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 Posted - November 19 2006 : 6:17:22 PM
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I bought a decorated SF Mantua Alco Century shell for $2, 5-6 years ago, in a bargain box at the hobby shop. It had no number boards and no short hood herald.
Could you by these shells separately in the day?.
Do you see them much at swap meets?
Does anyone have a collection of shells?
Anyone have any help?
Thanks
Alco Fan
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Posted - November 19 2006 : 9:56:47 PM
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While some companies, such as Athearn, commonly produced shells for seperate sale, most did not. Also, all seperate sale shells I have come across have been undecorated. I suspect yours may have started life as a powered unit that "lost" its under gear.
As you might suspect, I do have a few spare shells on hand. I do not collect them per say, they are just leftovers. Need a dummy IHC C430 for your C424?
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Posted - November 20 2006 : 08:32:29 AM
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H,
I remember seeing early paperwork on F-9s, you know with the exploded view. When I posted this I didn't remember that the papers also had a price list for all the individual parts including the shell. I Knew Tyco had made kits of the 430 and thought they might have done the same thing as with the F-9. While I think about it I think the "HO Seeker" site has parts sheets for the 430?
I'm thinking this might be another niche area of Tyco Mantua collecting. I see that when the "Classic Toy Trains" bunch show their display cases that often they have parts and shells displayed. I'll be interested to hear any other ideas you might have to this reply.
The IHC 430 is an interesting proposition. Being the "Alco Fan" I have Alcos from various makers like Tyco, Atlas, AHM, and Pemco. What RR is the IHC?
Alco Fan
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Posted - November 20 2006 : 08:58:47 AM
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| You can choose from 2 "road names". One is a Santa Fe in red and silver that may be one of the early Mehano units built for late Tyco train sets. The other is also made by Mehano, but for an IHC promo set, Toy Story 2. It is in Santa Fe red and silver but with Toy Story 2 decal on the side of the long hood. Also, I have some spare clear numberboards if you need a set for you shell.
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Posted - November 20 2006 : 10:12:36 AM
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As I remember, this would be 1970s, my Dad could usually always secure a shell outta the ready-to-run/toy train crowd. For example, he got TYCO C430 and GP20 shells and Life-Like's GP-38-2 shells for various projects back in the day.
I remember the TYCO shells always came undec and cast in an almost Mopac Jenks-Blue color. They were shell ONLY, no numberboards-no horns-no handrails.
I don't know that TYCO or others offered shells as a regular item, similar to the way Athearn did in those days.
They seem to be around so much, my guess here anyway, because the TYCO drives would die and people would trash the underframe and drive and keep the shell for some future use.
Currently, I have tried Bachmann a time or two to buy some GP40 shells and always get told they do not have any for sale. And I think one time I did get somebody a few years back to quote me a price and it was something around $10. Which for $10 for just a shell...you could easily buy a complete new 8-wheel drive Bachmann GP40 on eBay for less than $20 most times...so why do it even if B'man had them?
Tony Cook
HO-Scale Trains Resource
http://ho-scaletrains.net
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Posted - December 01 2006 : 10:36:09 PM
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I remember going to a hobby shop in Uniontown PA, more than 8 years ago, and buying a NYC C-liner shell for $3 that had the copper grabs on the nose door no horns and no glass. He had a bunch of them in NYC. This guy also had a wall of athearn kits.
Alco Fan
Edited by - Alco Fan on January 02 2007 7:01:51 PM
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Posted - September 01 2009 : 8:34:20 PM
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Nothing added to this since 2006 until now.
I bought a bunch of shells. One shell was a Mantua Tyco ICG C430 that while dirty is mint and I don't think used. I think it was released as a shell only for sale originally by MT or something. It has no, none, marks on the inside, or outside of the shell that would indicate that a tank weight had been screwed in, or out, no horns or debris, no glazing, and no scratches that might make you think that trucks or an light had been installed or removed. Also no Numberboards and filled rear boards. Paint scheme looks same as 1974 catalog pictures except it is a Gen II type shell but would be for MU2 power trucks.
Again I think this could be another form of collecting, that is pristine shells that never were operating locos.
Early Mantua Tyco parts sheets used to have a price for the parts listed including the shells.
Abby from NCIS did a forensic swipe and found no human DNA of any kind on the outer shell! Just kidding about these two lines
Alco Fan
Edited by - Alco Fan on September 04 2009 04:24:47 AM
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Posted - September 01 2009 : 9:37:36 PM
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Could it be from a kit? Or did Tyco stop making kits before the engine you have was produced?
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Posted - September 01 2009 : 9:49:12 PM
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I think the '74 catalog shows Steam kits but not Diesel kits, but that's a good idea.
Alco Fan
Edited by - Alco Fan on September 04 2009 04:21:53 AM
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Posted - January 31 2010 : 10:22:01 AM
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Wonder if "Abby" has a Tyco trainset running around her coffin/bed!?
-Gareth
"A is A"
-Aristotle
Law of Identification
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Posted - January 31 2010 : 10:36:20 AM
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Gareth, Are you off your Meds?
Ray
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Posted - January 31 2010 : 10:45:53 AM
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It's a reference to something Brian jokes about above related to a NCIS character!
Oh well, so much for my humour...
-Gareth
"A is A"
-Aristotle
Law of Identification
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Posted - January 31 2010 : 10:59:40 AM
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quote:It's a reference to something Brian jokes about above related to a NCIS character!
Oh well, so much for my humour...
-Gareth
Originally posted by romcat-January 31 2010: 10:45:53 AM
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OH. I didn't get it, maybe I should take my meds.
Ray
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Posted - January 31 2010 : 11:03:38 AM
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On me pal.
I should have made a clearer ref to Brian's joke or at least lke him said WHO Abby was!
-Garreth
"A is A"
-Aristotle
Law of Identification
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Posted - February 05 2010 : 7:30:57 PM
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Ken is an NCIS Fan and so am I. I was trying to be humorous about "Abby the phorensic scientist" and the possibility that the shell I was talking about was handled very little.
How many C430 Alco kits were there?
Undecorated
NH?
Burlington
?
Alco Fan
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Posted - February 05 2010 : 11:08:34 PM
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I bought a TYCO GP-20 shell at a train show. It is in it's natural molded white plastic. No indication that it was ever painted. No marks or scratches to indicate it was ever part of an assembled unit, dummy or powered. I think it might be a replacement shell that TYCO offered for the custom modeler or surplus production. There used to be a former Mantua employee at some train shows
selling old stock items.
I also have 4 AHM Western Pacific GP18 shells. They appear to have never been mated to a drive chassis.
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Posted - February 06 2010 : 4:38:57 PM
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It would be interesting to talk to that former Mantua employee:^)
Alco Fan
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