I had a Norfolk and Western N loco that wouldn't work for crap. It seemed to be a problem with no connection in the tender car to the track. Which I was able to fix. Than it stopped working totally. I sent it back and it was replaced with what looked like a used loco or serviced loco. Upon opening it to install a DCC unit I found wires with no covering and possibly shorting. I didn't run this loco before this as I have only DCC. Is there a best way to coat these wires so they don't cause problems? Hope it work after the install of DCC. SEE PIC. THANKS RON
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss18/darticus/20110930_6.jpg)
dart-
I suppose Bachmann is counting on the wires' own rigidity to keep them from contacting one another. I can't tell for certain what kind of wire was used but the rigidity trick might just work if they used stranded wire and the solder ran up the wire a ways. Still, I wouldn't be comfortable with this.
The "best" way to resolve this would be to unsolder the wires, cut them off so only 1/8" of bare wire shows, and then resolder them to the soldering pads on the socket board. You can also unsolder the wires, slip on some heat shrink tubing and then resolder. I don't see any advantage to this unless you need every fraction of an inch to reconnect things. The quick and dirty way to do this would be to lay a piece of electrical tape across the wires in a way that keeps them separated as they are and then fold the tape back over the wires so you have a flat bundle of wires and tape with the wires held apart. You could wrap each wire individually first (I wouldn't bother with this) and then wrap all four wires as a unit. The allover wrap should compensate for electrical tape's lack of long-term adhesion. I'd probably put an extra wrap or two around the bundle whichever way I did the wrapping. You could staple between the wires but that would be a problem if the staples contact other electrical components inside the loco or tender. I would omit this step myself.
Good luck with your new old loco. Or your old new loco. Or ... well, the loco you wrote about.
-- D
Fear Dart,
Please contact service. They will take care of this.
Thanks!
the Bach-man
the wires are coated with clear lacquer insulation, with the part that shows outside of the loco painted black.
If what your saying is true there shouldn't be a problem with wires touching. Great! I should be good. I did paint the outside black again. Now how do I find out if these two wires that came off are in the right positions. I soldered them back where I think they go but afraid to hook up a Tsunami 750 sound unit and burn it out because the two wires were in the wrong positions. Is there a way to know if the wires are in the correct place? Here is a pic showing the two wires, marked in blue are the two that came off, and now re-attached hopingly correctly. Thanks Ron
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss18/darticus/markedwires.jpg)
Quote from: r0bert on October 01, 2011, 02:11:25 AM
the wires are coated with clear lacquer insulation, with the part that shows outside of the loco painted black.
I was hoping to work on this this weekend. I called yesterday but know one got back. Is there a way to tell which wire goes where in the plug as two came off. See pic above. Thanks Ron
Quote from: the Bach-man on October 01, 2011, 12:24:52 AM
Fear Dart,
Please contact service. They will take care of this.
Thanks!
the Bach-man