10-26-2026, 08:21 PM
Continuing the saga of the Lima Hamilton Transfer locomotive. Getting this beast to run the way it should has been a pain to an old fart like me. After the new motor and drive shafts (which went perfect) the thing still ran like chitty chitty bang bang. Research shows those brass trucks only pick up on one side (I knew that) so I just decided I would have to add pickups to all the wheels. I settled for adding 2 pickups to the insulated wheels on each end. I did not take pictures but I have several other brass locomotives that I know I can improve and I will take pictures. The pickups involved gluing a piece of styrene on the truck. First I drilled the styrene with a #78 drill and ran a length of phosphor bronze wire through it. Before I ran it through the hole I soldered a 30AGW wire to that. I threaded the wire and made sure the bronze was wiping the wheels. I ran the pickup wire to the other truck, power side and did likewise with the other truck.
After doing this it was improved but still not what I wanted so I got my test meter out and discovered the truck mounting screws were shorting randomly. These screws are shoulder bolts and the insulation was in need of new but since I had no way of making the insulated washers (which had a projection to insulate the shoulder of the bolt) I got 2 #2-56 nylon bolts from my stock, tapped the truck for 2-56 and now a regular insulated washer between the truck and the frame was needed. I had to cut the nylon bolts to about 1/4 inch so they would clear the axle interior drive shaft.
I checked it out and it is running like a champ so the shell is bolted back on and it is ready for decals and dullcoat.
I attached an older photo showing the bad insulation. I ran the pickup wires to the other truck because it was easier, but direct to the decoder would be better but I didn't want to cut the wire to the decoder.
Charlie
After doing this it was improved but still not what I wanted so I got my test meter out and discovered the truck mounting screws were shorting randomly. These screws are shoulder bolts and the insulation was in need of new but since I had no way of making the insulated washers (which had a projection to insulate the shoulder of the bolt) I got 2 #2-56 nylon bolts from my stock, tapped the truck for 2-56 and now a regular insulated washer between the truck and the frame was needed. I had to cut the nylon bolts to about 1/4 inch so they would clear the axle interior drive shaft.
I checked it out and it is running like a champ so the shell is bolted back on and it is ready for decals and dullcoat.
I attached an older photo showing the bad insulation. I ran the pickup wires to the other truck because it was easier, but direct to the decoder would be better but I didn't want to cut the wire to the decoder.
Charlie