Varney or mantua


Modeltrains2021

Modeltrains2021

Active Member
Hi there is this a VARNEY or mantua 4-6-2 Pacific my friend says it's a VARNEY.
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Sirfoldalot said:
Don't think so -- Mantua's all had straight boilers and short stacks.
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Sorry about that. Mantua Pacifics had/have boilers just like that. The Mantua Mikados OTH, have straight-top boilers. The tender trucks are correct for either, but the tender body is NOT. The floor of the tender appears to be made of wood. There is something under the rear of the locomotive cab that I can't identify, but it probably was added to make a floor for the cab. Wonder what motor and if it has a gearbox or not. (Depending on the period it was manufactured there were both.
 
Just a comment about the straight top boilers on Mantua Mikes... I have heard some people criticize the Mike boilers for being straight topped, saying it wasn't prototypical. Well, just take a look at Burlington (C.B.&Q.) O-2's and O-3's. Also...and I can't quote the designation, look at some of the MoPac's Mikes. I think Mantua did pattern their Mikado's after one of the Eastern prototypes, but I never paid much attention to stuff East of the Mississippi. ;) The Pacific boilers on the Mantua Pacifics have the stepped shape similar to USRA, though probably not identical to the prototype. Anyway, have fun with that Pacific!
 
I'm in the Mantua Pacific camp also. The Varney's I've seen have a split frame without a bottom cover plate (could be an age thing as Varney goes back to the 1930s and certainly the design changed through the years). Front and Rear truck look different. This one has the slide in little brass plate on the rear truck which is a Mantua thing.
 
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Speaking of Mantua-based locomotives, I thought I'd try to see how many freight cars one of my kitbashed Burlington M-3 2-10-4 could haul up my ruling 2.5% grade with curves at each end. I managed twelve boxcars of varying weights, plus a waycar (caboose). There was no slippage on the part of the locomotive. But if I added anymore "tonnage", the train had a tendency to "straighten out", requiring my "0-5-0" to return the cars to the rails! Yeah, I know, the "smoke" is kinda hokey, but I thought I'd try it.
 
The Mantuas are sure heavy haulers. If I can find a pull gage, I'm going to try to measure the drawbar pull on this hog. There is supposed to be a formula or something that will indicate the number of "free-rolling" boxcars (whatever that means) on a level track. It would be kinda neat to know what train it would haul on a modular club layout, if those modellers get back to having shows after the pandemic subsides. Sure can't do it on a layout in a 14' x 14' room layout.
 
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