Easy-disconnect wiring for Bachmann 3-Truck Shay
8
I've LOVED the pulling power of my Bachmann 3-Truck Shay!
-but HATED that miserably-fragile loco-tender wiring harness from almost "Day 1"!
-Within a week of when I got it, one of the wires going from the loco to the tender connector broke loose from it's header pin. I had (VERY carefully!) removed the tiny female pin from the header, pulled a little extra "slack" out from the Bachmann printed-circuit board in the loco , & resoldered it.
-For several months, all was OK, until I went to use the 3-trucker for snow-plowing this past winter; bringing it out from the house, I found that SAME wire broken again, & 2 others ready to let go as well!
-At that point, I decided I'd had it with the original header, & decided to see if I could come up with something more reliable, since I have to disconnect the loco & tender to carry them out to garden railroad or back into the house.
-I did have a few "specs" I wanted the new connector to meet:
-easy to insert & remove...
-gold-plated contacts for reliable connections...
-solid "clamping" of the cable jacket (to prevent MORE broken wires!)...
-readily available & inexpensive
Here's what I came up with - conventional modular telephone plugs & jacks!
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The new wires were soldered directly to the Bachmann PCB in the fuel bunker section of the loco...
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And since the white jacket on the wires didn't look too realistic, I got busy with a black "Marks-A-Lot" marker...
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I ran it outdoors the last 2 weekends; no problems, & now it's EASY to separate the loco & tender!
/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif Tom
-but HATED that miserably-fragile loco-tender wiring harness from almost "Day 1"!
-Within a week of when I got it, one of the wires going from the loco to the tender connector broke loose from it's header pin. I had (VERY carefully!) removed the tiny female pin from the header, pulled a little extra "slack" out from the Bachmann printed-circuit board in the loco , & resoldered it.
-For several months, all was OK, until I went to use the 3-trucker for snow-plowing this past winter; bringing it out from the house, I found that SAME wire broken again, & 2 others ready to let go as well!
-At that point, I decided I'd had it with the original header, & decided to see if I could come up with something more reliable, since I have to disconnect the loco & tender to carry them out to garden railroad or back into the house.
-I did have a few "specs" I wanted the new connector to meet:
-easy to insert & remove...
-gold-plated contacts for reliable connections...
-solid "clamping" of the cable jacket (to prevent MORE broken wires!)...
-readily available & inexpensive
Here's what I came up with - conventional modular telephone plugs & jacks!
The new wires were soldered directly to the Bachmann PCB in the fuel bunker section of the loco...
And since the white jacket on the wires didn't look too realistic, I got busy with a black "Marks-A-Lot" marker...
I ran it outdoors the last 2 weekends; no problems, & now it's EASY to separate the loco & tender!
/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif Tom
