Bachmann Class .. Diesel Locos

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I have 8 Bachmann Class 55, 66, etc and have problems with the brass “against the wheel” pickup wipers…very troublesome in DC and useless for DCC. Has anyone come up with a better wheel pickup other than brass shoes against the rail?

I’ve tried adjusting the brass strip but once messed with seem to be useless. I know there is a lot of axle play - side to side which may be causing the loss of pickup. You’d think for the price they charge for these locos they could have come up or copied a tried and true with a modern pickup.

2

Not familiar with those models. However, I often make wipers for various steam DCC installations using Tichy phosper-bronze wire tacked to a small bit of circuit board for a mounting/electrical isolation/pickup point.