I just recieved a new Bachmann Spectrum 4-4-0 for my Georgtown Loop excursion train. This thing has horribly made pickup system on the tender trucks. Little tiny copper pieces that rub on the axles.
It keep stalling then starting again around my layout. In the same exact places, so I know it doesn't like the track. So I clean my track with the CMX car with laquer thinner. It still stalling on some places, so now I get out the 400 grit sandpaper, this improves things a bit, but still keeps stalling and starting. I just let it run for about an hour, and eventully it starts making it around without stalling.
I have a Spectrum EM-1 that never had these issues. It has the same tender pickup design, but it has 3 copper wipers per axle.
Is there anything I can do to improve the pickup on the tender? Is there a metal conducting lube I can put on the axels? Any other suggestions?
Michael
CEO- Mile-HI-RailroadPrototype: D&RGW Moffat Line 1989
Take out the axles and carefully clean the contact points on those strips. You con;t want to bend or deform them, or they won;t make contact. You can also try gently bending them up a bit, to put more pressure on the axles. All it takes is a little fuzz to get sucked in there and now there is no more contact. A q-tip dipped in the acetone will loosen any grim on th contact surface, and a dry one will help clean it off. Better than q-tips are the foam-tipped swabs they used to sell for cleaning tape recorders. No fuzzies. Just don;t soak the swab in acetone so it drips on the bottom of the tender while you are doing this.
You clean your track with 400 grit sandpaper? Ouch. Too late now, but your track is no full of microscratches that trap and hold dirt, making it get dirty that much faster. The step in the 'gleaming' process where you rub the railhead with a hardened metal tool can burnish out those scratches. I fired up my layout for the first time in over 4 months yesterday to test run something, and darn if it didn't run, with minimal headlight flickering - almost entirely dust that has settled over all this time. But it ran, and I didn't have to break out any track cleaners.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Michael,
Yeah, double check the finger engagement with the axles.
Aerocar Lubricants makes several conductive cleaner and/or lube products. I've used the track cleaner with good results.
I use CRC 2-26 spraingly applied to the rail with good results.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
The wipers are clean, and I also clean them again.
I'm adding some feeders on the places its stalling, near a couple of switches. I have the Peco code 83 insulfrogs by the way. Hopefully this helps.
I'll report back when I get this done.
As Sheldon always recommends, add weight to Bachmann Tenders as they are too light out of the box. Your trucks may not be picking up because they are not contacting the rail reliably. I had the same issues with a 4-6-0 and 2-8-0, weight always helps and also attention to the tender wires may be needed.
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/181314.aspx?sort=ASC&pi314=
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
With a new loco, it is usually dirty track. Might look clean but many times it is not. Turnouts or not enough feeder's can be an issue and some users blame the tender pickups.
I added the below to my Spectrum's. The tender pickups were ok but adding pickups gave the loco more ability. I found out from running my Roundhouse steamers that all wheel pickups on the tenders was great. The Athearn/Roundhouse steamers come with all wheel pickups.
http://www.55n3.org/cars/tender_wipers/
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.
Geared steam, I think you are right, its gotta be the tender weight. Right now its stalling on the frogs the tender must not be heavy enough when going over the switches. Right now its having a problem on two #6 switches.
I'll add the weight and report back.
Bird shot from a gun shop works. Proper tucking of the wires under the tender has helped me.
I added the weight to the tender, and it did not help at all. It seems to stall only at the #6 frogs on two of them, but not consistantly. It makes it through other #6 frogs just fine.
It just doesn't have a long enough wheel base to cross the insulated frogs. I'm not going to power them either just for this loco.
So I'm giving it away to anybody who wants it, its a peice of crap. I can't beleive Bachmann suggested retail price was $499. I only paid $150 for though. I wonder why the huge discount? Geee now I know.
Hey Sheldon, I'm not happy with my new Bachmann purchase. Waste of time, money, energy. No more little steam locos for me.
Micheal
When I got my BS 4-4-0 I had to power four of my frogs. I used Frog Juicers. On another T/O it wasn't laying perfectly flat, a "T" pin offered a quick temporary solution to that. On another I had to file the plastic down between the rails at the frog as it just lifted off ever so slightly it lost contact. That was about two years ago and it has run flawlessly ever since.
I just love having that little thing chugging around the layout while I am working on it. I just have to remember to stop working every six or seven minutes to tip my hat as it goes by.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
The issue is not the loco, it is the frog. My 4-4-0 ran though powered frogs just fine. I added the wipers on the non powered tender trucks as insurance. Kind of similar to stay alive.
The high recommend price is not an issue. Many companies do this.
MotleyI'm not going to power them either just for this loco.
I know it's frustrating but for the cost of two $10.00 Frog Juicers your problem is solved. I had to power two of the frogs on my WS #6 double crossover, aWS#10 curved T/O and a WS #8 T/O. Just consider the cost of the Frog Juicers as part of the cost of the engine. I think you got a real good deal on it.
I got too many turnouts to power the frogs. I'm not doing that for this one loco.
The issue is the loco, it doesn't negetiate the frogs. If they advertised this I would never have purchased it. So everybody who buys one has to power their frogs?
I'm over it. I already found a replacement for my Georgetown Loop train. Its an Athearn RTR old time 2-6-0 D&RGW. I'll have to add a sound decoder in it though. But with the 6 wheeled drivers, I'm sure it will negotiate my frogs.
That is odd, sorry for the bad luck. With the 2-6-0 since your adding a decoder you may want to look into the WOW decoders as they come with a capacitor that will power through dead areas (just in case) Personally I would sent it back to Bachmann instead of giving it away. They will replace it or fix it.
Geared Steam That is odd, sorry for the bad luck. With the 2-6-0 since your adding a decoder you may want to look into the WOW decoders as they come with a capacitor that will power through dead areas (just in case) Personally I would sent it back to Bachmann instead of giving it away. They will replace it or fix it.
Motley I added the weight to the tender, and it did not help at all. It seems to stall only at the #6 frogs on two of them, but not consistantly. It makes it through other #6 frogs just fine. It just doesn't have a long enough wheel base to cross the insulated frogs. I'm not going to power them either just for this loco. So I'm giving it away to anybody who wants it, its a peice of crap. I can't beleive Bachmann suggested retail price was $499. I only paid $150 for though. I wonder why the huge discount? Geee now I know. Hey Sheldon, I'm not happy with my new Bachmann purchase. Waste of time, money, energy. No more little steam locos for me.
I added the weight to the tender, and it did not help at all. It seems to stall only at the #6 frogs on two of them, but not consistantly. It makes it through other #6 frogs just fine. It just doesn't have a long enough wheel base to cross the insulated frogs. I'm not going to power them either just for this loco.
Sheldon should do the right thing and buy it from you for $150.
Michael, you should make the argument that since Sheldon sings the praises of Bachmann so much, you bought the loco on his recommendation.
Alton Junction
richg1998 With a new loco, it is usually dirty track. Might look clean but many times it is not. Turnouts or not enough feeder's can be an issue and some users blame the tender pickups. I added the below to my Spectrum's. The tender pickups were ok but adding pickups gave the loco more ability. I found out from running my Roundhouse steamers that all wheel pickups on the tenders was great. The Athearn/Roundhouse steamers come with all wheel pickups. http://www.55n3.org/cars/tender_wipers/ Rich
Michael, before you give up on that 4-4-0, take a look at what Rich did with his 4-4-0.
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/744/t/225301.aspx