K-Line Tender Truck Power Pickup

Possibly this one,

Does that attach in some fashion to the side-frames?  It's hard to tell from that picture if it's compatible.

If the axle centerline is 1.5" I like to retrofit with these PW types.  Gives you the roller and an electro-coupler.  They simply attach to the axles although some off brand truck frames might need to be modified for clearance.

Bruce

Given that this is a silver truck with a totally different sideframe design, I don't think that's going to fly, thanks for the idea.

Use only the roller/shoe/coupler assembly (lower photo), not the entire truck.  Adapts to any existing truck with an axle spacing is 1.5".

Bruce

Snaps into the side frame.

I've added tender pickups on various locos - sometime they are the only ones if I'm

upgrading an old piece. I have had to simply build the mount sometimes. It is a job that

is more annoying than one would like it to be.

Which brings me to my point - finally: at several hundred dollars, even a RK (I'm not picking on MTH) steamer should have 2 pickups on the loco and 1 on the tender. This cannot cost much; the electronics are often in the tender, anyway, on a smaller loco.

It would eliminate approaching 100% of dead spots. 

The situation has improved in the last number of years, I believe. Plus, Lionel's big-steam

architecture (separate power pickup paths for tender and loco) and numerous pickups have all but made the problem disappear for them, at least at the high end.

I have a couple of 3rdrail engines I would like to add a at least one pickup to the tender.

It's easy to add pickups to the tender of an MTH as a rule, the parts are available.  With smaller steamers I want at least one roller back there.

Bill, do you have these?  Lionel lists it as unavailable.

Yes, how many do you need.

Just one, I'll catch it on my next order to avoid shipping for one item.