Hudson Tender Harness Loosens on O-36 Curves

Mark:  From the photos, it looks like there should be sufficient cable length to go through the curves without disconnecting.  Understandably, you are having strength problems with your hands.  Have your wife use a flat bladed screwdriver against the rear of the connecting hub to the loco and press it in hard.  It just may not be all the way in.  Use the screwdriver   flat side sideways against the rear of the wire hub.  It will act like a lever with her wrist as the pivot point.  Can any more of the tether be pulled out from the tender?  The current length should be sufficient, but you never really know until you try.  Bob S.

Bob, that is excellent!  I will get her to try that tomorrow.

Thank you!

If the screws holding the PCB to the engine have loosened, the board can move forward so the harness doesn't engage fully.  Loose harness can then come out easy.

Sometimes the connectors inside the harness get loose and that can also cause your issue.   G

G,

That makes sense.  I will take a look at that too.  Thank you!!

Mark, also check to see that the hole in the shell is lined up with the connector, giving enough room around the connector so the plug on the cable can mate up like it should.

I had this happen on an engine I did a PS2 upgrade on, I had to enlarge the hole a bit (used a file) so there was plenty of room for the plugs to mate.

I recall that the outside edges of the plug housing on the engine couldn't be seen all the way around (slightly higher than the hole) and this was causing the cable not to be plugged in all the way.

What I just described was a simple alignment problem and easy fix.

I had a similar problem with a Railking Mohawk.  I cut a piece of cardstock to about 1/16" wide and 3/4" long and inserted it in the socket along with the plug so it's positioned on the side of the plug between it and the inside of the socket.  This snugs it up just enough to keep it from coming loose on the curves.  You can also color it with a black marker so it is not noticeable.     

Bob and Bob,

Thank you for the advice.  I have not gotten a chance to get my wife to help me since I got a bum hand, and our daughter came over.  I will keep all of these in mind when I look into it.  All great ideas

Thank you!

To all who replied,

Well we got a chance late last evening to look at it.  Pushing with the screwdriver helped, but it came looses again on the second go round.  Next time I noticed side to side play when pushed in the whole way.  I'm thinking the cardstock shims may be the fix.  I will let you know when we try that.

Thank you everyone!!

Another possible fix is to pull more of the wire out of the tender for a larger loop.  I find the smaller the loop, the more torque that is exerted on the connector.

I've actually had good luck with a straight tether and having a slot in the tender so that the wire can move side to side a bit.  That seems to put less side load on the connector and looks better as well.

It looks to me that the tether is torque around and needs to be twisted 360 degrees so the it extends up higher instead of having that tight loop in it.

That would probably help as well Joe.

Good ideas John and Joe.  I think that would be the best.  However that will have to wait until my hand heals from surgery before I try it.

Boy, first the locomotive and now the hand.  I hope both are better soon.

Thank you, John!!  Went in today, but they said the stitches have to stay in another week.  Then I get to schedule surgery on the other hand.  

Sounds like you need to learn to work one-handed.

Hopefully by summer my hands will be healed and my only problem will be arthritis.  I get cortisone shots in the knuckles Every once in a while for that! 

Nothing is so easy as the job you imagine someone else doing.

I like that John!!

That doesn't sound like any fun at all Mark!

It hurts my modeling skills.  I do not know if I will ever be able to scratchbuild like I did at one time, but I have adjusted, and will enjoy trains as I can!  I am otherwise healthy!  

I think it has been a long enough test to report in what fixed it.  Knock on wood; my hard head! 

It looks like Bob Severin's suggestion that it just wasn't plugged in tight enough solved the problem.  I did not get to it until I had taken my wife to the hospital for surgery, so I didn't ask her to try pushing it in harder with the screwdriver when she got home.  I checked all the things I could visually, and all seemed okay.  It has been 3 weeks since my surgery, so I held the locomotive steady with my operated on hand and pushed the plug with the screwdriver with the one that still needs surgery.  Lo and behold, the plug cinched in another 1/16" or so!  What a wimp I have become!!  I have run it around the O36 track enough times that I think it has been proven tight.  Last summer, I was able to seat those plugs with no problem.  I should be able to do it again this summer.

Thank you everyone for your suggestions.  I will keep all of them in mind for the future.  Since I just buy used locomotives, one never knows when I will need these tips!