Large Scale Central

Bachmann electric pickup problem.

Problem Solving
#1

A friend came over yesterday to run trains and he brought a bachmann 4-6-0 with him for me to look at. It is a basic starter set engine so not very fancy and it has a problem. We determined that for some reason track current is only being picked up by the pilot truck. I flipped it over, removed the bottom cover and thought I would find a broken wire or something amiss but I didn’t. Everything in there looked good and tight. My friend said that the engine recently started giving him problems, stuttering etc… I suggested getting some tire weights fro now and sticking them onto the front pilot to give it some weight so it stays in contact with the track better.

Any ideas what could be wrong and why the drive wheels are not picking up power?

Thanks.

#2

From pics and reading I think their system relies on pins and strips to make contact under the driver’s cover. Might require tweaking to ensure contact is made. Brass can loose memory with time and might not maintain pressure to overcome oxidation and oils.

Did he recently oil it?

John

#3

Does this help: (George describes 3 different versions of power pickup)

http://girr.org/girr/tips/tips1/big_hauler_tips.html#pickups

Greg

#4

I knew you guys would have some ideas. Looking at the link Greg posted this Bachmann has the piston type of pickup on 4 out of 6 wheels.

Getting to them would require digging further than just a quick tear down on the kitchen table. My buddy paid $10 for this engine so I will have to see what he wants to do. The prospect of putting in LGB piston pickups sounds expensive. If it were me I think I would put a brass strip on the tender wheels and add pickup there. He doesn’t haul long trains and his layout has small grades so I don’t think the engine would notice the extra drag.

Thanks guys.

#5

Install Batteries…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#6

Todd Haskins said:

I knew you guys would have some ideas. Looking at the link Greg posted this Bachmann has the piston type of pickup on 4 out of 6 wheels.

Getting to them would require digging further than just a quick tear down on the kitchen table. My buddy paid $10 for this engine so I will have to see what he wants to do. The prospect of putting in LGB piston pickups sounds expensive. If it were me I think I would put a brass strip on the tender wheels and add pickup there. He doesn’t haul long trains and his layout has small grades so I don’t think the engine would notice the extra drag.

Thanks guys.

Todd,

Installing the LGB contacts is not hard nor expensive. I have done it on two of my B’mann 10 wheelers. It just takes a little time and effort. You need to solder a wire to each LGB contact quickly so as to not harm the spring tension. Also do the soldering before mounting the contact in the plastic chassis, it will melt!

#7

The other option is to find some of the bronze bushing style contacts and install them. I thought I had saved them from when I converted to battery, but I sure can’t find them. Maybe they’re available from Bachmann? Easy enough to install…

But, maybe it’s just a matter of cleaning the current piston type pickup? After all, it used to work…

#8

The chassis of mine had worn so bad that the rear set of drivers would move far enough to loose contact with the strips in the cover. I was going to repair that locomotive, but decided it would be better for me as a parts source for a future project.

#9

TOC would be the parts source if you are trying to repair a $10 loco, and not spend more than the loco is worth.

Greg

#10

As to the loco, I found the cast B’mann wheels quickly lose their plating and then do poorly at absorbing track power.

Todd Brody’s suggestion of using the tubular/graphite wheel “plugs” (contacts) electrical source makes sense. The bracket with those contacts installed is simply attached between the wheel axles with one screw. However, while the cost is high, the alternative I have used is to replace the tender’s wheels with one set of the LGB ball bearing wheel/axles that draw current. I have one set on a mogul tender that has run for six years without a glitch. I did make sure of consistent + to +, etc. wiring into the locomotive. I do (gasp!) apply the 0-20 Mobil 1 oil to the backside of the wheels to absorb into the bearings. Is that a reason for the durability? I can’t make a claim since I started doing it once installed. My guess is Train Li has those brackets.

Pardon my editorial on this oil-the-axles issue: I have found NO, that’s zero dirt, dust, etc., problems with a small shot of 15-20 Mobil 1 directly into the truck axle journals. That’s from years of experience maintaining the Living Desert fleet of previously annoying squeaking freight cars. No more visitors proclaiming the cars are wearing out!

#11

Change the front and rear tender axles to ball bearing with power pickups and wire this to the engine.

This will give a huge improvement to the power pickup.