Short circuit in 2-10-0

[Teditor]

I am looking at a Bachmann 2-10-0 for a fellow club member, I have determined that there is a short circuit in the locomotive itself, I have an NCE Powercab for my test station, placing the loco and tender on the track registers a short, just the tender disconnected is OK, just the loco on its own brings up the short, anything in particular to check.

Looks like it will be fun just getting inside it to check.

This was purchased second hand and is not a warranty solving issue, I am also Down Under in Australia, any help, suggestions will be appreciated before I start to pull it apart.

Ted (Teditor) Freeman
From the Land Doun Under

[Irbricksceo]

Before bothering to open it up, is it an early black box 2-10-0? One of my earlier runs had a problem apparently common with the earlier runs. The copper plate on the plastic piece that screws into the bottom and forms the driver pickups will be slightly too long making it flex. This causes it to short against the loco frame. Take off that bottom piece and look at if the copper plate is bent upwards.

[Teditor]

Thanks very much, saved me a lot of unnecessary work, the pickups were the problem and I also isolated the terminals at the rear where the wires are soldered onto.

My cure was to cut the over-length pickup strips and solder them back together while pressed down.

Ted (Teditor) Freeman
From The Land Down Under.

[Irbricksceo]

Glad to help!