Hi,
I'm actually planning a mini industrial HO layout of the Montmorency Division of Quebec, Railway, Light & Power Co. (about 48" x 56") and I am searching for a good 0-6-0T to operate the tricky branchlines (a steam locomotive that can fit 5,5" free space).
I find that Mantua Classic 0-6-0T and Spectrum 0-6-0T both could do the job, but according to the price, I'd like to know which one is the best. For the layout purpose, the locomotive will never have to pull more than six 40' feet car. For this reason, the pulling force isn't a real problem for me. I've read reviews about both of them on the forum, but couldn't find any comparison between them. Since the Spectrum engine is about twice the price of the Mantua version, there's surely one better than the other.
An other question, what about the length? Spectrum 0-6-0T looks a little bit longer than Mantua.
Thank you.
Matt
Proudly modelling the Quebec Railway Light & Power Co since 1997.
http://www.hedley-junction.blogspot.com
http://www.harlem-station.blogspot.com
The Spectrum 0-6-0T is the best of the two, but the Mantua one is also good. I have a Spectrum 0-6-0T, and it's a great little engine! It's also only about 4" long, and I'm pretty sure the Mantua one is larger.
Here's a review I posted of the Spectrum last year: http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/p/123591/1402291.aspx
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Thanks for the link and the quick answer...
Looks like the Spectrum is smaller than I first thought, which is a plus. The overall look is also more similar to the real prototype I want to reproduce.
tha mantua would be all metal, good for pulling power, its power is however a direct worm gear to drivers.
This makes it speedy, not too good for switching. I have a mantua 0-6-0 with tender and I remotored-regeared it with a tower gear (NWSL all) slow and pulls like the dickens.
I used an article to regear their 0-4-0, so doing the 0-6-0 was fine for it. If you don't want the regearing done, the Spectrum may do ya fine.
The Spectrum is slightly longer, but shorter in height, and has a smaller diameter boiler and saddle tank. By my scale, the Spectrum is 4.4 oz, and the Mantua is 8.4 oz. The Spectrum has much better and finer detailing.
I would reccomend code 100 if you are planning on using Kadee above tie uncoupling magnets, with the Spectrum. At the club, we have had some of the Spectrum 0-6-0T's high center on Kadee magnets, there is almost no clearance on the small bump under them for the gear housing.
The Spectrum seems to be missing the Steam Dynamo(generator) that the Mantua has located between the stack and the headlight The Mantua is modeled as oil fired, with an oil bunker behind the cab, the Spectrum has a small coal bunker in the same place. The Spectrum has blackened wheels and running gear. The mantua has black wheel centers, but bright metal tires and running gear.
Overall, the Spectrum is much more petite, and better detailed. Both run well as I recall, but the mantua, being heavier will pull more. If You are not going to be buying one in the next Few days, I can try to get some pics of each for you, when I go to the club Tuesday night, I have both models in Union Pacific.
Doug
May your flanges always stay BETWEEN the rails
~G4
19 Years old, modeling the Cowlitz, Chehalis, and Cascade Railroad of Western Washington in 1927 in 6X6 feet.
Hi Doug!
Thanks for your comments... I don't use kadee magnets on the layout, so it shouldn't cause problem with code 83 rail (mainly atlas and shinohara switches). On an other hand, the weight difference is quite important between the model. I don't know if this will be a problem because there is a important grade on my main layout (about 3% on an industrial spur). I already have a Spectrum GE-44 which is quite light and it pulls with great difficulty a few cars on grade. Is there enough place in the Spectrum 0-6-0T to put a little extra weight to overcome this?
I’m not in a hurry to buy one, so I will gladly wait for your pictures of the locos.
Thanks
The Mantua 0-6-0 goes way way back, we had one on a club layout in the 1960's. It ran well and was heavy and all metal. You ought to be able to find a good used one at any train show. With new paint and decals plus maybe some brass detail parts, it looks good. The Zamac boiler is rugged and adding details like handrails, air compressors and generators is straight forward, drill a hole, insert the part and superglue it in place. I haven't seen the Spectrum, but I would expect it to have more fine detailing than the Mantua, a good smooth mechanism, but less weight and hence less pulling power. It ought to handle 6 cars on the flat though.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
You may want to clarify just which Mantua 0-6-0T you are talking about. From the 1950s to I suppose the 1970s, Mantua/Tyco offered their "Little Six" switcher (the Big Six was an 0-6-0 with tender). This was an all metal diecast engine with square side tanks and all detail cast on except for the "jewel" that was the headlight. If you wanted to detail it, you had to grind off any details you did not care for and could not readily solder onto the casting, so adding detail, while possible, called for some special techniques. The same boiler was used for the Mantua 0-4-0T "Booster"
Fitting Kadee couplers to the old Mantua metal frames was and is a bit of a challenge.
Neither engine had valve gear although Mantua used to offer a retrofit kit with valve gear. The Little Six could really pull if you got an older one with the good motor.
Then in the more modern era of Mantua, they brought out an 0-6-0T with the more typical saddletank and much more detail. I think that was a plastic boiler with a metal weight. That one more closely resembles the Bachmann engine in appearance.
Dave Nelson
I've been running the Spectrum 0-6-0T, and, light as it is, it can handle a moderate train (seven or eight 4-wheel wagons and a brake van) on sustained 2% grades. Its prototype was an Alco 1910 stock design.
My very favorite 0-6-0T model is my ancient Tenshodo, a model of a prototype built by Baldwin in the 1890s for Japanese use. The little lady is half a century old, built to 1:80 scale of solid zamac castings, and runs like a Rolex.
And then there's the Roundhouse 0-6-0T, built from a kit, with a blind main driver and a Chinese open-frame motor. It runs....
Finally, there's my little brass 0-6-0T, Japanese flavor but no known prototype (actually assembled with parts from a slightly larger 2-6-4T, also of no known prototype) built by Kawai in the 1960s. It sounds like a sewing machine, and runs a bit too fast.
I also own the Mantua 0-4-0T (which Mantua converted to an unlikely 0-6-0T by adding a driver axle where the Pennsy prototype never had one.) It will be able to file for social security in July - 61+ years old, and still runs! It is by far the heaviest of my tank engines, but too obviously PRR to be used in Japan (where Belpaire fireboxes were unknown.)
Why do I have so many? My freelanced, coal-hauling private railway uses this collection of 0-6-0Ts, an 0-8-0T and a 2-6-6-2T to take empties to the colliery and bring loads of coal down the hill to the JNR interchange at Tomikawa.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Tomikawa,
Thanks for the exhaustive review... I already own 2 old MDC 0-6-0. Just like you said, it runs. I'm planning to convert them to static display on some abandonned spur line. It's sad the motoring is so bad because the could be nice model to run.
I'm also modelling a small layout with a mining flavor (Q.R.L.&P.Co. transported a lot of limestone, as quarry stone or just plain gravel). I have important grades to reach the stone crusher and unloading area. I think carrying about 4 cars qith the Spectrum won't hurt at all...
tomikawaTT My very favorite 0-6-0T model is my ancient Tenshodo, a model of a prototype built by Baldwin in the 1890s for Japanese use. The little lady is half a century old, built to 1:80 scale of solid zamac castings, and runs like a Rolex. Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Hi Matt, Here are the pics of those locos. The Spectrum is cab # 89, and the Mantua is cab #92. I Hope these help You decide which one You want. I get the impression that You have pretty much decided on the Spectrum, I wouldn't blame You, it is a Nice little engine that can be found for very reasonable prices. Maybe these pics will help you know that you picked the one that you will like the best.
Hi Doug,
Thanks for your excellent pictures. I could ask more for comparison. I didn't think the Spectrum was so much smaller than the Mantua in height. As you guess, I'll go with the Spectrum because I prefer the overall proportion of the model and it's nearer to the prototype on my branchline (coal burner). However, I'm pretty sure the Mantua could really be a outstanding model with some custom detailling and if I need a second little helper, I'll consider getting one. But for the moment, I'll concentrate in completing my IHC 2-6-0 kitbashing before and getting a nice working layout plan for the summer is my main goal (which may be a little bit frustrating).
I have the Mantua and the Spectrum. The Spectrum has all wheel pickups which might be an advantage for DCC. The Mantua engineers side drivers send current to the motor via the frame. The firemans side, only the first and second drivers pickup from the rail. Adding a pickup to the third driver would help.
This is my modified Mantua..
Rich.
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
Little more info on http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,4433.0.html