Improve the pickups on your Bachmann class 08.

The Bachmann Class 08 pickups are notorious for collecting muck from the track due to them collecting the current from the wheel surface rather than the the back of the wheels. It only takes a tiny bit of dirt to be collected from the wheel surface to affect the performance of this model.  

The model pictured below belongs to Simon Bendall and is P4 Gauge 4mm to 1ft, 1:76 scale 18.83mm gauge (inside track width) with ultrascale wheels fitted.


 

The original Bachmann pickups were stripped out and then a couple of strips of
 copper clad paxolin were secured to the underside of the chassis using Araldite.  Phosper bronze wiper pickups are then soldered to the strips of paxolin and bent to shape to contact the backs of all the wheels. Two wires are then soldered (1 each side) and routed up through the body to the locomotive motor.

Thanks to Simon Bendall for allowing me reproduce this article here.

Pictures by Steve Jones.

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