Improvements for a Bachmann Spectrum 4-8-2 Mountain

[railandsail]

Here is an idea I have for the tender trucks, two thin rods down either side of the truck, glued into the trunk's plastic frame, and rubbing up against the backside of all 3 wheels on each side as often as possible,....certainly 2 at most times. Since the 3 wheel truck does NOT need to allow for any side play of the wheel sets in this tender application, this should work OK ?

Those thin metal rods might well be located on the topside of the truck's frame verses the bottom side as shown?


 

Then those two rods need to feed two polarities up thru the truck's bolster into the tender's inner spaces/electrical board.

These stock ones need modification



PS: Those 2 rods definitely need to be on the top of the truck frame so as to not have to contend with those wheel-axle insulators.
And I believe trying to run the two conductors up the truck bolster will be too complicated,...I thing the 2 conductors can be just 2 fine wires routed up thru 2 comfortable holes in the bottom of the tender.