Mantua Locomotive


Patrick

Alien Attitude.
I have a 0-6-0 GN switch engine and tender I purchased new a long time ago. I need to get it running again. It seems to run fine in reverse, but not so good running forward. It sat in the box for 15-18 years before I started running it and then another 6 years back in the packaging. I know I didn't do it any favors by not running it, ( i believe I actually had it locked up), but would like to return it to a running condition. I have had it apart before, but IIRC I couldn't find any replacement motors for it. Any ideas?

If I put this in the wrong forum, I apologize in advance.

I found it in the Mantua 1987 Catalog it is the Big Six # 304-061. I guess I have had it nearly 30 years...It wasn't an inexpensive engine at the time. All metal construction.
 
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Interesting article and thanks for the link. While not converting to DCC, it still makes me wonder why the motor runs fine in one direction, but not the other....
 
Hi,

I would think the motor is probably fine. A good cleaning,especially any dust or grime that has accumulated around the brushes and polishing up the electrical contacts may do wonders. Also, cleaning up the wheels to improve the contact never hurts. I usually use rubbing alcohol and cotton swabs to get the wheels really clean of grime.

light coating of lubricating oil in the bearings finally. Use oil sparingly, but get some on each surface. Labelles is an industry standard.

Dave
 
Ok, Part of my layout time yesterday was looking back over this loco. Since I have had it apart before (and thought it was fixed before being repacked and stored for over 6 years), I took it apart again. Found the lamp wire partially obstructing movement in the forward direction and once cleared, hooked a wire to the ground (it grounds through the tender) and touched the body and it ran smoothly in both directions. I put it back together and tried to run it again, only to have it run poorly. It occurred to be to clean the wheels and now it runs well...until the tender hits the switches....I'll have that figured out soon though.. Thanks for the tips as I also light lubed the motor.

I also attempted to install a Kadee #5 but couldn't quite get it cot attach. The hole in the Kadee is about 4x the size of the screw that held the old hook coupler and I could never get it to attach properly. I put everything back so I wouldn't lose parts.
 
Hi Patrick, I am glad you got it running.

Kadee makes some black plastic coupler boxes, of which the cover has a little black ring that is the exact perfect diameter of the round hole in the coupler. This fits under the coupler and can be screwed or glued onto the body or coupler box part that is attached to the train. This would hold your coupler perfect. Also, I found that the Kadee # 148 "whisker" coupler is much nicer to install and just as good (my opinion) as the number 5.

Dave
 
Throwing in my 2 cents-- Another fix would be to fill the Kadee hole with JB WELD and then drill out the size hole you need?
 
Throwing in my 2 cents-- Another fix would be to fill the Kadee hole with JB WELD and then drill out the size hole you need?
I had wondered if there was something I use, but hadn't thought of JB Weld. I know they make several kinds. I just hasn't been on my radar in a while since I quit working on old cars. (my oldest vehicle is only 10 years).
 
You shouldn't have to refill the old hole with JB Weld. The new Kadee #5 boxes have holes for mounting screws on either side of the coupler box, just drill them out, and use those holes.
 
Part of your problem with the tender hitting the turnouts (switches?) has to do with the span of the trucks versus the length of the dead spots in the turnouts. What brand of turnouts are you using? There may not be much you can do about the tender trucks, but one thing that might help would be to permanently couple a car to the tender, with the trucks on the car having metal wheels on the same side as those on the tender trucks (left side, generally). You need trucks with metal frames so that current can flow to metal screws holding the trucks to the car. Solder wires to the metal screws (they need to be long enough to penetrate clear through the floor of the car) and run the wire to the tender wire that goes to the engine. While you may not like the idea of the car permanently attached, it should work...unless...you are actually shorting the tender's wheels when they cross the turnout. Another possible fix, without using the car might be to make contact wipers from the end of the tender, which would rub on the track further out from the tender's wheels. You would have to be somewhat careful to shape the wipers so they don't catch on the track.
 
I think I have the derails resolved once I get the track down permanently.
The turnouts are Atlas #6 code 100. I found that I was entering the switch too quickly off a curve, and while typing this think I just figured out how to make my double switch work properly between the loops. too bad I have to take the grandson to Scouts tonight.
 
Having spent about 30 minutes last night, I did indeed figure it out and turned my 4 switch combo around. Issue resolved.

Trailrider: You were correct in the cause of part of the derails at the switches. The lead axle of the truck would hit the switch as the trailing axle was on the curve. I do have that remedied.
 



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