why not do it right the first time?????

[ChiefEagles]

Lee, thanks for adding your experience.  I had not thought of that one.

[phillyreading]

Like Chief mentions you may need to add an extra pick-up shoe to get power at cross-overs and switches.  I did that with a Williams SD-45 and a Lionel quad hopper behind it, added an extra center rail pick-up to the quad hopper and ran a wire to the inside of the SD-45.

Another problem I have experianced is the Williams SD-45(Pennsylvania # 4656), may be an older SD-45, has metal wheels on the first two set of axles and plastic wheels on the third so at an add-on contact device to work the highway signal flasher my SD-45 stalled.  Solution was to add an extra outside rail pick-up for the SD-45 and now it runs great because it don't lose power from the track.

Seems like companies cut corners to keep down costs for production.  Rule number one in production "every dollar saved can be billions of dollars on a big run".

Either they cut corners or you pay much more for something!

Lee F.

[hopper]

I'll check the roller thing,but if that was the problem,wouldn't it also stall on the turnouts?????

[ChiefEagles]

Sure you don't have a pickup roller not making connection??????  A Trainmaster should be long enough to bridge across.  Is something metal hittting?  I have a short MTH switcher that can not "creep" through MTH 072 switches.  Too short.  The cure for short engines is to add a teather connected to the pickup rollers in the tender.  For diesels, add a boxcar/flatcar and a "snapon roller" with teather.  Maybe I'm not understanding the question.

[hopper]

I have seen several post & also in one of the recent CTT articles, a method of correcting the problem of engines stalling on turnouts or 90 degree crossings. The latest article I saw in CTT even mentioned that you may have a neclear melt down if you don't do it correctly.A rocket scientist I am not, therefore, I wouldn't even attempt the repair CTT was illustrating. So after boring everyone with that introduction,my point is this. Why can't the manufacturer make it right the first time.????????? BY the way.My williams Trainmaster stalls while going over the 90 degree crossover. So I have to run it 100 mph to get it over that. I feel better now. Thanks Easter