01-03-2011, 11:52 AM
Green_Elite_Cab Wrote:Yeah, actually, the pick up problem and my E44s is again showing up. This time, having one pickup on each truck wasn't enough! In some cases, there was not track power "diagonally" across the two trucks, so i tried gluing thins plastic sheet to the bottom of the truck, then gluing another set of tomar shoes to pick up on the other side. The problem now is that they hang so low that they brush on track switches if there is a bump, and they are still vulnerable to imperfect track work. Its a major pain, i wonder if there is a way to wedge those kadee springs in the trucks in a more space effective way while still picking up current. I'll post pictures later.
This almost sounds like it's the trucks themselves which are causing the problem. I recall having similar issues with some re-motored Tenshodo geeps - the problem was the truck-mounting system didn't allow enough flexibility, with the result that any irregularity in the track would lift enough wheels to stall the loco. It's been too many years to recall how I solved that problem, but it might give you an idea of what to look for.
Another possible cause of your troubles could be the wheels touching the sideframes - you could isolate the sideframes by using plastic mounting screws and a washer made from electrician's tape, or coat their back surface with clear nail polish.
This, of course, still doesn't address the fact that you've got pick-up on only four wheels. The best, but unfortunately not cheapest, solution to this is to replace the wheelsets. NWSL offers ones with both wheels insulated - with suitable wheel wipers, you could have all 12 wheels working to keep the current flowing.
Wayne