Hi all, I am getting an old 390e working which has been in the basement for the better part of my life. For inspection I loosened up to the two screws that hold in the bottom plate that has the two pickup rollers and has the leading and trailing trucks attached t it. I didn't see any wires from the pickup rollers to the motor assembly. Should there be wires attached to the pcik up rollers on that plate? If not then how do the center rail rollers conduct power?
thanks
Frank
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Without wires from the rollers, you virtually have a shelf queen. Here is the diagram from Olsen's library, showing the wiring. The 390E should have a manual reversing switch, along with the Old Style Pendulum reversing unit. The books list the 390E uses the Bild-A-Loco motor.
Depending on the Bild-a-Loco motor type, there might be a tiny cylinder sticking up from the inside bottom of the plate with a spring-loaded ball in it. This bears against a contact tab on the bottom of the motor, and is the pathway from the pickups. The photo is of my 390e pickup plate. I think later motors had a soldered wire.
Take a look through the photos on this page at Tinplate Times to identify your motor: http://www.tinplatetimes.com/T...%20p%201%20-%207.pdf
Good luck with your project!
If the spring on that contact ball has lost its tension due to over-current draw, it may not be making an electrical connection with the motor. Later BAL motors after 1933 drew more current hence the shift to a WIRED connection. Check to verify if contact ball has spring tension. MTH has those full contact plates in their parts inventory.
I once had a modern MTH contact ball spring failure and had to replace the entire pickup assembly.
Thanks guys, my loco was built in 1930 so I think it is the earlier style.
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