New Steam Locomotives With Wires Connected to the Tender

[lirrman]

Has anyone found a good, permanent, solution to stiff wires that connect the newer steam locomotives to their tenders.  The wires on some of my steam locomotives tend to pull the tender off the track if the wires are not centered perfectly.  They seem to stay in place for awhile then need re-adjustment or pushing back into the tender.  I worry that too much fiddling with these wires may harm the connections.  They do seem very fragile.

[Doneldon]

long-

You can purchase stranded wire which is designed to be more limp than regular stranded wire. I believe it has thinner, but more, strands so it has the same current carrying ability. Just replace your existing wires with this limp wire. You can use the existing plugs and recepticles.
                                                                                                                                                                                           -- D

[lirrman]

You make it sound easy.  I don't know.  Replacing six wires into that small plug doesn't sound that easy.

[GN.2-6-8-0]

The tenders on Bachmann steamers tend to be a bit light causing the front truck on the tender to derail because of the wires I would first try adding a few oz. of weight to the front floor of the tender...worked for me and others.
As you said replacing the wires in those two tiny plugs would be really hard as theres no way to soder them in without destroying the plastic plugs.

[lirrman]

Thanks, I think I'll try the extra weight first.

[uncbob]

That is one gripe I have about these engines

I can't believe they didn't test run them and see the problem

It could have been eliminated by adding that extra weight

I can see some of the early engines but DAMN they could have corrected in future  new model releases

[richg]

I take a small pair of very sharp scissors and slit the two plastic tubes around each bundle.
I then properly adjust the wires.
No problem. No added weight.

Rich