Trains.com

MTH'S Railking Triplex problem

1507 views
1 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    December 2006
  • From: Michigan City, In.
  • 781 posts
MTH'S Railking Triplex problem
Posted by spikejones52002 on Wednesday, May 27, 2009 1:34 PM

 I been having a problem with MYH's Railking NEW triplex. When the center drive truck rolls over the insulated "FROG" portion of a switch. The engine dies or stops and goes into power down. The front and rear lights are still on. I took OHM meter reading of the rail contact points.

MTH placed two tire brushes on the front two drive wheels and a rail wiper in each drive wheel set. PROBLEM the three drive trucks are not interconnected ELECTRICALLY. When the rail wiper of the center drive truck is over the insulated portion of the frog. The decoder signal is lost. The engine drive is lost, but he engine appears to have full electrical power.

I temporarily ran a wire between each rail wiper mounting screw  on the main engine. That cleared the dead spots.

MTH's electrical pick-up are, two front wheels have tire brushes and inbetween these wheels is a rail wipe.

I am very sure if MTH placed the tire brushes on the front and back wheels. The engine would have better pick-up. On a truck of more than 2 drive wheels. The center wheel does not have the same contact pressure as the outside axles.

I also think MTH should do away with the rail wipe and place tire brushes on all drive wheels. 

I also found a couple of the tire brushes not extending out to the wheel tire. That was an easy fix.

I have several sets of Aristo Wheel brush kits. I am going to mount then on all wheels and disable the rail wipes.

  • Member since
    December 2006
  • From: Michigan City, In.
  • 781 posts
Posted by spikejones52002 on Wednesday, June 3, 2009 10:36 PM

Today I removed the rail wipers from the Triplex.

I mounted a Aristo Craft wheel brush unit on the back drive wheel of all three trucks.

I also ran a wires from the two engine brush units connecting both truck units together.

I ran the engine at 1 MPH reading on the remote control unit. I ran the engine back and forth through both of my track cross over switches.

Absolutely NO stalls.

The engines did not snag the switch frogs.

Search the Community

FREE EMAIL NEWSLETTER

Get the Garden Railways newsletter delivered to your inbox twice a month

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Garden Railways magazine. Please view our privacy policy