HO Spectrum 2-8-0 - Troubleshooting Electrical Contacts

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I have noticed that not all of the small bronze wipers on the back side of the drivers are making full contact, leading to less than stellar performance. I tried removing the plastic cover plate but the molded brake shoes made this a little difficult, so I reattached the plate to avoid messing anything up.

Before I take another shot at it, has anyone out there performed any troubleshooting to resolve this problem with their 2-8-0? If so, can you offer any guidance on how to access the wipers and restore contact with the wheels?

Thanks in advance,

Tom

2

Tom,

You’ll have to remove the bottom cover plate to be able to get the drivers out of the way before you can bend the wipers ever so gently to make the contact you need. Is there a way to get to the wipers from the top if the shell is removed. I don’t have this specific engine, but I have worked on many others like it and it shouldn’t be a big deal to get where you can access the wipers and bend them so that they make contact. Be very careful bending them, they are very fragile.

Good Luck,

Mark C.