Repairing This 45 Year Old Decapod Stumped Me For A Bit!

Half of the entertainment value of your videos is your comedic chops. The reading of the instructions at double speed had me in stitches. Great job, Ron!

As far as “beginner” train set locomotives were concerned, Mantua, their predecessor Mantua/Tyco the steam locomotives showed more care in engineering than some other manufacturers. The use of lead alloys for the chassis was prevalent in most models, however Mantua/Tyco and later Mantua used brass axle bearings in the axil slots instead of running the steel axles directly on the alloy frame, ensuring a longer running life. I’m glad you were able to get this classic back on the rails. As a side note, I think Mantua/Tyco must have used that motor in every steam locomotive they made. I have a “General”, and three of the “Roger’s 4-6-0’s all with the same motor.

Keep on Working On them Ron.👍👍👍👍.

Ron, Great job as usual along with the comedy and sound effects for spraying paint and Dremel tool sound .

Great job! I started watching this a while back and just finished it today. I have a Tyco Mantua Mikado and a Pacific. They’ve been giving me fits to get them running. Keeping my 60’s era Tyco stuff running is a challenge. I’ve really enjoyed your videos!

Denise Richards-Charlie Sheen’s ex and the mother of his kids. She’s a looker and a Bond girl! I have a number of Mantua steamers for my fictional railroad. I bought them over time retail and eBay. I also bought the various tenders to assure a “family” look among the locos. The big locos get the long haul tenders, the local locos get the shorter tenders and, of course, the switchers get the shortie switchers tenders. Then, I figured out how much coal the tender would carry and how much the various locos would burn and calculated how frequently I had to locate my water towers and coaling stations to simulate the stops the locos and trains had to make to add some “realism” to my train schedules. Like you, my 2-10-0 is my heavy drag loco for the coal mines to power plants. Great video, btw. I always enjoy watching you repair and restore Mantua locos!

Another great video Ron. Many thanks, Gordon

You are doing great work! Thank you!

Hey Ron, another great video. Hope you are well really enjoyed this one.

Kit or RTR probably explains the difference between decapod and Mikado and the Pacific boiler. Decapod and Mikado were part of the Mantua resurgence in the 80s and 90s and the Pacific was a Mantua,Mantua/Tyco,back to Mantua evergreen. Never good to have a steam engine with an unintended momentary smoke unit. Oh yes the cheater headset had þo surrender to the ravages of age when I realized the eyesight I had painting dashboard detail at 20 something I didn't have anymore at 60. Am really glad the algorithm decided to drop your channel in my feed and become a tie with that young Canadian feller for my favorite model railroad YouTuber.

Dang it watched to the end again. LOL Great video. Those old motors are a pain. Thanks for sharing.

LOL!!! Thanks for the shoutout about the laundry room in the background!! Funny thing is, I havent worked back there is awhile because the bench is too high. Have to sit on a bar stool and its just not comfortable. Its the reason the repairs and other work are done at the kitchen table in the main layout area

Great job as always Ron!!

Middle of the week train video!…best way to spend the time…very enjoyable….

As usual, another interesting and entertaining video.

Excellent stuff. Watched 100%. Thank you

Mantua was a hodge podge builder. Notice all three have the same undersized cab. The cab is from the 040 slopeback switcher....which was the anchor of their whole steam line. The P7 Heavy Pacific was their oldest larger engine from the 50s. The Heavy Mikado got added with a slightly different cast boiler but the Pacific tender, steam chest....and our good ole tiny cab.

Love your show and all your collection .

Mantua made the SD38, SD39 and SD40 in steam: same body, different number of wheels (instead of different number of fans, motors and HPs as on the SDs). Very impressive work Ron! Your mechanical skills are amazing!

I don't even have to watch this to know that yes, it will run again. When it comes to getting old Mantuas running, I'm batting 1000. As long as all of the parts are there, it will run. It should be child's play for Ron.