Adding Pickup Rollers to Steam Locomotives

@RRDOC posted:

I am doing an MTH order for traction tires, and I'd like to pad the order with a few additional parts.   I have a few steam engines that could use an additional pickup roller.  Which MTH roller(s) do you keep around to add rollers to locomotives and tenders?  There are many to choose from . . .

Bob

For my 3rdrail engines that I’ve added pickup rollers, I’ve ordered the shortest ones I can find.  Mine were from Lionel but it doesn’t matter whose you use as long as they fit between the axles.

I know @gunrunnerjohn has done this mod.  If you post the product numbers of the loco(s)  you want to upgrade or a few photos, he might offer some wisdom based on his experience.  Honestly, MTH should have offered a tender upgrade kit 25 yrs ago, and promptly amended the error of their ways.  Two rollers on the loco and none on the tender, minimal coasting, what were they thinking!?

@RRDOC posted:

I am doing an MTH order for traction tires, and I'd like to pad the order with a few additional parts.   I have a few steam engines that could use an additional pickup roller.  Which MTH roller(s) do you keep around to add rollers to locomotives and tenders?  There are many to choose from . . .

Bob

I've done a number of roller additions on upgrades.  If the tender in question has provisions for the roller, I just bolt the parts in.  OTOH, I get a lot of brass that needs rollers with no provisions.  My favorite roller is the shortest one I could find, the BD-0000042.

Here's a diecast tender that needed a roller with no provisions, I created the mount from Styrene sheet and used and existing threaded hole for the mount.

Here's a brass tender that I used a piece of fiberglass to create the mount.  Before I let it go, I colored the mount black so it wouldn't stand out.  I extended some screws so I could use them to mount the fiberglass board.

Many of these I end up just tapping some 2mm holes and using small screws to mount the roller mount.

Thanks GRJ.  That's what I needed.  It was daunting sorting thru all those rollers.

Bob

I find the longer rollers don't fit where I can mount them as a rule, that's why I almost always end up with the short ones.  If a longer one with more travel will fit, I use it.

@gunrunnerjohn,

I’ve wanted to do this to some rolling stock. I try to replace trucks with ones with collectors, but they’re not that ubiquitous and it costs a little more. Have you also added these to plain rolling stock?  Also, is it okay to use kynar wire to go from the roller if all that I’m putting in is some LEDs?

Most Kynar wire is single strand, not a good idea. The guys that sell reproduction parts sell wire called superflex. Many tiny strands for a given wire gauge.

Pete

I'm with Pete, you need a flexible wire from the trucks, that wire gets flexed a lot.

As for adding rollers to plain rolling stock, I suppose it's possible for some trucks.  Truthfully I just find a compatible power truck or for some there are snap-in rollers.