Does anyone know how, or have a reference to, a method to add pickups to the tender of the first run 0-8-0’s? Is there a kit available?
I went through this awhile ago when I added a sound board to my Proto 0-8-0. Searched and searched and did not come up with anything definitive. To be really happy I would have found a set of the trucks they’re using now or like the Bachmann tender pickups. May still do that, but for now I’m running fine on the fix I did.
I made wipers from an old set of electrical pick-ups I had in my scrapbox. I then soldered a lead from the new wiper and ran it up through the groove that is already cut in the tender floor just above the trucks. Because the board on the Proto uses the slip type connectors, I just inserted one wire from the left side into the left side power and then the same for the right side. After forming the wipers so they would rub the backs of both wheels on one side of the tender, I glued them into the notch that is already located in the crossbeam (sorry, can’t remember the technical name) of the truck. After a little tweaking so they don’t rub too hard, they work fine. My engine was stalling on my Atlas turnouts even with powered frogs but not anymore.
Sometime in the future I will probably switch to a more professional fix, but this works for now. Maybe someone else out there will enlighten us to a better/different method. I don’t know how to post pics on this forum (haven’t tried) but will put a pic on my Rail Images account for you to look at.
About one year ago a UK modeller posted excellent photos of a similar solution on “The Gage” model railroad website. As I recall he used Kadee No.5 bronze centering springs (the flat one inside the coupler box) as wipers. I’d like to find those photos again but the website appears to have disappeared. My Proto 0-8-0 defintely doesn’t like insulated frog switches or crossovers.
I have a web article describing that method at:
http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/1879/locomotives/wipers/
No kit that I know of. The easiest way to do this is to just use parts from the tenders of the 0-6-0 or newer 0-8-0. I got a couple done this way, but then Walthers took over and now I’m still waiting for them to resolve their “parts” issues.
This worked well on mine. www.nmra.org.au/Hints/Pickups/Pickups.html
Bruce