Mantua 2-10-0 Decapod Power pick up

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Hello. I am looking for track power pickup for a Mantua 2-10-0 loco/tender setup. I think part power comes from the tender wheels 1 side and the other power comes from the loco? Does anyone know the proper power circuit for these locomotives. I know the power goes to terminals at the brush area but am confused as to proper power pick up. The motor works at the bru***erminals, but from there to the track I need help.

Thanks Ricky. You can reach me at questions@modernrails.com

2

Try this link… Yardie has numerous Mantua and other train engine parts listed within his new website. He might have one.

http://yardbirdtrains.com/index.htm

Larry
http://www.hoseeker.net/

3

Correct.

If you look at the drivers, you will see a thin piece of insulation between the wheel and the tire on one side. The other side does not have this insulation. It started out white. Make sure all of the drivers have the insulation on the same side of the locomotive.

The tender wheels are brass colored on one side, and black on the other. The brass colored wheels need to be on the same side as the insulated drivers. You may want to add wipers to the back of the brass colored wheels. Phosphor-Bronze wire is a good material for wipers.

There needs to be a wire from the tender to the motor. On the motor brush plate, one side is grounded to the locomotive’s chassis, and the other brush is wired to the tender’s chassis. The tender wire is normally just clipped under the brush spring. If you choose to solder it, remove the brush spring and brush holder, solder the wire to the end of the brush holder away from the brush, the re-install. Heat from the soldering operation can damage the brush spring.

For better performance, try a re-motoring kit from Alliance. http://www.alliancelink.com/alp/
kits 162 and 163 will work, may require grinding of the boiler casting.

4

Here is how the power is routed on Mantuas I have seen. One brush gets its power from the loco frame, pickup is the RH (engineers side) drivers of the loco, the other brush gets its power from the tender frame, pickup is the LH tender wheels. Are you sure this is a Mantua? It may be a Bowser.

Jim

5

Thanks all for the input. I cannot see any insulated area on any of the driver wheels he tender pickup(copper wheels) are on the same side as the locomotive motor is on(strap to brush) is on. Yes its a Mantua cast into bottom. I am wondering if the wheels are shorted out? It does not shut off or trip the breaker on my Aristo Craft power supply. As stated before, I can put 1 wire to the frame and touch the other wire to the opposite brush and it runs fine. There seems to be no power pickup from the wheels area. Any more suggestions? Thanks Ricky

6

Do you have a test light ? Good idea to buy or build one.
Set the loco on a track.
Connect the test light to one rail, power up the track and touch the drivers on the opposite side. What happened?
Connect the test light to the opposite rail and touch the drivers on the other side.
What happened?
Make sure you touch the driver treads and not the centers.
Connect the test light to the rail on the opposite side of the tender pickup wheels and touch the wire from the tender.
What happened?

Let us know
Jim

7

Or a mutli-meter - less than $10 at Sears, Home Depot, Radio Shack, etc.