Adding Pickup Roller to PS2 and PS3 Engines

I noticed that no one has responded to this yet, so figured I would. I have done this exact thing on a couple of MTH engines that had similar problems, worked great. Completely eliminated the dead spot.

Refer to the attached PS-2 wiring sketch. PS-3 is similar. The red circled area is where the power is supplied to the board. This is a diesel diagram, so it shows two inputs, one from each truck. Steam is identical, but will have only one set of power wires coming from the tether harness. The new tender pickup is wired into the other two pins on the 7 pin plug, which you should find have no connection presently. Observe polarity carefully using this sketch.

For the roller parts you will need to contact MTH parts (Midge) and she should be able to set you up with a roller assembly that is compatible with your tender trucks. From an operational point of view it doesn't really matter which truck you attach the new pickup to, but its easier to avoid the one that the speaker is mounted over. Use the other one if you can.

Cheers,

Rod

If you can find a technician willing to do it, I would say that's the way to go.  I've had issues too... IMO they should have had at least one extra pickup roller on the tender from the factory! 

I very much appreciate the responses you've provided. I cannot thank you enough for this help.

You are quite welcome.

Just thought of another thing that may help. If you are near to an MTH dealer or hobby shop they can likely fix you up with a suitable power roller assembly, because several are included in the MTH dealer service parts kit.

Rod

Rod I've gone through that parts kit myself.  The issue is that most of the MTH tender trucks, especially on older PS1 locos are all different, and just weren't designed to mount a roller.  Adding one, making it work, and look like a factory installation takes some creative engineering.  I know there are techs on this forum that have done it, and might be able to offer input on specific locos.  But it's not trivial.  My $.02.

Ted Sowirka posted:

Rod I've gone through that parts kit myself.  The issue is that most of the MTH tender trucks, especially on older PS1 locos are all different, and just weren't designed to mount a roller.  Adding one, making it work, and look like a factory installation takes some creative engineering.  I know there are techs on this forum that have done it, and might be able to offer input on specific locos.  But it's not trivial.  My $.02.

Ted; I agree with the older engines. But the OP is referencing a PS-2 and a PS-3 engine, both of which should I believe be a little easier to deal with. I don't have either of the specific engines he listed, so I can't speak with absolute certainty. 

Rod

I’ve never understood why the onboard battery doesn’t allow the engine to get through the gaps. It’s just always seemed kind of pointless to me. 

Many MTH tenders have the provisions for the roller, in that case it's a "bolt on" installation.  If they don't have such a provision, you can normally accomplish the same task without a great deal of trouble, here's a couple of examples I've done.  I use either fiberglass sheet or Styrene sheet to build the insulator stack for the roller. CA adhesive is used to build the stack.

I've done this on a lot of conversions as well as just retrofitting them for existing locomotives.

Guns,

   Great pictures and engineering explanation.   

PCRR/Dave

I have experienced issue with the R-K Decapod (drawbar connection) losing ground circuit on certain conditions of track plane uneveness in locations where only one outside rail is grounded, which requires adding a binding wire to a tender truck.  Until I located the cause, I expended considerable time trying to find where the rollers were losing contact.

J Class, the answer to your question is that the battery does not provide motor power.  It only provides power to keep the electronics board from dropping out during a momentary loss of track power.

GRJ, have you ever come across a way to affix dual rollers to Weaver diesels from the early 90's, like the SD40-2 and C630 (both of which I have and both of which manage to hit 2 gaps at once.)  They don't have enough space as far as I can tell.

I've never tried to retrofit dual rollers to old Williams stuff, I don't see many of those.  My work is probably 80% steam in any case.

Attached are some tender trucks which I added pick-up rollers when installing TMCC. I also route the wires through the truck pivot in the process.  I'm also showing electrical components from which I salvage a threaded sleeve and nut to make the pivot. Many panel mount  electrical component have hollow threaded sleeves, toggle switches,  potentiometers, and female jacks. All must be in a panel mount form and usually a mini or micro version.  Chinese Potentiometers off eBay are cheap enough to cannibalize for the tube and nut. The four trucks I am showing are from a 1990 Lionel 18009 NYC 4-8-2 Mohawk and a MTH 20-3029-1 Premier SP GS4 that had Proto-1. I added pickups to both front and rear trucks as well as a coil coupler to the Mohawk.  I also have a photo of the Bottom of the GS4 tender showing where I mounted the TMCC antenna. The tender has boxes on each side between the trucks which hide the bottom of the tender. I'll paint the antenna before I put the body back on. I have an idea that copper foil used for alarm systems on glass would work well on the bottom of a tender. Painted black it would be very hard to see even if the loco was running over a bridge above the viewers head.  I use a lot of Plexiglas to make mounts and insulators for pick ups and to mount TMCC boards.  If you look close you will see it in the photos of the trucks.  I plan to post a series of photos of the GS4 showing my mods when I finish the conversion.   J.