I was given a box of old HO equipment which included a Tyco/Mantua steam engine. It takes three quarter of the MRC throttle just to get moving. I would like to replace the motor with a new one and possibly convert to DCC. Any motor suggestions? This would be my first remotor project.
The open-frame motors on my (very) old Mantua 4-6-2 work better than that, so perhaps your motor is damaged (overheated, or magnets have gotten weak), or the mechanism is binding. But open frame motors of any quality have their limits.
Mantua itself eventually issued most if not all their metal steamers with can motors, which makes me assume they also reworked the frame.
There is a very thorough article on re-motoring in the December 1985 issue of MR. The author walks you through remotoring several commercial RTR and kit type steam locomotives. The Mantua 4-6-2 is not one of them, but the Mantua 2-8-2 is and the author gives some suggestions for the 4-6-2. Sagami can motor 1630. However he points out that Mantua's original frame motors are set rather far back on the frame, so it needed another after-market part: the Mellor no. 420 worm drive adaptor. Mellor has not been around for some years so that article may not give you all the info you need.
Fortunately Northwest Short Line has remotor kits including one for the Mantua 4-6-2, #1174-4. It gives you the parts you need and their website has some good tutorials, including one dealing with Mantua steam. I'd read the tutorial (but also do look at that 1985 MR article) before spending the bucks on the project.
Dave Nelson
Billwiz,
Here is a nice link of one way to do it with a can motor and using part of the frame of the original open frame motor.
http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/23126
Helix humper was the go to company to do mantua remotoring, but they are long gone. Sometimes they show up on Ebay - but that is 'hit or miss',
Joel
Modeling the C&O New River Subdivision circa 1949 for the fun of it!
Thanks everyone. This is on the project list, so I may not get to it for awhile, but wanted to start the research. Appreciate your comments and if/when I get to it I'll probably come back to you!
I agree with all of the above. I would only reiterate that there may be other issues going on that a new motor may not fix. It could be as simple as dirty/oxydized wheels on the engine and tender. You may want to do a good general cleaning and lube before doing anything else.
Simon
Definately first on the list. I did a very basic quicky clean and lube, but it needs a thorough maintenance. Then I'll test the amp draw, but may continue with the project as a learning opportunity.
I remotored this Mantua Pacific. I did the work some years ago. Back then I could mail order a can motor kit from the Mantua parts operation. I think Yardbird Trains carries some of the stuff Mantua parts used to offer.
Actually, the original open frame Pittman motor gave decent performance although the can motor was even better. The Pittman motor would creep along at about 5 scale miles per hour. The can motor conversion would creep tie by tie. Installation of the kit was easy, it came with a motor bracket and installed with nothing more than a screw driver.
You might want to try reviving your open frame motor. Step 1 is to remove the motor and roll the locomotive back and forth by hand, feeling for any stickiness in the rods, valve gear and drivers. Clean the axles with solvent and reoil. This is worth doing even if you put a can motor in later.
Step 2 is to check the motor. Power it up unloaded, it ought to whirr happily up to high high speed. Clean the commutator with Goo Gone. Never oil a communtator. Give the two motor bearings a drop of light oil. If the motor is still loggy the Alnico magnet may have weakened over time. Replace it with the new neodyneum super magnets. That will put some oomph into it. Replace is just a screw driver job, taking care to put the new magnets in with the north pole facing in the same direction as the old magnet. If you get this backward, the locomotive will run backward.
Let us know how things work out.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
I remember an article in a MR magazine many years ago about steamer mechanisms. Remove the motor and gentley push the loco on a piece of flat glass and see how the mechanism performs. I recycled all my huge stack of MR magazines so I cannot find the article.
I agree about a better motor. Dave at NWSL has helped me in the past. Once in a while I see sagami on ebay. I bought a 16 20 many years ago. Great with a flywheel.
Many years ago I re geared an HO 4-6-0 and a 0-4-0 using the NWSL MDC re gear kits. 45 to 1 and 72 to 1 with can motors and flywheels. Worm on motor driving a worm gear on an intermediate shaft. A spur gear on the same shaft drove a spur gear on the driver axle. That allowed the motor to be mounted horizontal like the MDC Roundhouse Athearn steamers.. Those locos could operate very well with a DC pulse power pack.
I mounted the motors with bath caulk so I could easily adjust gear lash.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
I probably will not get to do anything until between Christmas and New Year's, but will start with a major cleaning. Thanks everyone for your great input, as usual. I'll update as I go along.