MTH Tether Replacement - Latest Conversion

Very nice, I have a few early steamers that I need to do this to.

Bob, I actually tried cutting the 90 degree cover off an old tether and was doing fine until I cut at the inside of the 90 and hit two wires. The wires on the inside are much closer to the sheath than at the sides or bottom of the 90. I am by nature frugal as well but here I would pay for a proper molded fitting which would be hard to duplicate with shrink tubing.

 

Pete

I've done a couple like this, though not the cool deck apron between the engine and tender.

 

I'll be interested to see if you have any issues on curves with the plugs separating.  So far so good on the two I did, but that's been mentioned as an issue with this conversion.

Nice job. I'll have to file the info. away. Really a huge improvement in the looks of the engine and tender coupling.

Wow Pete,
It looks fantastic! So much better with the straight pin tether.  Love the decking also, nice touch!

I absolutely love PSC products, spent hundreds of hrs looking at the catalog. A scratch builder's dream!

Pete, I wonder if a U-shaped keeper could be made and attached to the apron so that when the apron is lowered the U-shaped keeper would fit down over the cable and put pressure on the connector, keeping it tight?

I appreciate the comments guys. John, the only curves on my modules are 042 so I can't really test how well the tether will stay connected as the engine is rated for 072 minimum. The club layout has 096 minimum curves on the mainline so I don't think they will stress the connection too much.

Bob I was thinking of different ways to secure the tether if keeping it connected becomes a problem. I like your idea though. 

Actually it may not be a problem. The speaker is located forward in the tender and pushes against the tether when I close couple it. That alone may keep it in place.

The more time I spend with this Niagara the more I appreciate its qualities. Detail approches the 3rd Rail engine and its as smooth and powerful as any of them. It came with cruise and 4 synchronized chuffs so need need to make mods there and sound now approaches the Lionel version with the speaker upgrade.

Whats not to like.

 

Pete

 Nice work Pete!

Someday I would like to get a 2 rail version of this one.

I think you will find that the longer wires and loop are in their for a reason.  MTH surely didn't put long wires in the tether just to cost more and look ugly.  The reason for the long loop is most likely to provide strain relief on the tether wires.  Every time the engine goes into or out of a curve, that tether has to flex.  The shorter wires will end up breaking much faster than the wires in the longer loop.  

 

Look at all of the longer wires Lionel ran to the center rollers on their trucks to lighted or operating cars.  Lionel used the longer wires for the same reason, strain relief on the wires.

 

Earl

The MTH 90 degree tether is much, much longer than it needs to be for strain relief. They make it long so it is easier to connect the tether and then hook up the tender, but it's much longer than it needs to be for that purpose either. You can shorten the 90 degree tether by opening up the tender and repositioning the cable in the strain relief clamp, but a straight tether with the strain relief set properly is going to look better in most applications. 

I totally agree that it looks better, but it will definitely break sooner.

 

Earl

 

Norton:

 

That is awesome.  

 

I guess I'll have to order a bunch of those straight tethers and get to work on my steam fleet.  Minimum curve on my layout is 096 so I don't anticipate much trouble with strain on the tether.  Oh, thanks for the part number, too.

 

Earl makes a good point. This mod is probably not for someone who has to run on the 072 minimum recommended for this engine. Mine will run on 096 and larger curves. That said, consider that most other manufacturers use straight connectors with few problems. Also I added extra clearance in the tender tunnel so the wire can move side to side for a distance of close to 2" where it runs up against the speaker. That space is about 1 1/3 times the wire diameter. Not huge but it should help. 

Finally, these tethers and pretty inexpensive and can be swapped out in about 15 minutes or about the same time it takes to swap out a set of traction tires.

 

Pete

A few York's ago my wife spotted an Erie Triplex and we came home with it. After spending 20 minutes getting it onto the layout it wouldn't move. Could not see the connection of a tether. Flipped it on it's side and separated the tender from the engine by removing the screw and separating the driveshaft. The tether wasn't plugged in. It was very short and had to be done with a pair of needle nose pliers. There is no way to lengthen the drawbar on these engines and it is a short straight shot from the tender to engine. These engines have been around for a number of years and all the years I've been on the forum I don't remember hearing of any problems or mods that had to be done.

Hi Pete, 

very nice job indeed. 

Wondering? What did you use to install the hinges for the apron? Superglue?

thanks!

 

 

Pete,

 

I really like the apron you have added.  It looks very nice indeed.

 

MTH makes an internal tether that has all of the board plugs on it with a 10 pin female socket on the other end.  You can then use a 10 pin to 10 pin external tether (straight on one end, 90 on the other).  This eliminates the cutting and splicing.

 

I have not had a straight tether fail yet (today might be the day )  I think as long as you allow for some slack, as you did, you will be fine.

 

Again, Nice job!

 

Dave

So far the ones I have done have not been a problem, I hope the same for you.

 

Great job looks good.

 

I had a contact go on the connection between engine and tender. I ordered the replacement loop as MTH says that is all that would work. Still did not work.

 

I found that the engine side was the problem contacts loose on the board. I used a ABA connection cable that was in the MTH parts box that I got.

It is a straight through connection. I cut and rewired the male end into the Steam engine and ran the cable out now very long through a rubber grommet on the steamer straight into the tender and made the connection there. The unit stays coupled together anyways. Just a few screws if I needed it separated. I run on mostly 0-120 track so little flex. The cable slides easily with lots of play through the tender front opening. It looks much better then the loop.

 

Worth the extra work if you are not running on really tight curves.

I had thought about a straight tether when I upgraded a friend's Protosound GS4 Premier loco, as the 90 degree tether barely fits. I am glad to see that it worked so well for you, and I will use this if I again do a steam loco upgrade. Very nice work. 

I also did this on an Imperial Railking Big Boy.

I also slotted the opening for the tender so the tether can slide sideways.

It's been working on O-54 curves for years now but I expect it would have problems going tighter.

I think allowing the tether some movement is key to this change.

Norton,

 

Would you consider making more of the deck aprons and selling them?

Greg, Not at this time. Email me in a few months. Too many irons in the fire right now.

 

Pete

Dave,

 

Could you please post the MTH part numbers of the external and internal tether that you are referring.

 

Thanks,

Dennis