Tender Pickups Early Proto 2000 USRA 0-8-0?

[Isambard]

I have spent a frustrating number of hours attempting to install reliable tender pickups on my early release Proto 2000 USRA 0-8-0, trying the various schemes I've found on the web without success. The tender trucks and bolsters are slotted to provide for  wiring and  pickup contacts, which appear on later releases. Is there a retrofit pickup kit available that can be readily installed and connected to the decoder board?

[Texas Zepher]

Before Walthers took over one could just order the parts from Life-like.   I've tried since without success, but not recently.  The excuse I got about a year ago was "they still didn't have the Life-like parts sorted out".  Couldn't hurt to give them a call and see what the response would be today.   Before they came out with the second run of the 0-8-0s I was using parts from the 0-6-0 and 2-8-8-2 as follows (from March 22, 2005):

parts from an 0-6-0 needed:
#TS3 internal power strip bracket screw (quantity 2)
#T8 internal power strip bracket (quantity 2)
#T9 internal power strips & spring (quantity 2)
#T17 truck frame (quantity 2)
#T18 power wipers (quantity 4)
#T19 wheel axles (quantity 4)

If you have the exploded 0-6-0 tender diagram it is obvious how they go together.  If not slide the tang of the power pickups through the slot in the truck frame and put in the wheel axles.  The rest should become obvious when you try to put the truck onto the tender.  You will have to loosen the internal circuit board and upper tender floor to install the internal spring/power strips.  Depending on the age of the 0-8-0 tender you might not need the T17 truck frames because they might already have the slots for the wipers.  You also might have to cut slots for the power wipers to go through the tender floor, and might have to drill holes for the #TS3. Finally one simply solders leads onto the T9 and connect them to the track power feed from the loco.

parts from a 2-8-8-2 needed:
#T70 power wiper springs (quantity 4)
#T18 power wipers (quantity 4)
#T19 truck frame (quantity 2)
#T22 wheel axles (quantity 4)

Because the internal power strips are too long, with this set up one must solder a lead onto each of the T18 wipers and connect them to the appropriate power feed locations on the circuit board.

[Virginian]

I would not waste any energy on trying to get LifeLike parts out of Walthers.  The best model train parts system the world will ever see... Gone in a flash.  Way to go Walthers.  I promise to NEVER forget that move.

I haven't gotten around to these tenders yet, but when I do, I just plan to use some single strand copper wire.  I have done it about fifty times and found it to be about the easiest and most reliable method.  Solder your feeder wire to the center of a short piece, then Goo the center to the truck with the ends touching the axle(s), and run the wire up inside the car.  Bend the wire shape to suit the truck design.  Easy to adjust contact tension, you can even wrap one turn if you like, but don't add too much friction.

[jerryl]

I have had success using pickup shoes from Tomar industries  (9520 E. Napier Ave, Benton Harbor MI 49022.  They rire on the rails & not on the wheels, also help keep the rails clean.  Jerry

[jerryl]

Check out the March'07 issue ofRMC page #89.  Shows how to make pickups from Kadee centering springs.

[hminky]

I have additional ideas about Kadee #5 wipers at:

 http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/1905/roundhouse_sound/

 

Thank you if you visit

Harold