I have had pickup issues with my 2-6-2, moving over a Kato unitrack 15 deg. crossing. After reading many posts both here and at another forum, I decided to order a short tender with all-wheel pickup. Is this plug n' play? or do I have to modify the drawbar to ensure that both tender trucks are feeding power to the motor?
Thanks,
Jim
It is not exactly a plug and play operation. The best reference is in the Ntrak Steam Locomotive handbooks. I think it was in the most recent addendum that three different methods were outlined.
http://www.ntrak.org/steam_data_book_description.htm
Thanks, I have sent them an email asking for the proper addendum.
If you order the slope back Spectrum tender you can just turn the drawbar over, bend the stiff wires up at the ends at about a 30 degree angle, use the soldering iron to get the plastic loop hot, and bend the loop up to match the wire angle. This is easier than the NTrak recommendations. The NTrak modified drawbar, especially the one Skip Gear recommends are probably better, by my simple mod works fine. Have fun, Mark.
P.S. If you move the traction tire from the center driver to the rear driver the little 0-6-0 will pull as much as a heavy mountain.
Please forgive me, my recommendations were for the 0-6-0 not the 2-6-2. If you go to Spookshows website, search "n scale locomotive encyclopedia" he shows how to modify the short range tender. Basically the same, turn over the drawbar but then you need to dremel out the front part of the tender base. This technique also works fine. Have fun, Mark.
Oh well, I tried to register on the spookshow forum but it wouldn't accept my email provider. I'll just have to wait until my NTRAK addendum 11 comes in to make the 2-6-2 tender modifications
Jim
There is no "spookshow" forum to register at.
http://www.visi.com/~spookshow/locos.html
BTW - The 2-6-2 and 0-6-0 are the same loco. Anything you do to one will work on the other. All Bachmann did to make the 2-6-2 was take the USRA 0-6-0 and add a pilot and trailing truck on it. The 2-6-2 as it is, never existed while the 0-6-0 is actually a very good model of a USRA 0-6-0.
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php/cat/2106
Or you could try http://www.nscale.net/forums/forum.php you'll get your question(s) answered .
mots
I made the modifications according to spookshow, but the loco continues to stall on the Kato 15 deg. crossover.