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 Posted - November 15 2019 : 3:00:36 PM
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Any recommendations on upgrading the tender trucks of a Shifter? Not sure of the electrical requirements involved. Thanks.
rich p
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Country:  USA ~
Posts: 190 ~
Member Since: December 26 2010 ~
Last Visit: November 01 2024
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Posted - November 15 2019 : 5:12:22 PM
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Electrically, the tender trucks on the Shifter pick up electricity from the rail on the engine's left. The wheels on that side are metal, and conduct electricity to the axle. The trucks are metal and conduct the electricity from the axle to the floor of the tender.
If you replace the trucks with something metal, just make sure the wheels conduct from the left side to the metal trucks. If you replace them with something plastic, you'll need some wipers picking up current from the wheels or axles and wires from them to the floor of the tender.
I'm not sure of the goal of your upgrade. If it's just to get all metal wheels, I usually do that by putting Intermountain 33" wheelsets in the original trucks. You can do that by bending the truck bolster to spread the frames apart, and then carefully bending it all back to the original shape. The bolster is steel, which will take more bending than the Zamac side frames. Do this just once. There's a limit to how many times metal can be bent without cracking.
If you keep the original trucks, it's good to put just a tiny drop of oil on the axle ends to keep the journals from corroding. A little oil on the tender floor where the truck pivots is good, too. Clean and re-oil that, occasionally, if any arcing has the oil a bit burnt and gooey.
Carpe Manana!
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Posted - November 18 2019 : 12:51:40 PM
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Thanks for the info. I want to upgrade to better trucks. if all the wheels are metal show would I isolate one side?
rich p
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Posted - November 18 2019 : 1:05:55 PM
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Usually, all metal wheelsets have a plastic bushing on one side's wheels to keep them from shorting out the railroad. You just need to make sure the plastic bushing is on the same side for all the wheelsets.
Carpe Manana!
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