Smallest AWG Available for a Loco's Pickup

Model Railroader Electronics and DCC
1

My Walthers’ Proto 2000 F7 A-B units (only seven years old and lightly used) need new wiring for the truck pickups.

According to the local tech working on them, the needed wires are quite small, though he doesn’t know their size. And since Covid shut down the Walthers repair shop, he’s gotten absolutely zero response from them since last October and, thus, can’t proceed with the work.

For those techies in the know, what AWG size wire does he need to complete the repair? And is that size - or another size that will do the job - available outside of Walthers? If so, where?

Many thanks!

2

Some years ago I bought #30 multi strand rubber covered was more flexible than vinyl covered. Forgot the source.

Rich

3

Either #28 or #30 AGW stranded wire, I have been using the silicone insolated wire as it is like super flex.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=30AWG+Strand+Wire+Silicone&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&LH_PrefLoc=1&_osacat=0&_odkw=28AWG+Strand+Wire+Silicone

Sometimes #28 is cheaper than #30.

Mel

My Model Railroad
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

Bakersfield, California

I’m beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

4

5 months and he’s stumped on wire size? He doesn’t get a vote of confidence from me. He obviously has never installed a decoder in an old loco, nor does he own calipers or a micrometer.

https://www.rapidtables.com/calc/wire/wire-gauge-chart.html

5

30 AWG wire will be just fine. Just make sure it’s stranded and has the superflexible insulation. You can pick it up from Litchfield Station.

Tom

6

I add a small sleeve of heat shrink tubing to mine. It adds a bit or strain relief where the insulation ends.

Truck-wirB by Edmund, on Flickr

This is the silicone wire I sometimes use:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KQ2JNLI/ref=dp_iou_view_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I keep several varieties on hand. There’s a second box with different colors available, too.

Good Luck, Ed

7

I might have got some out of an old mouse cable maany years ago.

Rich

8

Old mice cables, old cell phone charging cables where the end has frayed are good sources. Most any hobby seller has a bundle of “decoder wire” as sold by Digitrax, NCE, and others. That works too.

–Randy