Tender electrical pick up

1039 Views 6 Replies 2 Participants Last post by Class45, 11 mo ago

Class45

Discussion Starter · 11 mo ago

Sorry for appearing to dominate this forum, but I am doing quite a lot of layout renovation and rolling stock purchase at the moment....

I have just bought an N gauge Farish GWR Hall off E Bay. When I got it the wire from the tender (pickups) to the Loco was missing - see picture.
Can I just confirm I am supposed to solder in a wire from the terminal on the tender to the top of the capacitor (above the firebox) ?
There appears to be continuity between there and one side of the Loco's drive wheels.
What I do not understand is there does not appear to be any continuity between the tenders wheels (or the copper strips inside them) to that terminal. Is it just dirt ? The "brushes" need cleaning ?

Toy Gas Electric blue Engineering Fashion accessory

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Class45

Discussion Starter · #2 · 11 mo ago (Edited)

I took the plunge and connected up a wire. It's OK and a meter confirms the wheels on one side of the tender have continuity with the drive wheels on the same side.
One wonders why the wire had been taken off as it must aid electrical pick up, in fact it'd be better still if both sides of the tender picked up. Do any steam locos do that ?
Putting the tender back together was a bit of a ball ache, in the end I took off the brushes on the other side of the tender (because they don't appear to do anything anyway) to simplify the 3D micro jigsaw.....

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34C

· #3 · 11 mo ago

Class45 said:
... it'd be better still if both sides of the tender picked up. Do any steam locos do that ?...

I would think it is fairly common on N gauge tender locos to have pick ups on unpowered tenders (it's a common thing in OO where pick up is far easier due to the greater weight of the models). That it had pick up wipers both sides of the tender, one side of which you have now removed, suggests that on this model (or some other model this tender design was used with) that it picked up both sides

Class45 said:
...One wonders why the wire had been taken off as it must aid electrical pick up...

Explanations will range from accidentally detached to deliberately removed. For example it's possible that the wire connection was too stiff and caused derailments; it needs very fine and flexible multicore preferably arranged as an 'S' shaped link to ensure the loco and tender can move freely relative to each other.

Keep in mind that you are looking at a s/h piece that may well now be in significantly different condition than it left the factory 'whenever'; anything up to 40 - ish years ago. Both intentional modifications, and changes in the plastics especially, from such as UV exposure, lubricants and solvents.

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Class45

Discussion Starter · #4 · 11 mo ago

34C said:
I would think it is fairly common on N gauge tender locos to have pick ups on unpowered tenders (it's a common thing in OO where pick up is far easier due to the greater weight of the models). That it had pick up wipers both sides of the tender, one side of which you have now removed, suggests that on this model (or some other model this tender design was used with) that it picked up both sides

I looked at the way the tender was constructed, and in particular the "copper wiper assembly" and I could not see any was it had been connected. Strange....
Anyway, I got (what these days.....) counts for a bargain actually. It cost £40 odd (incl P&P) and it works reasonably well for a steam type model. I assume it did not attract many bids because up close it looks a bit scabby (as it would on the pics on E Bay) but when it's actually on the layout it's OK. It's in as good a condition as my Pannier tank anyway !

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34C

· #5 · 11 mo ago

Class45 said:
I looked at the way the tender was constructed, and in particular the "copper wiper assembly" and I could not see any way it had been connected. Strange...

One possibility is that the loco chassis is 'live' to one rail, a very common construction. Then if the tender has a metal chassis and the wipers were attached to that, (or alternatively the now removed pick up wiper assembly originally had a connection to the tender front) a screw attached metal drawbar can do the job of mechanical and electrical connection to the loco.

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Class45

Discussion Starter · #6 · 11 mo ago

34C said:
One possibility is that the loco chassis is 'live' to one rail, a very common construction. Then if the tender has a metal chassis and the wipers were attached to that, (or alternatively the now removed pick up wiper assembly originally had a connection to the tender front) a screw attached metal drawbar can do the job of mechanical and electrical connection to the loco.

Oh dear....
Fortunately I have kept it, and if I straighten it I can probably refit it.
I will check when I get a chance.

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Class45

Discussion Starter · #7 · 11 mo ago

34C said:
One possibility is that the loco chassis is 'live' to one rail, a very common construction. Then if the tender has a metal chassis and the wipers were attached to that, (or alternatively the now removed pick up wiper assembly originally had a connection to the tender front) a screw attached metal drawbar can do the job of mechanical and electrical connection to the loco.

I took meter readings on my Farish Black 5 (very similar underneath) and confirmed your info. So I then stripped the tender down on the Hall and refitted the brush assembly for the other side and it now runs even better. It'll go really quite slowly all the way round the inner loop no probs. I feel I have actually got a bit of a bargain (at present prices) with that Grafar Hall !

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