the way mantuas pick up is the rear set of drivers pick up negative or "common" and the front set of drivers pic up positive. the axels rest on brass "covers" that set in the frame. a wire goes up from the top of the frame to the decoder. its a 2-6-6-2 so it technicaly should have the power pick up of an 0-6-0. i replaced the trailing trucks so they would conduct, thus making it have the pick up of a eight axel engine. It ran great for a month before i put it away and i later tried to run it but it started having problems. For some reason still had elecrical problems. on my old 2005 one with brass gears it runs just fine so i put the modded trucks on it and it ran even better but i still have problems with the new one.
If it appears the wiring is OK and everything is clean, it may just be the wheels / pickup is just spaced the right distance apart that it's losing power in that particular place. (Engines can be odd, I have a diesel switcher that goes thru a no. 6 or no. 4 turnout fine, but stalls on a no. 5).
If nothing else, perhaps try replacing the decoder with a TCS decoder with "keep alive" (or similar product by other maker).
Helps to figure out if it's an open or a short. Have another loco on the track with it's light on or making sound. When the problem loco quits, does the other loco continue lighted and/or making sound?
If it quits, then you likely have a short.
If the second loco is unaffected, then the problem is an open.
An open usually means the contacts lose contact. Never taken a Mantua articulated apart, so can't point you specifically about that. Probably some brass wipers? They may need carefully bent a little to ensure full contact. If this is happening on a curve, it may be only when the curves or turnouts go one direction and not the other, another sign of contact issues, since this throws the drivers one way or the other. Most steamers have some sideplay to help them around curves, but if the contact isn't positioned right, it's lost when a curve shoves it away from the wiper.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
its dcc, i dont often run it with the light on. it runs but at any realistic spead it stalls on switches and somethimes just random spots on the layout
Is the Mantua DC or DCC? Run at all or just unreliably? Is there a Headlight or other indication it's picking up track powr?
As a fan of all engins unique, i always loved the 2-6-6-2T. The fact that its a articulated engine with the mobility of an 0-6-0 always facinated me. Of course i owned a used 2-6-6-2 by model power with dcc and sound. runs somooth and had great pic up. when the new ones by mrc were introduced i knew it was time to get a new one as the old mantua aged.
IT WAS THE WORST THING EVER. Howver i fixed the jamming and give it etra pick up by powering the trailing and leading trucks. it ran very smooth. UNTIL NOW. ive cleaned the track, cleaned the wheels using a q tip and contact cleaner, scrubed them with a wire bruch and claned after but nothing seems to work! please help!