USRA 4-6-2 Sound Value

[graywolf]

The wipers on this engine are bent and it works fine until it passes over some switches and shorts. I tried to bend them back but they don't want to hold shape. Called Bachmann but they are closed so will have to wait. Is it worth trying to replace them myself or should I send the engine to Bachmann?

[bapguy]

The wipers on this engine are bent and it works fine until it passes over some switches and shorts.  This sounds like a switch problem. Maybe the frog. What brand of switches? Does it do it on all? Or just some. Do you have any other locos ? Do any of them short out on the switches? What DCC system do you use?  Joe

[Trainman203]

I hesitated at first to buy this engine because the wiper ends are so close to the railhead, poor designing.  But I gambled and bought one anyway.  One wiper snagged on a switch. I carefully bent it back and there's been no problem since.

[graywolf]

I am glad to see that I am not the only one to see a problem. The wipers are very low and they did snag on something a while ago. I am using Micro Eng track and switches with an NCE powercab. Other engines pass over the switches just fine. Most of the frogs are powered and my GE 70 ton which has trouble passing over unpowered frogs ran over the suspected frog with no problem. That was when I turned the steamer over and saw the mangled wipers. Tried bending them back but if is difficult to get them to sit properly. The 4-6-2 is the only steamer I have so I am not familiar with where the wipers sit on other steamers. In the future I will look closely at any steamer I plan to purchase.

[Trainman203]

The USRA light mountain and K4 Pacific, both long discontinued, had such pickup contact wipers . Such downward orientation is good for cleaning but they didn't have to end so close to the rail.  Has anyone ever tried trimming them back?