Wheels/pick Up Issues-bachmann Locos...

andyspencer

andyspencer

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Hi all,

Is it just me or does anybody else have issues with poor performance which seems to be related to track pickup?
I've got a 'Thomas Tank Engine' 'Percy' that has been DCC converted, but it only runs well for a few laps after cleaning wheels, then starts juddering... I've stripped it down, and found a lot of oily grease from a previous owner over doing it... This has all been cleaned out, the axles cleaned where the pickups touch etc, but it still won't run very well. I don't think I've every cleaned on an LGB loco, but Percy's wheels always picking up dirt... Any thoughts/ideas?
 
Could possibly be the quality of the metal the wheels are made from. I've noticed that the wheels are not smooth like LGB wheels. This would cause them to get dirtier much faster than nice shiny wheels from LGB and some other higher end manufacturers.
 
Sometimes an improvement after cleaning the wheels masks the root problem, I have had this happen several times, and what the root cause was that instead of picking up power on all wheels, it was just one... so cleaning the wheels got by for a while,

I'd test power pickup on all wheels with pickups, loco on it's back in a cradle, 2 wires of DC.

That usually finds the problem right away.

Greg
 
On some locomotives it's possible to retrofit LGB skates. I have a Hartland Mac switcher that I had a lot of trouble with--mainly because I'm not a meticulous track cleaner. I added a set of skates which much improved it's ability to get across dead frog points.

pick-up-installed.jpg


This was done with the older LGB bayonet style skates and springs, some hand bent and drilled brass brackets made from sheet stock, and a bit of epoxy.

I have an older Lionel Thomas that really runs poorly--the brass wheels are a mess. At some point, I'll get around to doing the same with that one.
 
I agree with the above post. I find that locos without skates develop poor running after a while running especially on damp or dirty track, whilst locos with skates seem to run on almost anything - I sometimes don't clean my rails for weeks (On DCC) even in this current dirty weather.
 
Thanks for the replies guys. I'm the same Stockers, don't clean the track very often, and the LGB just keep going and going. I looked at Thomas's wheels earlier. They still look almost shiny whereas Percy's wheels even when clean look very dull. Will have to do some further research in to fitting him with skates. Fitting LGB bullets in place of the springy copper pick ups doesn't seem to have helped any...
 
Rhinochugger said:
I hate skates - I have to put up with the other issues :tmi::tmi::tmi:
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I notice this tends to be a bit of a polarizing issue, people seem to love them or hate them!

They have been working well for me so far, I retrofitted some to a bachmann four wheeled tram which already has the mountings on the motor block. They work well on the aluminium rail, scraping off the non conductive oxide. I'm too lazy to actively clean the track, so some ability to tolerate dirt and rust is great. It hasn't been necessary to fit them to the larger bogie tram, the extra two axles make a difference!

Do people dislike them just because they need replacing? The ones I fitted are nearly worn down to the condemning stage, I notice they're kind of expensive to get in Australia.
 
I cant say that I have found wear to be much of an issue. I think I have only ever replaced 2 sets and one of those was on a well used second hand loco
 
stockers said:
I cant say that I have found wear to be much of an issue. I think I have only ever replaced 2 sets and one of those was on a well used second hand loco
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That's lucky. The ones I fitted were not new, they came from a second hand motor block that might have been 20 years old.
 
I think they lack weight, the material the wheels are made of is not the best for conductivity, and the skates fitted to LGB (say) loco's have a cleaning effect on the track.
The motors are nothing like the quality of a Buhler as well.

This means they have different characteristics to the LGB stock we all know and love..

They take more 'oomph' to get them going, and slip more readily due to lack of adhesion (light in weight). If they are run 'prototypically', with only two or three items of rolling stock, there is not too much of a problem.
They are, more or less, moulded as a single body-item, so nothing falls off and are pretty robust to getting thrown about by youngsters! - Of any age!! ;)
 
andyspencer said:
Thanks for that :) Think Percy is having skates! I take it these older skates are still available?
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Yes, these are still easily available from the usual sources. I've bought them from eBay and through an authorized LGB dealer.

Melbournesparks said:
Do people dislike them just because they need replacing? The ones I fitted are nearly worn down to the condemning stage, I notice they're kind of expensive to get in Australia.
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I think one thing that people don't like is the appearance. If you're a real rivet-counter, then those big metal skates hanging down between the wheels has to make you crazy. Me, I just want to run trains in my garden--as long as they look OK from 5-10 feet away, I'm OK. Some folks do black these out, which seems to help if the appearance is an issue for you
 
Yerst, well, I'm not exactly a rivet counter, but I do find, particularly on steam locos, that the skates look a bit unsightly.

Although I've often voiced my aversion to skates, I've not usually said why, largely because of Rule 8 (which is now a mythical rule - but quite appropriate) that you run what you like on your own line.

I probably could have lived with them on diesels, but there ain't many of them in 1:20.3 (and that's another well worn path).

The result is that I am happily drifting to battery power, and happy to see photos of other people's locos with skates on :smoke::smoke::smoke::smoke::smoke:
 
Rhinochugger said:
Yerst, well, I'm not exactly a rivet counter, but I do find, particularly on steam locos, that the skates look a bit unsightly.
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Hope I didn't offend--by "rivet counters" I meant to convey in a tongue-in-cheek-kind-of way that those who care about appearance would find the skates unsightly. A view I can definitely understand. Sorry if that came across wrong.

I'm in agreement about Rule 8, and I think there's definitely a place for all sorts--from "prototypically perfect in every way" to "completely cartoonish" and everything in between. :)
 
Clean rail, clean wheels, AND clean back of wheels (where the pick up contacts are).

I actually use oil for my cleaning, a judicious spot on the track, a wee touch on the wheel tread... and if that don't work, a extra wee spot on the back of the wheel where you can see where the pickups make contact. Just make sure the oil is plastic compatable. My Thomas stock runs for hours, no problems.
 
riderdan said:
Hope I didn't offend--by "rivet counters" .
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Definitely not, no offence at all. Anyway, I'm pretty good at offending people. In a previous issue of the forum software, we were able to give ourselves designations - mine was 'Oik' that just about sums me up :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

I suppose there is a glorious anachronism in saying that I model at 1:20.3 but am not a rivet counter :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
If you have track long enough to run 2 trains simultaneously one of which is an LGB with skates then you can get the best of both worlds as the skates keep the track clean for the Bachmann or Hartland loco.
Alternatively, after about an hour's running with. Bachmann I take it off and bring on an LGB. After just a few minutes running the Bachmann can go back on.

New Bachmann is a pain until you realise why they judder from day one. The wheels are treated with a blackening compound which often covers the tyre, once this has rubbed off or better still, when you clean it off from the start they usually run fine. My second Annie spent most of its first year on the shelf until I twigged the problem.
 
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