Are steam locos more sensitive to uneven track than diesel locos? I have a new Kato Mikado that when it hits two particular spots of track, slows down momentarily. The light also dims, so I know it’s a pickup problem. BTW, I’m running DCC. I’ve cleaned the track to death with a Bright Boy and alcohol with no results. All of my diesels run that track with no problems at all, so I have to assume the problem is in the rigidity of the chassis/driver wheels and the loco is “lifting” on those sections. No problems otherwise. Any thoughts?
I think that about sums it up! That is why tender trucks and loco drivers should all have pickups, especially the l’il fellers.
Is it likely to be a frog? Isolated frogs are ‘dead’, so you might want to wire in the bad-boy in question, but with its own bulb-resistor a la jfugate. Find his DCC thread a page or three back. He explains how to wire in a bulb and get power safely to your frogs.
I think all the wheels of the tender with pickup is the most important component. The flexibility of the tender trucks insures constant contact. I developed these pickups from an idea from another forum. They are probabaly too large for N but do wonders for HO.
I have put them on IHC old time 4-4-0’s and the performance improved 100%. They will even go over Atlas #4 dead frogs. There is no jerking or stuttering. I have a web article at:
Since these locos are tender drive the performance can be tested without the loco. The tender pickup is the key, the motor never stops running if it is pushed down the track by itself
I’m an N scaler and have had steamers that ran really lousy until I added extra contacts to the tender trucks. I’ve got the same engine you do, but I’ve never had any problems with it so far-knock wood.
I think I have to agree with Don. It happens on one particular curve. The loco will creep over a #4 turnout with a load. Also, Kato uses all-wheek pickup, including the tender. The trackwork is going to be taken up and used for a new layout, so I’ll just have to be aware of that and thoroughly test the whole track as I go…
I go to all the forums sometimes there is real wheat in the chaff. The #5 centering springs are great as pickups. I never had any luck bending my own sheet metal. It makes light steam run well. It makes it possible for me to model the 1870’s.
