so i got a new mantua 2-6-6-2 but it has this odd problem were the motor has dificultys moving at slow speeds. its not a conduction flaw because i can here the motor trying to move. I already hadto return one because the flaw seemed to perminetly lock the engine so what can i do to get it running smooth?
Just to start with the beginning - when you first got the engine, did you give it a 'break in' run? I like to run a new engine for 10-15 minutes forward at moderately fast speed, then 10-15 minutes in reverse. It generally results in the engine running a lot smoother.
Don't know about newer ones, but I had an old Mantua 4-4-2 with a can motor that didn't run right, kept stalling out kinda like you describe. I tried taking it apart, lubricating, checking the gears etc. but nothing helped. One day I was letting it run and it suddenly went "CHUNK" fairly loudly...and then started running very nicely.
My guess - I was never able to track down hard evidence - was that one of the gears had a burr on it, and over time it weakened enough that it eventually 'caught' and broke off instead of stopping the engine.
There could be anything from an assembling defect (one gear axle in the tower not parallel to the rest of them, improperly seated driving axle, a nut or screw not secured properly and backed out enough that something makes contact..., etc.), to flashing or other debris on surfaces meant to be smooth, to improper lubes/missing lubes, defect in the motor.....who knows without some sleuthing?
Is one of the trip pins on their host coupler snagging on a rail head?
First thing I do is check flange gauge on all wheels on the loco. Invert it and set it on a soft suitable cradle that will not damage its fit and finish. Gauge the wheels, and then look plumb/vertically down at the running gear WHILE IT IS IN MOTION. That is, figure out how to connect powr to the unit, maybe it's tender wheels that pick up power, and make the motor turn. Watch for levers/rods that bind against cranks, other rods, or improperly seated pins or nuts/screw heads on any of the rods/levers. Sometimes, if all the nuts and screws, or all the pins, are okay, a slightly bent rod rubs hard against something, even another rod, that the motor groans to get it past that point.
If it runs well upside down, chances are excellent it's okay in that respect. You now must turn to the inner works and investigate the problem there.
Mantua always used a dual gearbox on these. A worm sits atop a single drive gear which is pressed directly on the driver. It is likely the valve gear is bound up but if NTF you may need to remove each worm and see which set of drivers is at fault.
Jim
I would check first, before anything else...are the drivers/valve gear quartered correctly?? If they are not...You would have virtually the same symptoms...binding, stalling and preventing the engine from turning. Without the drive line connected to the motor, the drivers/valve gear should turn freely on a flat surface.
Take Care!
Frank
Hello All,
As you have discovered steam engines have a distinct "personality."
My 0-6-0 had bent side rods that needed tweaking. After that I needed to file down the gear cover on the bottom so it would clear the sections of re-rail track. From there I had to add weight to the engine and electrical pickup trucks to the tender to the DCC decoder for reliable operation.
That's why I prefer diesel/electric motive power.
Sorry this didn't help.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
Quote from OP:
" I already had to return one because the flaw seemed to perminetly lock the engine so what can i do to get it running smooth?"
Are you saying that you purchased one, returned it, got another one, and you are experiencing the same problem with that second new loco? If yes, then the loco might not be the problem. Do you have DCC? Is the loco DCC equipped? Does it do that everywhere on your track or only on certain curves?
If you are only dealing with one loco, why not return it? If that's not possible, is there a way you can try it on another layout? If the problem persists, it might be your decoder (have you tried a reset?), or your drivers might be out of synch, as Frank says.
Simon
RR_MelIt runs very good but it’s by far the noisiest locomotive I’ve ever heard, it’s embarrassing to run it. I’ve tried everything to get rid of the gear/drive noise. White Lithium grease helped but it’s still very noisy.
Mel,
Is that the one with the can motor or does it have the pittman?