Greg.Procter wrote:
On Sun, 20 Sep 2009 09:34:47 +1200, Charles Davis <cad at (no spam) gamewood.net
wrote:

Bill Noble wrote:

now this is interesting - I found another (newer) train transformer
that I wasn't using - it's a Tyco PowerPak 56A
(http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220483049390)
and it says it was made by Scintilla Rail and Power in New York - so
maybe Tyco bought the company? or maybe they morphed into Tyco?? I
thought of Tyco as this huge behemouth - but this stuff has a lot of
hand work (soldering, etc) in it - not at all behemouth-like


Nah!!! Tyco was a 'Holding Company', The 'Trains' originally were
'Mantua'
Chuck D.
Tyler and Co. (>Tyco) existed before "Mantua".
Tyco wanted to launch a better quality range so introduced the brand
name "Mantua".
The Tyco brand items were soon dropped as model standards improved.
Later Mantua began importing a cheaper range - the nasty stuff.
General Foods(?) bought out Mantua/Tyco c1980
(presumably that was about the time the founder reached retirement age)
GF on-sold the firm, or perhaps just the Mantua range, by the 1990s
.
Sorry Greg ----- This one I know ---- I was around then.
Mantua Metal Products, was one of the original HO manufacturers Early
1940's. Tyco, was formed by some of the principals in Mantua, and took
over the business. They (Tyco) moved from metal Kits, to plastic 'Train
Set' market. With the attendant drop in quality. (This was happening late
'40s, 50's.)
Chuck D.

On Mon, 21 Sep 2009 05:38:01 +1200, Charles Davis <cad at (no spam) gamewood.net> wrote:

Greg.Procter wrote:

On Sun, 20 Sep 2009 09:34:47 +1200, Charles Davis <cad at (no spam) gamewood.net
wrote:

Bill Noble wrote:

now this is interesting - I found another (newer) train
transformer that I wasn't using - it's a Tyco PowerPak 56A
(http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220483049390)
and it says it was made by Scintilla Rail and Power in New York -
so maybe Tyco bought the company? or maybe they morphed into
Tyco?? I thought of Tyco as this huge behemouth - but this stuff
has a lot of hand work (soldering, etc) in it - not at all
behemouth-like


Nah!!! Tyco was a 'Holding Company', The 'Trains' originally were
'Mantua'
Chuck D.

Tyler and Co. (>Tyco) existed before "Mantua".
Tyco wanted to launch a better quality range so introduced the brand
name "Mantua".
The Tyco brand items were soon dropped as model standards improved.
Later Mantua began importing a cheaper range - the nasty stuff.
General Foods(?) bought out Mantua/Tyco c1980
(presumably that was about the time the founder reached retirement age)
GF on-sold the firm, or perhaps just the Mantua range, by the 1990s
.

Sorry Greg ----- This one I know ---- I was around then.
Mantua Metal Products, was one of the original HO manufacturers Early
1940's. Tyco, was formed by some of the principals in Mantua, and
took over the business. They (Tyco) moved from metal Kits, to plastic
'Train Set' market. With the attendant drop in quality. (This was
happening late '40s, 50's.)
Chuck D.



Hi Chuck, I think we're saying much the same thing with different emphasis.
I bought my last Mantua metal kit (2-8-0) about 1991-92 from Standard
Hobby Supply. Pretty sure it was current production and that Mantua were
advertising their recently introduced 4-8-0 about that time. (+1776
version
Tyco hit NZ shelves about 1985 and as I did all the repairs for the local
retailer I saw a lot of Tyco for a few years.
(the little soft alloy gear on the armature wore out - locos left unused
for a few weeks had oxidised commutators - fluff - too much oil - owners
took them apart and couldn't reassemble them)
Mantua's owner's surname was Tyler. There was a piece in one of the US mags
about him when he sold up and retired.

Regards,
Greg.P
.
We probably are ---- Chuck D.