Mantua 0-6-0T

[Tim]

Help with new Mantua 0-6-0T

Just came home with a Mantua 0-6-0 Tank Switcher (#393001) and placed it on my track. I'm very disappointed, in spite of the good price ($35.00). The rear drivers do not touch the track. There's about .005" clearance. As a result, running backwards across my #6 turnouts, in either direction, causes the rear drivers to derail.

Is this something I can fix myself, or did I get a defective locomotive? I have little dexterity in my hands as a result of diabetes, so handling tiny screws and springs is completely out.

All suggestions welcome. If you need more info, please let me know.

Tim

 

[Trussrod]

Problem with your Mantua O-6-0T

Hi Tim,
Is this locomotive new, if so I take it back. I assume not? I have one of the original Die cast kits
from many years back which I had to assemble, at that time each of the drivers had Brass U shaped bushings they rotated in.

I'm uncertain of what the current model is like, with respect to the driver bearings, but possibly a shim cut from .005 Brass Shim Stock & placed above the the driver would solve your problem. This would be nothing more than a flat piece of brass the width of the frame and the width of the axel opening in the frame. If cut slightly larger by only a couple of thousands you might be able to tap it in place. On the other hand if the channel the driver rotates in is also about
.010 wider than the diameter of the axel you might be able to bend the brass into a U to take up the space on three sides of the axel to form a bearing surface as the original had.

I apologize if this is somwhat beyond your ability to do, I just figured I mention it and let you decide if it is something you could do?

Another solution would be to get another frame from Mantua and swap the drivers an steam chest and couplers.


Hope this helps.

Just came home with a Mantua 0-6-0 Tank Switcher (#393001) and placed it on my track. I'm very disappointed, in spite of the good price ($35.00). The rear drivers do not touch the track. There's about .005" clearance. As a result, running backwards across my #6 turnouts, in either direction, causes the rear drivers to derail.

Is this something I can fix myself, or did I get a defective locomotive? I have little dexterity in my hands as a result of diabetes, so handling tiny screws and springs is completely out.

All suggestions welcome. If you need more info, please let me know.

Tim

 

[UP2CSX]

Tim, I hate to say it, but the best thing to do is either try to sell it back to whomever you bought it from or use it as a dispaly locomtive. It's was probably kit built by another modelr. They were difficult to assemble correctly by experienced modelers and really easy to screw up by someone that didn't know what they were doing. While what David suggests may work to solve the immediate problem, I suspect it's beyond your abilities. Even if you could do it, the Mantua 0-6-0T was never a very good runner even when everything was put together right. I think you'd be a lot happier with a more modern model like a Bachmann Spectrum 0-6-0 or 2-8-0 if you want steam.

 

[Trussrod]

Say Tim,
As I said before I had assembled mine from the original Mantua kit, all die cast and it ran great for me for many years and in fact still will once I get the motor cleaned up. There were a few tricks to assemblying the kit, one of which was to ensure that nothing was binding to allow free rotation of the drivers. Mine always ran at a very slow speed for me and very smooth and quiet too. There wre a number of tricks to assemblying one to get good performance and motor adjustment to properly mesh with the drive gear was one of them.

It might be simplest for you to try and get your money back and put it toward something like Jim suggests or possibly a Roundhouse/Model Die Casting [MDC] -now Athern o-6-0t although it is a bit on the noisy side, at least the one I have from MDC
is a bit noisy.

The thing I noticed on a new MDC Read to Run 2-8-0 that I got a while back is that they are now using Nickel Silver Tires or Flanges on the drivers where they were using brass befor which gave much better traction and hence pulling power! The new Nickel Silver Tires is a step back in my opinion. But the built in Reversing lighting sure is nice.

 

[Tim]

Thanks to all for the replies. This was a new purchase, and not a kit. I took it back to the LHS this p.m. and they were very helpful. They ran it on their display layout and when it hit the first turn (22" radius), it jumped off the track. Then they pulled out the one in their display case and checked it. Same problem: rear drivers about .005" off the track. It too derailed at the first curve in reverse. They kindly refunded my money, no complaints. For any of you in the Denver metro area, that was Colpar Hobbies. Good guys and they stand behind what they sell. As I've said elsewhere, I prefer to work with the LHS when possible, so when I do have a problem, they will be there to help.

Thanks again. I'll look at alternatives. my layout is very small - Inglenook Sidings - and needs a short loco. The 0-6-0T would have been perfect.

Tim

 

[malletman]

Tim, watch for the older Mantuas on ebay, that is not a common problem with them. They have a nice 0-6-0 camelback switch with a slope back tender, thier old 0-4-0 switcher with slope back tenders are on there in mass quanities. You can find them with full valve gear and simplified. Even the tender on some are diecast. If you get one that does this again. I can tune and correct that problem very easily. Mantua tune ups and remotoring is one of my specialties. You cant hardly beat them once you get a good one. The newest ones from China have more "issues" over the older USA made ones. For me the issues are minor, but you need a good runner right away. Feel free to email me directly if you need further help. Mike T

 

[ocalicreek]

Another 0-6-0T in trouble

Mantua tune ups and remotoring is one of my specialties.

I am having issues with one of the newer 0-6-0T's as well. Without going into all the gorre details suffice it to say it binds and lopes, and that has only gotten worse as I've progressed through tuning the engine.

I am actively part of the Yardbird Classic Trains Yahoo group, but this has only been helpful to a degree. I usually post over at The Gauge (.net) as well. While googling for articles about Mantua, binding, quartering drivers, etc. this thread came up.

Can anybody over here help? If so, I can start another thread here to get into more detail as to what I've already tried if that will be useful.

Thanks in advance,

Galen

Oh, btw, I made a Youtube vid showing the engine's performance before any tweaking & tuning. You can watch it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHwEKB6YULU

 

[ocalicreek]

Problem solved

Don't worry about everybody rushing to help at once (he says jokingly)!

I broke down and bought a NWSL Quarterer and problem solved.

Galen

 

[UP2CSX]

Galen, sorry, I somehow completely missed your post. I'm glad to hear you solved the problem by quartering the drivers. The NWSL Quarterer is a good tool to have for anyone that runs a lot of steam. OTOH, you shouldn't have had to do this with a new, supposedly modern engine. There have been lots of complaints about Mantua's quality control in their steam engine line including all drivers not resting on the track and and side rod binding. I'm assuming this is because the drivers were never properly quartered at the factory. Ever since the Mantua line was purchased by Model Power, there has been a steady decline in the quality of thier steam engines.

 

[ocalicreek]

No problem, Jim. I'm glad (?) to hear I'm not alone with these problems. I was hoping to exhaust all possible avenues of dealing with the binding before buying an expensive tool I may not use but once. And it was because of the fact that I'd heard others with similar issues (with 'new' Mantua products) that I didn't want to go through the trouble of sending them in for replacement, or buying new driver sets, only to find they are 'off' as well.

I think the drivers may have been quartered 'close' from the factory, but the real issue may be that the crankpin hole was not drilled perpendicular to the wheel face OR the wheel face was not set in the tire properly. I noticed when quartering the wheels that the alignment pins NWSL provides didn't always run parallel to the axle. I thought perhaps it may have been the wheels were not pressed on well or properly, but after pressing them on well, it may have more to do with the holes for the crankpins. Quartering the drivers did go a long way, and I'd say the bind is gone but a little lope or limp remains, intermittantly. Not enough to bother me, however, and I'm a nitpicker.

All in all it's a great little engine; the motor is a nice upgrade (although Yardbird Train sells an identical drop-in replacement - I've got one in an 0-4-0 Shifter that performs very nicely) and the DCC plug is nice. However, it's still a good starting platform for upgrade/detail work. I'm now in the process of rebuilding the crosshead and guide to better resemble a Laird crosshead of the type used with slide valve engines, and will continue to replace/add details for now.

Thanks again for your reply - I'm glad these forums are here, even if I only ever lurk and read!

Galen

 

[UP2CSX]

Galen, you know way more about steam engines than me. I think Model Power's goal with the new Mantua line was to upgrade the body details and add DCC compatability but at the expense of getting the quartering and the side rod assemblies "close", as you say. They are some nice looking engines for the price but that doesn't matter if they won't run well. Maybe enough carping will get Model Power to realign their thinking when it come to getting the mechanicals right.

Sounds like you're going to have nice looking (and running) engine when you're done. We'd all like to see some pictures.