# Power pickup issue



## Rabman (May 30, 2018)

I installed a DCC Decoder in my old 0-4-0 Mantua locomotive. 

The loco picks up rail voltage from the tender through the frame. 

It is not working well as it is. I cleaned the wheels and connections points on the frame and truck frame. Didn’t clean at the ends of the axles as yet. 

I did drill a hole in the frame at the top and stuck solder and the wire into it the better the connection to the frame. 

I am wondering if there is a conductive grease I can put in the interface of the frame to top of truck frame to increase the conductivity. 

I tried graphite powder and it didn’t seem to work. 

Any thoughts other than replacing the trucks?

It works well when I jumper the power from the rail to the dcc Decoder black wire.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Actually, you want to ISOLATE the motor from the frame for a DCC installation. Wire the decoder directly to the track pickups.


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## Rabman (May 30, 2018)

CTValleyRR said:


> Actually, you want to ISOLATE the motor from the frame for a DCC installation. Wire the decoder directly to the track pickups.


I did isolate the power to the motor from the frame of the locomotive. I have the decoder orange and gray wire going right to the brushes on the open frame motor.

I took the trucks off the tender and soaked them in vinegar for 15 minutes and that seems to have cured the problem.

I guess I could have run the black wire to both of the trucks and connected the wire someway. Since its working, I will let the current install stand until it starts to not work. The old adage, if it ain't broke, don't mess with it.


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## gregc (Apr 25, 2015)

adding weight to the tender may help.

i added pickups to the loco


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## Rabman (May 30, 2018)

gregc said:


> adding weight to the tender may help.
> 
> i added pickups to the loco


That’s a good idea. Thanks


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## Stan D (Feb 1, 2019)

It could just be the picture, but it looks to me like the trucks are positioned to only pick up power from one track.


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## Rabman (May 30, 2018)

Stan D said:


> It could just be the picture, but it looks to me like the trucks are positioned to only pick up power from one track.


Correct - Yes the tender picks up power from the One rail and the locomotive drive wheels pick up the other rail.


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## Overkast (Jan 16, 2015)

Rabman said:


> Didn’t clean at the ends of the axles as yet.


You mean the points / tips of the wheels that go into the trucks? Do those points conduct the electricity from the wheels up through the trucks? If so, please do clean these points (both on the wheel tip and inside the well in the trucks they go into). This absolutely made the difference for me in a recent situation of power-pickup issues on a loco that I thought were in a turnout frog.


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

So there are several wires between the tender and the engine. 1. power from the wheel pickup going to the decoder power. 2. 2 wires going from the decoder to the isolated motor. 3. wire to any light, even the light can't be connected to the chassis, so there would need to be 2 wires for the headlight. Is that the way you have it all wired? Also the bar between the loc and the tender also needs to be isolated.


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