4-6-0 Tweeks and Tips (revised)

[fredsmi]

Also, any recommendations for a replacement pack with pure DC as I don't think any of the Tech II packs are pure DC. 

The Bachmann packs (BAC44212) that come with their box sets runs locomotives with decoders smooth so I guess they are "smooth" DC.  It is Not Spectrum, the Spectrum pack I have causes my DCC locomotives to jerk a long.

[cruelcracker]

Hello,

I have a couple of 4-6-0s with the tender pickup problem.  Any recommendations on how I can fix this myself (photos would help too)?

Thanks!

[skipgear]

Remove the tender shell and make sure the brass/phosphorbronze pickup tabs attached to the decoder board are contacting the pickup posts coming up from the truck.

[kiasutha]

Tony:
Recently got my first ten wheeler and found your assesment "spot-on".
Mine had all the problems you mentioned, and the "fixes" worked fine.
It runs quite well now.
Interestingly,  I have a problem I hadn't heard of yet- on mine, the headlight only lights in reverse...
I used the short USRA tender underframe with a new "bashed' body,
and removed the DCC chip per Bachmann instructions.
(I'm using DC only on this)
The plastic pins used to secure the brass pick-up strips had been so overmelted as to ruin them, leaving the strips near to or falling off.
I went to the trouble of replacing the pins and doing it myself...
All in all it's a nice loco I've wanted for decades, but I'm glad there are people like you around helping trouble shoot the things...

[extrucker]

i have 2 of these engine they run   had little trouble didn,t seem want pull more then 3 pass cars kept runnin it  now it run supper that was the 1st patch  2nd one  was from new run  had to change the pilot wheel gauge all the drives  it now runs super

[Country Joe]

I have on of these and it's a good runner. The pilot truck occasionally derailed though. I turned the pilot truck over as skipgear described and it derails no more. Thanks skip.

[skipgear]

To the top to help another 4-6-0 owner.

[jimwindley]

Skipgear
I've just bought a 4-6-0.  It's likely from the second run. I haven't run it yet.  I took the tender shell off and found that one of the wires from the engine  is not attached.  There are seven wires from the engine and I can only see a need for six.  It is the third form the right as you face the front.  From the diagram it appears that this is for the front light.  Further all the wires are painted black except for the second form the right as you face the front.  IT is red.  I'm assuming this  is not he red wire for the decoder.

Further:  I'm planning on replacing the tender with the USRA short tender.  I have a couple of questions.
1)   Did you use the circuit board in the tender?
2)   Did you remove the electronic emission capacitors or the coils/inductors?
3)   Did you ever find a plug that fit the fitting on the tender?

I plan on using the trucks from the 4-6-0 as they have a much longer prong sticking up than the short tender trucks.  I'm also going to use the shorter draw bar  Do you have any other hints on using the USRA tender?  Thanks.  I'm going to use all of the suggestions for tweeking the engine.

Jim

[skipgear]

The loco only has 6 wires coming from it. If the wire is red, it is probably the wire coming from one of the tender pickup strips to the decoder board.

When I swapped tenders on mine, I left the complete original tender intact. Mine had a bad decoder in it anyhow, from exactly the same thing as you describe, one of the wires going to the pickups came unsoldered from the board and ended up shorting something out. From the begining I hadn't planned on using that tender so it didn't bother me too much.

The stock decoder board will not fit in the smaller tender anyhow so there is no need to bother trying to keep it. There are guys that have used the stock board but they also were converting to pure DC and removed the decoder section and installed the jumpers as per the instructions.

In my case, I cut the wires from the decoder board, soldered them to a socket (yes I found matching plugs finally). I then soldered the decoder to the light board in the DCC ready short tender and plugged it all together. Any new steam loco I work on is being converted to the same plug as the Bachmann so I can swap tenders if needed very quickly.

There is no need to swap trucks, the pickups work fine as they come from the tender. Longer pins will just cause the trucks to bind and cause derailing issues.

For the plug, look for 1.27mm pitch pc board header connections. I found 50pin strips on Ebay for about a $1 each when you buy them 10 at a time. Get males and females because they come in hand for all types of projects. You cut off what you need from the 50 pin strip. I use them for lighting connections in buildings a lot.

[jimwindley]

Hi skipgear

Yes there are six wires coming from the emgine.  The wrie labelled L- is not attached.  One of the wires coming from the engine is red but it is not soldered to the spot I would expect it would be.  I'm going to assume that it is soldered in the correct spot.

On the short tender there is very poor contact with the trucks and the wipers, so I'm going to try the trucks from the 4-6-0.

I'm going to wait a couple of days while I pick courage before I start.  I'm going to try it DC before I install a decoder.

I think that MT 2004-1 couplers are ones to fit the tender.  I'm ordering some today.

Thanks again.

Jim

[skipgear]

As far as the wipers on the tender go, remove the tender trucks and bend the pickup tabs down. Sometimes it is easier just to remove the whole plastic insert that they are attached too and bend it. Also make sure the plastic insert is seated fully in the tender frame. I have seen flashing on the frame keep that piece from seating and that holds the wipers up higher than they are supposed to be.

[jimwindley]

skipgear

One of the wipers did have flashing and I cleared it out but that bent the wiper up.  I'm fairly good at tinkering so I'll play with it.  I fixed a similar problem with wipers on some Life-like SWs.  I drilled out the old plastic, straightened the wiper and glued them down with epoxy.  That should work here too.

I found some connectors on EBay and ordered them today.  So now I have to put frog juicers in my turnout frogs so I can run DCC on my layout.  Then I'm off to the races!!!!

Thanks again.   

Jim

[jimwindley]

Skipgear

I removed the boiler from the 4-6-0 and found that the other end of the red wire which attaches to the tender goes to the motor.  So that red wire represents the orange wire and is, in fact, attached to the correct terminal.  Now I can do the switch over to the plug (which I have from somewhere) that fits the tender fitting.  I was feeling a trifle anxious.  Now I can presson. 

In addition, I checked the front trucks.  They are on correctly according to your info.  The bolt attaching rods to wheels seems to be a screw fitting instead of a hex head bolt.  There does not seem to be a bow in the rods either.  It seems that someone is listening.

Jim

[duddy09]

Hi everybody,

Anyone knows if the "new" batch of 4-6-0 ( if there is a new one ... ) are coming from the factory without the listed problems or they are still "problematic" ...

A happy 2012 !!!

[skipgear]

The new ones that have come into our shop seem to be corrected. No telling what is setting around as original stock or not though.