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 Posted - August 31 2009 : 10:03:49 PM
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While on a quick trip to Chicago this past weekend for an extended family picnic and Nine Inch Nails' farewell concert, I made the required stop to my old stomping shop, the Golden Spike in Burbank. Times have ben reough for everyone but he's still there holding the fort down... after my last visit I resolved to make an exception, and break out the plastic to help him out a little bit by snapping of some older pieces I knew he had in the back room.
Well, he let me back there to help myself, and I took another long look since I never know when I'll be there again, and lately I wonder if he'll still be there whenever that day comes.
So I have my pile set aside and ready to carry up front when I randomly accidentally glance up, and see a few small white boxes tucked away almost out of sight on a top shelf with a bunch of other nondescript stock. But these look odd, yet familiar. I step up for a peek, and hoo boy was I ever in for a pleasant surprise!
Needless to say, my pile instantly got bigger 
When I brought them up there, I made sure to mention that I didn't mean to snoop for those, as it seemed they were out of the way for a reason and if he had ben holding them back I understood. He kind of winced and demurred and said "yeah, I was kinda holding those aside because I couldn't come up with a price for them". I said "no problem, I have enough other damage in the rest of my pile." Well he rang it all up then came to the Find. Asked me what I thought a price should be. I told him I honestly didn't know because I hadn't ever seen those before, but similar engines rang from $X to $XXX on ebay and elsewhere, depending on typical factors. So he met me less than halfway for a song for all 3.
Honestly, I couldn't be happier with these... and can't wait for some time to pose them on the layout with appropriate consists. The Hooker and PPG units seem specifically made for the assorted tankers with the names. And being a Ford guy myself, that one was a no-brainer. I'm glad I didn't have to choose just one of the three!
Turns out the Hooker one was never even cataloged, nor offered in the standard Mantua assortments. I wonder if it was originally made to go with the scarce, black version of the tanker?
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 Posted - August 31 2009 : 10:13:34 PM
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Nice score Tony.
The Mantua switchers are one of my favories just behind Athearn Hustlers.
Carl T.
President of the Cape James Terminal RR.
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Posted - September 01 2009 : 12:21:27 AM
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NIN...and a Tyco collector...interesting...
Nice lokeys...envy, envy...
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Posted - September 01 2009 : 02:22:25 AM
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Interesting stuff, Tony. What vintage are they?
And are the wheel centers plastic, or is that just shadow? 
The Tyco Depot
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Posted - September 01 2009 : 05:50:07 AM
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How much would you charge for a map to this place? No just kidding, great find and congrats!
Alco Fan
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Posted - September 01 2009 : 11:00:46 AM
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 OMG! nice score! *wants the PPG one* Well someday I gotta go to Denver & Ft Collins areas for old train stuff Hopefully in Feburary or whenever I'll go to rthat Great Train Show held there & buy more billboard/ad cars Only THIS time I'll have a my digicam & I'll take LOTS of pics of Tyco/Mantua stuff
Edited by - microbusss on September 01 2009 11:04:59 AM
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Posted - September 01 2009 : 11:59:06 AM
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Very nice GIC...
Mike
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Posted - September 01 2009 : 1:07:47 PM
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Got Three myself, but not rare ones.
1) ATSF
2) UP
both used wear and tear
3) UP BUT N/MIB! It's for sale if someone is interested...
The other two are knarly enough to be kitbash bait!
-Gareth
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Posted - September 01 2009 : 11:09:12 PM
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I got my first Plymouth in a trade with forum member "Abe", and I'm quite fond of them. Was never much for the Hustler variety of switcher, and not really fond of Tyco's Davenport... but there's just a certain charm about the Plymouth and the very dated, faddish, angular quirks to its overall design. And it's smaller than the others too.
Anyway, these were available / listed in "new Mantua" catalogs from 1978 thru 1980, and possibly later... although the Hooker is not mentioned anywhere (there is a gap in stock #'s in the catalog).
*EDIT* Looked up Tony C's Mantua site... the Hooker unit was added to the catalog list in 1981. He doesn't have the 82 or 83 catalogs. No Plymouths are listed in 1984.
The wheels are black plastic on one side, with thick brass tires. This differs from the earlier 60's vintage, which used white nylon wheels with thinner brass tires.
And to prove these won't be entirely shelf queens, here's a few staged shots. Not the greatest but they'll do for now. Yes, they ran fine right out of the box... and the paint fumes still smelled fresh. Ahhhhhhhh....
If you're ever in the Chicago area, the Golden Spike is definitely worth a visit, and tell him I sent you. He's generally scraping by and doesn't stock much new stuff, but almost the entire Walthers catalog from 1990-2002 lurks there still it seems. Not *much* in the way of vintage RTR but it depends what you need I guess, and I suppose you need special privileges to go dig. But it's worth a stop... Had I not found these switchers, I might have picked up one of the two sets of Model Power Alco 628 Demonstrators he has tucked in "almost" plain sight behind the register... a powered and dummy per set, MIB.
Edited by - GoingInCirclez on September 02 2009 10:51:02 AM
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Posted - September 02 2009 : 08:39:33 AM
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Hey GIC,
Excellent finds, love the picks of them on the rails.
Tom
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Posted - September 02 2009 : 10:34:40 AM
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Great Photos GIC-man.
The model is based on a Plymouth CR4 which I posted pics of back in earlier days of this forum...
If I can remember I'll repost them for the benefit of Newbies.
-Gareth
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Posted - September 02 2009 : 10:43:46 AM
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| I could really see these fitting great into a small diorama somewhere or a switching out some industry sidings on a large layout. Great staged pics GIC!
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Posted - September 02 2009 : 12:02:36 PM
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now all you need to do is kitbash a caboose for the Ford Hooker & PPG
Edited by - microbusss on September 03 2009 01:21:45 AM
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Posted - September 02 2009 : 10:12:12 PM
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Super pics GiC!!
Alco Fan
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Posted - September 02 2009 : 11:33:17 PM
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Great pictures GIC, love to see someone else not afraid to break the seal and play with them...
Mike
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Posted - September 03 2009 : 02:57:54 AM
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Nice photos.
I like those old Plymouths too.
Ray
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Posted - September 03 2009 : 09:10:30 AM
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| wish I could find a REAL Plymouth standard gauge loco
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