P2K 0-8-0 stalling on #6 insul-frog turnout-Need additional wipers

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I called life like this morning and they recommended that I pick up some phosphur bronze wipers and attach it to additional trucks in the engine or possibly tender.

I heard that the 0-6-0’s had additional pickups in the tender. This tender was the same as the 0-8-0 tender (except it was missing the additional pickups.) Unfortunately I can’t find any online, and lifelike doesn’t have any.

Does anyone know where I can pick some up some wipers or a tender?

This only happens at very slow speed, but I would like to have it fixed.

~D

2

my club uses insul frog peco switches on their traveling layout. one problem with the switches that route track power from the stock rail to the point is that the insides of the point and stock rail lose continuity due to dirt buildup causing short locos to stall at slow speed.

3

So a electrofrong turnout from peco is the best bet?

4

In Model Railroading magazine, Larry Puckett explained how to make wipers for the P2K 0-8-0. It is pretty basic, cutting and bending four pieces of phosphor bronze to fit, then soldering wires to the four pieces.

5

Use Electro Frogs or Metal frogged turnout’s you can feed via a SPDT relay.

6

Which issue of Model Railroading was the fix for the 0-8-0 in?
Thanks,
Tom

7

If it is a code 83 atlas turnout, the frog is mettle and can be powered from switch motor contacts or a snap relay, then you won’t need to modify equipment.

8

I would like to know that myself. I found a review of the 0-8-0 in back issues, but nothing on adding additional wiper/pickups

I found some wiper kits from Tomar Industries. I’m going to see what I can do with these when they arrive in the mail.

If anybody is interested, I’ll see if I can take a few snaps of the work in progress for a how-to post.

~Don

9

Forgive my all encompassing ignorance but what is a SPDT?

10

An electrical ‘Y’ -

SPDT:Single SOURCE (pole) and Double SELECT (throw).

11

I would be interested in pictures, general impression of the kit and ease of installation.
Thanks
Tom

12

I was very surprised when I got my 0-8-0 that there was no tender pickup for it. I do like the loco, it’s a nice little runner, and it certainly earns its keep chugging around my yard, but could someone tell me what all the wires in the loco-tender connection are DOING? I mean, is all that stuff just to run the backup light? Weird!!
Tom [:O][:O]

13

Rail Feed 1
Rail Feed 2 (common)
Engine Feed 1 (going back to engine)
Engine Feed 2 (common) (going back to engine)
Light Feed (going back to engine)
Light Feed (common) going back to engine.

The Socket for the DCC board is back there, hence why so many wires.

14

How about the new Peco Code 83 insulfrog turnouts?

15

I got some tender wheel pickups made last night to improve the electrical contact on my otherwise brilliant model.

I soundchipped mine a while back and was disappointed that the sound would cut out when the loco passed over most turnouts or dirty track, even though the point frogs had DPDT switches fitted.

All that is cured now and the loco runs as well as it looks now. I made the contacts from spring steel wire, soldered to short lengths of decoder wire, which were passed through the holes already provided.

I then linked up these wires to the 8-pin DCC connector and ‘Hey Presto’ - much better electrical contact.

The contacts are all but invisible from the side.

Jon