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This is Lionel 6-18842, an inexpensive engine with plastic trucks and only one motor.  The problem is if you depress the pickup rollers, any of the four, it will not run and there appears to be no short.  I put 10 volts directly to the pickup rollers, upside down and if I just touch the rollers the motor will run, but if I depress them at all there is nothing and there is no short showing on an ammeter.   So obviously if the engine is right side up on the tracks the rollers depress enough and you get no power.  If you use the 5 finger lift to gently lift the engine so it barely touches the tracks the motor will run.  I am working on this for a friend but I have no idea how to fix this issue.  I removed the non power truck and everything seems in order but you would have to totally disassemble each truck to get to the rollers so you could see how they are attached or working/non working.   The motor works, reversing works, lights work and the horn works once you do get power to work.  Does anyone have any ideas on this one?   

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Well I figured out there was just way too poor of a connection between the pickup roller and the brass contact spring that runs the length of the truck.  I used some photo etched brass pieces bent in half and stuck them between the pickup roller housing and the brass  contact spring on both ends.  It works.  We will see how long this lasts.  

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