Lionel ES44AC MU Cable Details Broken

Don't send it back for something as simple as this!

 

Get out your needle nose pliers and the plastic glue and put 'em back on!

OK.  Are they mounted only by a point of glue on the end of the wires?  I initially saw it as the wires were broken by being bent too much at the factory, with part of the wires still inside the locomotive.  What do you think?  

They reglue back on  there should be holes for the wire (the Orange hose)to go back IN to.

I thought those were metal.  Mines in box but I can check tommorrow.  Glue is not going to hold up on metal.  I would return it and ask them to inspect the new one they will send.  If they were just plastic id just glue them, but the metals ones you'd have to remove the broken stubs from the front and get new ones from Lionel, then install them.

Yeah, looks like metal, which why I'm wondering how they would glue only the tips.  Just holding them back in place on the loco is difficult because there is not much of an indentation to put the wire.  The bond needs to rely on the slight contact between the circumference of the wire ends and the loco.    It's more a dimple than hole to put the wire.  And even then the wire needs to be at an angle in the dimple.  

There's little holes for the wire to go into .Now if there isn't that's different .. If there is holes there just glued in place and to be honest that's how there put on from the factory.

Mine came broken as well. Just get some quick setting model glue and some pliers!

I'm wondering if the holes are full of glue.  Not much for holes there.  Just the dimples.  That photo #2 posted by jojofry shows some nice holes, and even some bare unpainted wire to insert into the holes.  Is that a Lionel ES44AC?  

Yea it was from a diecast es44 but there the same besides the wire is a little different .. I have the cn es44 you have . I showed that pilot cause I have them laying around for parts ..

You can also mix a small amount of JBWeld and put a dab of it on the hose ends using a toothpick and then affix.  That should hold up much better than using regular model or CA glue.

 

X-Acto makes a circuit board holder with adjustable arms that have alligator clamps on them that can be used on a table or workbench with the locomotive to hold the part in place while it sets.  They're relatively inexpensive, around 12-14 dollars or so, and I feel is handy to have around for other gluing repairs or building projects.

OK.  Thanks all.  I'll leave them off for now.  It's actually got me thinking of trying a softer brass wire, paint it orange, and drill smaller but deeper holes into the diecast.  They'll hold up better in the long run and maybe even look a bit more prototypical!

 

Now that this is settled I can take it to the layout and fire it up!  A new engine every 5 years, whether I deserve it or not ;-)

Can you drill the holes deeper?  I would think it would probably only take a couple twists and the wire would go in.

And even though the pilot is metal the thing the Orange hose connects to is plastic to it would drill easy .. 

It was fantastic.  It is so fun to run I didn't even notice they were not there.  

I definitely would not send it back for that. Needle nose, some CA glue, and a spray of accelerator, or a dab of flexible epoxy.