Total loss of power as locomotive moves slowly down the track

Very common problem.

In addition to center rail rollers, the components are fussy about good solid outside rail connection. I generally provide extra ground wires on the pilot and trailing trucks.

You might also run a ground tether to the tender and make sure the tender trucks have a ground wire on them. Don't just count on the mounting screws for electrical ground.

If the tender, pilot, or trailing trucks have plastic axle bearings, they will need ground wipers on the axles.

Hi RoyBoy,

Yeah, it hit me just this morning that when I pressed down on the frame and powered it up, it ran just fine. What I did to remedy this problem was I took my dremel drill with a small steel brush and wore the paint off the brass plate that holds the roller collectors on the bottom so that plate (which screws into the brass frame) would make better conductivity with the brass bushing. After I did this, it runs just fine now. I'm like you though, I don't fully trust mount screws for a connection, at least not until they have proven excellent on that particular model.

It is an earlier 3rd Rail model and the tender frame is not insulated from the trucks and the drawbar has a steel spring which is supposed to increase connectivity but apparently it did not work very well. I could run a middle rail collector wire directly into my ERR upgrade to the same location where the 3rd rail power is fed to it from the engine and then do the same with a ground wire and feed it directly into the ERR connection for it's corresponding hook up. 

For some reason, I was having trouble with this loco but it just hit me out of the blue - scrap that paint off the collector plate where it should be making contact with the bushings so I did it and now it is awesome. This thing is a beauty when it rolls down the track at a scale 1-2 MPH, chuffing and puffing 4 times per revolution.  Thank you again for your ideas and suggestions.

Regards,

Ralph