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 Posted - March 28 2007 : 5:07:14 PM
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Hi all: Newbie here. I have a very heavy A-B sharknose in metal. Meant to be at least dual powered with those single truck motors. Casting says Mantua (so it comes from a bit older than when I got it), painted silver with large blue Tyco on the sides. A unit resting a Hobbytown chassis with huge DC-91 Pittman motor. B-unit unpowered on original dummy trucks.
I got these used; whoever put in the Hobbytown chassis/drivetrain (a very common conversion in those days) had to hack out the large, maybe 3/4" diameter, casting sprue which went top to bottom (roof to floor) of the original locomotive casting. Those who stuck with the Mantua power units usually had to end up getting two more for the B-unit so it would get out of it's own way and pull a decent load of those early high friction trucks.
Anyone else have early Mantua cast diesels.
Have fun, Swamp Daddy
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 Posted - March 29 2007 : 01:03:49 AM
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| A dear friend recently gave me one of those early metal sharks, and I'd be very interested to know just HOW someone could hack that giant metal pipe (sprue) out of the shell! You're right that they can barely seem to get out of their own way, but once I rebuilt the motor it runs with a pleasant whine. Not a stump-puller though.
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Posted - March 30 2007 : 02:29:48 AM
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I have a heavy old solid diecast Mantua loco that almost pulls teeth...
but, it's the "Lil'-Six" steam engine.
I tell my daughters that it's a distant fifth cousin to Thomas.
Z
I don't have a one track mind. It depends on the turn-out.
"I love your catenary!"
Is that a power-trip or just another pick-up line?
Edited by - zebrails on March 30 2007 02:30:37 AM
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rrfan
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Posted - June 18 2007 : 6:35:31 PM
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| Swampdaddy:I too have several old A's and a B unit.I am hurting in the area of gears(nylon axle gears).I found a difference in ratios between the A and B unit I have.The worm is different also.Have been to NWSL site and still would like to hear from someone who has replaced gears with updated technology material from them.I truly want to get these ontrack,as I have a 6 car passenger to trail behind,all early mantua.Even a vistadome! I feel this site could use a separate heading for us 50's and early 60's people who just want to reflect sometimes with our trains.Try to keep um running,I say.
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rrfan
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Posted - June 18 2007 : 6:39:33 PM
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I got carried away. The solid metal post is easily cut off with a cutoff
wheel in a dremel tool.
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Posted - August 05 2007 : 2:23:43 PM
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GiC,
Would you expand on what did you do to bebuild your diecast shark? I bought one and it does'nt run yet but the problem is the magnets being too close to the armature. Probably an easy fix.
Alco Fan
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Posted - September 19 2008 : 12:23:01 PM
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Have you noticed their are two different diecast RF16As. It is that one has a solid roof and one has what I think is dinamic brake cooling fan outlets in the roof. They are two side by side elongated rounded holes in the roof. Are their A and B units of each version?
toptrain
" It's a Heck of a Day " !!!
Edited by - toptrain on September 21 2008 10:06:08 AM
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ABE
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Posted - September 19 2008 : 1:14:55 PM
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Swampdaddy,
I have several of the Mantua Sharknose diesels & have found there are 2 different versions of motors & also bodies which made different to naturally install motors & trucks, the 1st version is one with open slots in the roof & holes for a horn, also headlight is open, also have notches at bottom of body at rear to attach the early motor which has a swivel set up similar to the later diesel motors & also have a factory headlight bracket for a bulb, the later ones have a metal frame that fastens to the roof which holds the trucks & motors & has no slots in roof, no headlight opening & some have no holes for horn but did find a few that had holes for a pair of horns, the later bodies also had no notches in rear, some of these early sharks were poor runners & at times one would come along that ran smooth , I am sure the ones that run smooth are the ones that had all parts that fit exact & were free rolling , almost like a blueprinted engine for a race car, as for the hobbytown drive in a Mantua metal Shark is to me like having the creme of the crop as they cant be beat for pulling & for performance IF they were put together right, I have had Hobbytowns that were slapped together where the gears were not messhed right, were tight & didnt run right, or at all, over heated & were in no way a smooth runner, I have the new BLI , Atlas, Athearn & etc with DCC & marvel at the detail, the sound & the performance of the newer HO but stll like to hear the old hobbytowns whine away with well alinged gears, I to started in HO in the early 60;s & still like to run the older Mantua Sharks, Mikados & etc , I am not sure exactly how to make a old Mantua Shark run better with the orginal motors or how or what to do to replace with a newer can motor other than install a Hobbytown drive which I am sure will be harder to find now that source is shut down, I woud stick with that hobbytown drive for sure but to each his own !
Abe
Abe Schwartz
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Posted - October 25 2008 : 8:24:47 PM
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The photo shows all. The different roofs on the tyco mantua metal sharknose diesel. One is newer. One is older. I don't know which is which. frank
toptrain
" It's a Heck of a Day " !!!
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Posted - June 01 2015 : 09:34:12 AM
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quote:The photo shows all. The different roofs on the tyco mantua metal sharknose diesel. One is newer. One is older. I don't know which is which. frank
Originally posted by toptrain - October 25 2008 : 8:24:47 PM
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The top one is the newer version and the bottom one is the older version. I know that because I have the top version and it apparently dates to the late 1950's, which dates the bottom one to the mid 1950's.
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
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