Upgrading a Mantua 0-4-0

The next section will show the buildup of truck wheel wipers and mounting. The wipers are made up of a strip
of .006" thick phosphor-bronze sheet. I used a pair of scissors to cut strips approximately 1/16' to 1/8". Try to
keep them as narrow as possible. I cut out small squares of brass with a clearance hole (#50 drill) drilled to
clear an 0-80 screw and a piece of black wire from computer ribbon cable make up the wiper.

On the left is a finished truck with a set of wipers fastened to the truck with 0-80 shortened screws. On the right
are two more wipers and two spacer washers that go under the brass square to set the wiper high enough so it
won't rub on the wheel axle.

This shows the long, 3/4", 0-80 screws I use for fastening the wiper to the truck. Again, a small fixture is made to
hold the screw for cutting to length and filing the burrs off. A hole is drilled in the top of the truck beam and
tapped 0-80. The wiper is attached and then the screw is marked
for a cut off length and the wipers are marked where to shorten them.

I bent the wipers to mark where to cut them, do the same for the long screw.

Four holes were drilled into the tender chassis to run the wires through. Here the first truck is being readied to
fasten to the bolster.

And here it is all complete with wires installed through their holes. You'll note that I ran the two wires at the front
of the tender, where the draw-bar screw is on the same side as opposed to the rear truck wires. That was done
because it's close to the front portion of where the coal doors are. The trucks swivel freely, although with a bit
of resistance do to having to twist the wires ever so slightly. Nothing that will interfere when the tender is being
pulled by the engine.