Been out of the hobby for 30 years with the exception of the Christmas train garden. Over the summer I was at an antique shop and picked up what appears to be a new Mantua Atlantic 4-4-2 model 336-022. Alway liked the Mantua line back in the day and couldnt pass up the price. Pulled it out to run this holiday and was unable to get power.
I did a little investigation with my power supply and an ohm meter. If I throw voltage to the locomotive frame and the rear trucks it runs like a champ. It appears that the leading wheels are not transfering power to the frame.
I have continuity from the brass pads to the wheels but the steel block is isolated. I dont see how the power is transmitted to the frame. I searched for some diagrams online and it seems all the pieces are accounted for. (I couldn’t determine how to upload a pic but will do some searching)
Is it even supposed to? Common design on Mantua’s locos was to pick up with the drivers on one side and the tender wheels on the other. Lead and trailing trucks were dead.
Will check that this evening. I made the assumption that it derived power from the lead truck because of the brass contacts and the metal wheels on the opposite side of those on the tender.
So it does take power from the drive axles. The front truck design threw me… Maybe just opening it up and going over it was all it took. Thanks rrinker!
Those brass plates are just to keep the axles in place, not for pickup…
The loco motor maybe hard wired and not using metal frame contacts…
I have 2 mantuas that are wired and completely different internally yet manufactured only a year or so apart…
Wire from tender to loco and connection from loco to motor… if all the power from both sides reaches the motor and there is no short or loss, then look at the motor… if an open frame motor, then check contacts to brush.(they are a mongrel to sort out)… If you have issues there, solution is to replace with something like a sugami or simular… hard wired to an insulated motor cures things…
Double check any connections between the tender and loco as well. I have a vintage Mantua PRR 4-4-2, and the tender to loco connection uses a crimp connector at each end. On one of them, the wire (conductor) has broken, but the crimp is still attached to the isulation. Without looking REAL closely (or breaking out the meter), everything looks fine, but the connection is electrically dead.
If I bridge that connector, it runs fine, even after 10+ years of storage. These things might not be the finest detailed models, but they are mechanically tanks.
Its working. It appears that it was the crimped terminals that connect the engine to the tender. Removal and the reinstall during my evaluation got it working. Some solder at those joints should make the fix permanent.
Thanks to all for the help.
P.S. Randy, I enjoyed the Bethlehem line post. My father always said we got the Kings name but none of his money… Merry Christmas.
I’ll assume that wazs directed at me - and the answer is yes, sort of. I grew up along the (former) RDG Beth Branch. I had a friend who lived in downtown Lansdale and we spent many a day hanging out in the small rail yard inside the wye just N/W of the station there. This was the early 80’s, so no-one ever bothered to chase us away. So it’s my first inspiration for sure.
I now live along the B&O’s old Metropolitan branch, which unlike the Bethlehem Branch, isn’t currently abandoned - and I’ll admit some B&O influence is creeping in to my plans (no layout for now).
To the OP: glad you got the loco to work! I had a suspcion you were having the same issue I did with mine after a long period of storage.