending on the current capacity of your DCC system. 

[richG]

This guy and the associated Yahoo Yardbird group may help The Yardbird group is quite active. I have bought stuff from him.

http://yardbirdtrains.com/index.htm

Rich

[grumpy]

I puchased the parts to repower mine from  NWL. The loco was in such good condition I had to repower .
Don

[Woody Elmore]

The slant frame Tyco motors often run better in reverse than forward due to bearing wear. I see the slant frame motors frequently on Ebay. However, if the motor has ever been disassembled and the armature removed, the motor will lose some of its power.

The enclosed gearbox engines used a Pittman motor. I had a gearbox mike that I converted to USRA with a Cary boiler. It is still running on a friend's layout. All it requires is the occasional servicing.

Yardbird has tons of stuff for Mantua/Tyco engines.

As for the different runs in the Eighties, I doubt that they changed the engines very much.

[ebtnut]

I bought a Mantua Pacific kit back in the '60's that had the slanted open-frame motor.  I think the gearbox versions of the Pacific and Mike were discontinued in the early '60's.   The model is long gone.  I think I might have gotten rid of it even before I went in the Navy.