Adding suspension to a Mantua 0-6-0

[funnelfan]

I recently received a Mantua 0-6-0 from my Brother's family as a birthday gift. After installing a N scale decoder and test running, I found the rigid suspension derailed everywhere. The middle driver is blind, but I'm not totally sure if that hurts or helps. Anyways, I've started a project to add a sprung suspension to the rear two axles. I'm doing that by removing the thick metal bearings and crafting a thinner brass bearing. The new bearings will have some room to move up and down. I also drilled some recesses in the frame to add springs that will press against the bearing. I'm not doing the geared axle just yet because I'm not sure if that will cause issues with mesh between the gear and worm. Has anyone played around with the suspension on one of these before?

 

[waltr]

I have a couple of engines that some times have electrical pick-up problems when a grade changes. I have also thought of added springs the the driver axles but am unsure of how to do it. So I am very interested in responses.

My engines do not having derailment issues only pick-up. I don't think springs would help derailing unless your track is like some of the prototype branch lines.
Have you check the wheel gauge and flange dimensions with an NMRA gauge?

 

[funnelfan]

Well the experiment failed because the thinner bearings allowed the axles to get out of line with each other which lead to binding in the side rods. Horizontal alignment is critical. I reinstalled the original bearings, and all the work with the bearing seems to have solved the issues I was having. The binding seems to have disappeared and the engine seems to negotiate switches better.

One thing I wish Mantua had done was to insulate the wheel from the axle and not the rim from the wheel, that way the side rods could have conducted electricity between wheels allowing better pickup. As it is only the lead two drivers pickup on the fireman's side pickup. I'm looking at ways to add sliding pickup shoes at the rear of the locomotive.

Has anyone tired to swap the blind drivers for a set of flanged drivers?

 

[waltr]

Great that your work improved the engine's operation.
I haven't but NWSL has all the parts you would need to change the drivers.
http://www.nwsl.com/
The difficult part is salvaging the gear off the driver or finding a new replacement gear (which NWSL may have for that engine).
They also carry replacement driver springs for brass engines. These are what I was thinking of using but unsure of how to modify the frame to install them.

Blind drives were used on some prototype engines so they could negotiate tight curves. And since our layouts usaully have curves much tighter than prototype the blind drivers may be desired.

 

[funnelfan]

The way Mantua built the bearings and the frame, there is no room vertical room for the axle to slide up and down. That is why I tired to use the thinner bearing to get some vertical room, but I also got unwanted horizontal room which caused binding. To make it work, you would need to file the bearings so they slide in their slots easily. Then you would need to file out the bottom of the bearing slot to get some vertical room. Next drill a couple of shallow holes in the bottom of the bearing slightly larger than the spring. Finally glue springs into the holes and seat the bearing on the springs.