What is the fix or replacement for Kline pick up rollers ?

The problem here is the spring bears the brunt of the heavy current when a short circuit happens when the caboose derails. The fix is add a short jumper wire from the pick-up arm to the frame of the pick-up assm, I think the new replacements have this jumper.

  If you are careful and work slow, you can unwind one turn of the spring with a pair of needle nose and re-bend the spring upwards to have tension on the pick-up arm downwards. this will restore sufficient pressure to the pick-up. 

Attempting to reload the one side but the other is not quite right and I doubt that I will be able to rearm it.

Such a nice caboose they made. But horrible pick ups

Wow, this is beyond tedious. I hate to say it, but I don't think that I will be able to correct this. Now I am not one that is use to not being able to do something, but this may of actually got me.

I shop for used/broken cars at swap meets, etc., for parts.  A lot of stuff out there with cracked bodies, etc., cheap.  You can check the rollers and couplers, etc. and see which are good, and usually switch them out.  I have also had fair luck mounting used Bachman center rollers (there is tons of Bachman stuff used, cheap) on just about everything, with a little work - well, okay, sometimes a lot). 

I have new replacements in stock, contact me if you need. Info in profile.

 Chuck.

I never noticed what a horrible set up this had. It is such a shame that they went the extra mile on then detailing of this caboose yet never came up with a more appropriate set up for the pick up rollers.

CS, these are even pop riveted which addes to the hardship. Dont appear to be a normal pop rivet either. How much trouble is it to even replace anyway ?  

Looks like a nightmare of a repair for what it is.

Also not even sure if I want to replace a bad set up for the same.

Is there anything better that it could be replaced with ?

It is the whole assembly. They pop out from the truck sideframe. You would have to resolder the wire on of course.

Chuck is absolutely right,I no longer run the smoke units,buy extras they are inexpensive.

Mikey

I have the PRR version of that caboose, and have been wondering the same thing for a while now.  I did kinda "respring" mine to get the lights on anyway.  What a hassle it was.  Luckily my Chessie caboose hasn't lost it's spring yet, so I'll do the mod by adding the wire when I get it out again.

Well I took the caboose apart, dropped the truck. Only to see that this couldn't of been made any harder to work on. There is no extra wire to even remove the truck without cutting it. 

 How does the trucks even come apart anyway ? It don't even have any screws to take the sides off.

 So far it seems like more trouble than it is even worth. I have been into this hobby for about 25 years and have done many repairs and to date this is the worst thing that I ever came across. Both in regards to crappy design (spring load) and over all extra needless hardship to work with.

So far my best bet is to try to reload that one spring. But at this point I don't even know what to do with it. The other spring, one of the leads on one end is all mangled, so it seems hopeless.

Also noticed that the heat/smoke unit has melted the roof, side window and started to warp the side.

Nice...

So no need to be bothered repairing this failure of a car I guess.

Thanks for the replies though.

If you don't want it, I'll take it.  It'd be great to work on before I start on my caboose, a practice unit so that I don't mess up my still nice looking caboose.

I am using a Lionel collector on one of my K-Line caboose trucks.  It was a tighter fit, but works.

Their passenger cars exhibit the same issues.  I usually rewind the spring.  Not fun

That is what I am trying to do. Not fun at all and so far no luck doing so either. Going to try again. 

Any tricks to that in this particular case ?

If you can catch it in time, solder a jumper wire around the spring between the arm and mount. This way the current is flowing through the wire and not the spring.

 

Bill

If I remember correctly my spring broke so I used two needle nose pliers and repeatedly wrapped the shortened spring around the shaft then wrapped the hook end on the lever return flange...

More info please!  I have to prevent this happening to mine.  Is it the same fix-a jumper?

I fixed all my K-line passenger cars without soldering or wiring. All you have to do is prevent the electrical current from flowing thru the spring, electricity always takes the path of least resistance(your spring) the thin wire called a spring. Get some fine wire and strip the insulation off, you only need a little of the insulation. Then take the small pieces of insulation and slip over each end of spring of each power pickup. You have to do both ends of spring. Photo below is passenger car.

Clem k

Deleted.

Clem,

 Good idea, but the spring is still touching the metal rivet and will still weaken and loose tension if current flows through it.

Well it has worked on my K-Line 21" ESE since new. Don't know how long that is. And I run a Z4000 putting out 22 volts constant. If you do a jumper wire current still flows through the spring….. Here the current is not flowing through the spring, all I know is its worked over 15 yrs.

 

Clem k

 

Nice to hear from you Carl

 

Thanks Clem, I saved the picture and this thread.