Does any one have any news about Model Power and Mantua? I received an email from Trainworld on 9/15 that they were closing out their stock of Model Power and Mantua. When I checked MRC's website, it looked like they had removed all of the Model Power and Mantua models from their website. I've searched here and other forums but unable to find any info. It's unfortunate to loose another manufactuer.
Patrick
Neither were brands I sought after but true, it's not good for the hobby. I thought I heard a few years ago Model Power assets and brand were picked up by another company but memory isn't clear on it.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
I believe Lionel has bought the assets of Model Power but I still see them on Menards website as well.
Joe Staten Island West
joe323I believe Lionel has bought the assets of Model Power but I still see them on Menards website as well.
joe323 I believe Lionel has bought the assets of Model Power but I still see them on Menards website as well.
All the previously manufactured and distributed products do not just disappear because a company is sold. Menards is just selling off what they already have.
Given the age and detail level of both product lines, LIONEL is the right place for those products.
Sheldon
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That might explain the free Model Power building with every Menards HO purchase over $19.95.
ATLANTIC CENTRALGiven the age and detail level of both product lines, LIONEL is the right place for those products. Sheldon
Indeed. Some of those Mantua steam engines dates back to the 50s and some of those Tyco diesels dates back to the 60s.
Seems the other manufacturers advanced with the changing hobby while Mantua/Tyco stayed old school.
Personally I never cared for the looks of Mantua steam engines even back in the 60s.
However,some old school scratchbuilders would find use for Mantua steam engines..
My Dad toss the Mantua body and use the Mantua 4-6-2 drive under his two scatchbuilt passenger engines.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
BRAKIESeems the other manufacturers advanced with the changing hobby while Mantua/Tyco stayed old school. Personally I never cared for the looks of Mantua steam engines even back in the 60s. However,some old school scratchbuilders would find use for Mantua steam engines.. My Dad toss the Mantua body and use the Mantua 4-6-2 drive under his two scatchbuilt passenger engines.
Similarly I'd say the Model Power structures have continuing value mostly for kitbashers. Back before the Lionel and MRC takeovers of Model Power, the structure kits at least had the virtue of relative cheapness (which in turn also makes experimenting with them as kitbash fodder more attractive).
The all metal Mantua steam locomotives were also incredibly durable, you have to give them that due. Even when they were brand new the detailing was fairly spartan, and curiously over time Tyco/Mantua started to omit some of what detail there was. I seem to recall that originally (1950s) some steamers had ashpans for example which were gone by the 1960s, and some late versions of the B&O Pacific lost the piping to the front end throttle.
Dave Nelson
With Mantua, you kinda have to divide it into two different areas. What the above posts refer to is the old 1950's-60's era Mikado and Pacific with very limited detailing. In their later years, Mantua came out with some pretty well detailed plastic boilered engines like their 4-4-2 (available with Belpaire or radial firebox) and 2-6-6-2 / 2-6-6-2T. The later engines also ran well, due Mantua's c.1990 switch from open frame motors to Sagami can motors.
No question the Atlantic and the 2-6-6-2 had a little better detail. Still not up to average" these days. I have the Atlantic, mainly because there are so few choices in that wheel arrangement.
But split frames, or some other all wheel pickup, and better detail is the order of the day, and retooling these models does not make sense.
ATLANTIC CENTRAL Given the age and detail level of both product lines, LIONEL is the right place for those products. Sheldon
I entirely agree. Most Model Power/Mantua products are basically the HO equivalent of the Lionel 0-27 stuff. Basic, sturdily built, good runners, mostly pre-70's prototypes with enough detail to get the point across but not up to current standards.
Lionel has a good bit of Model Power stuff out already and at MSRP that -adjusted for inflation and compared to the last time MP priced them- are about the same as MP prices. Folks will compare the prices to the "old days" but I give Lionel credit for keeping them affordable by today's standards.
My only worry is that there's alot of good stuff in the Mantua/MP catalog that might not see the light of day for a while or at all. While the Mantua F units will probably be along in a year or two, will we ever see the GP-20's and other slighty more modern items again? Will Lionel be doing any basic DC HO?
Also, we're not likely to see sub $100 DCC/DC/Remote/Sound locomotives (like Mantua had) from Lionel any time soon and that seems a shame.
Visit the Chicago Valley Railroad for Chicago Trainspotting and Budget Model Railroading.
Does anyone know what the ststus is of the Model Power N-Scale items, is some one picking up that line as well and going to produce those as well??
Thanks for the info, I hadn't heard that yet. Model Power/Mantua is not the the highest quality or detail. I became interested in them when they released their Dockside and Hustler with MRC's Loco Genie installed. I bought one of each and converted them to battery power. These are links to my youtube videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ls68ryvYxQs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pczPtr0jWow
I was hoping that Model Power might release a battery powered starter set which I feel would of been a boost to the hobby. Neverless, I think they fit a niche for beginer hobbyist and those on a budget.