# Roco Austria diesel broken wire leads



## Dave Kitch (Apr 20, 2021)

I removed the engine shell and found both rear wire leads to be broken. Ho do I repair these?
DMK


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

Are they for the wheel pickups or the lighting?

In either case resolder the wires to the contacts from which they came.


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## Dave Kitch (Apr 20, 2021)

MichaelE said:


> Are they for the wheel pickups or the lighting?
> 
> In either case resolder the wires to the contacts from which they came.


Wheel pickups. How do you solder small wires without melting them?

DMK


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

You will have to remove the truck from the locomotive and route the wires correctly through the frame and then solder to the pickup leaves. Use a hot iron properly tinned and tin the wires. Clean the contact area on the pickup leaf and solder.

It shouldn't require more than momentary contact if the iron is hot enough. 

I just had to do this myself the other day to a locomotive with a broken pickup wire and I have another waiting for the same repair.


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## Dave Kitch (Apr 20, 2021)

MichaelE said:


> You will have to remove the truck from the locomotive and route the wires correctly through the frame and then solder to the pickup leaves. Use a hot iron properly tinned and tin the wires. Clean the contact area on the pickup leaf and solder.
> 
> It shouldn't require more than momentary contact if the iron is hot enough.
> 
> I just had to do this myself the other day to a locomotive with a broken pickup wire and I have another waiting for the same repair.


Thank you Michael


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## Mixed Freight (Aug 31, 2019)

You really need a smaller soldering iron for a job like this, so you don't melt everything in sight.
A Weller 6/8 Watt Battery Powered Soldering Iron is one such that will do the job.








I bought one at Walmart several years ago for maybe around $15 or so. They probably still have them, and I'm sure hardware stores and big box stores carry them also.

As MichaelE says, after proper preparation, just a quick touch with the hot tip should be all you need. Those tiny N-scale contact strips and the 28 or 30 gauge wires won't handle much more before other things start to melt!


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## Dave Kitch (Apr 20, 2021)

I bought a Weller 5 watt soldering iron. I have a good illustration of the Atlas/Roco FA-1 frame that I will use to disassemble the frame to make the repair. I will keep you posted.

Regards,
DMK


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

I hope 5 watts is going to be hot enough.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

You would be doing yourself a favor to buy
a 25 or 30 watt soldering iron. They usually
come with several different 'points'...you can
select the one best suited to your project.
You'll need resin core solder and resin 'flux'.

Practice using it with scrap materials before
working on a more valuable device.

Don


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## Dave Kitch (Apr 20, 2021)

The soldering iron is battery powered from 6-8Watt. Would insulated door bell wire work? It is about 30 gauge.

DMK


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

That should be fine but stranded wire would be easier to work with.


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## Dave Kitch (Apr 20, 2021)

MichaelE said:


> That should be fine but stranded wire would be easier to work with.


I disassembled the trucks and using my 5 watt soldering iron, removed the old leads. Will replace















with a little heavier stranded wire.
DMK


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## Dave Kitch (Apr 20, 2021)

Dave Kitch said:


> I disassembled the trucks and using my 5 watt soldering iron, removed the old leads. Will replace
> View attachment 574611
> View attachment 574612
> 
> ...


I plan to use Atlas track feeder wire.


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## Dave Kitch (Apr 20, 2021)

Dave Kitch said:


> I plan to use Atlas track feeder wire.


I attempted the repair, however the electrical pickup path to the motor is poorly designed. I tested the continuity and found it to be inconsistent and I have given up on ther repairs. I emailed Atlas to see















if there was a modification to these trucks.

DMK


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## Mixed Freight (Aug 31, 2019)

DonR said:


> You would be doing yourself a favor to buy
> a 25 or 30 watt soldering iron. They usually
> come with several different 'points'...you can
> select the one best suited to your project.
> ...


Hi Don,

A 25 or 30 watt soldering iron is a pretty good, all-around soldering iron to have around for a lot of general projects. I'm sure most hobbyists do have a soldering iron of this size. Respectfully however, you must not do much work on N-scale locomotives. That guy in post #6 above has done a lot of hard-wire decoder installs in N-scale, does N-scale repair work for his local hobby shop (which involves a fair amount of broken wires amongst other things), and therefore knows what he's talking about. 

Anybody desiring to do soldering work on N-scale locos owes it to themselves to acquire a small wattage soldering iron. A 25 or 30 watt soldering iron radiates too much heat for those little 28 or 30 gauge wires used in N-scale locos, and will quickly melt the insulation much further back than desirable for a good soldering job. Not to mention any copper contact strips which are always attached to plastic truck and body frames and plastic motor pieces.


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## Dave Kitch (Apr 20, 2021)

Mixed Freight said:


> Hi Don,
> 
> A 25 or 30 watt soldering iron is a pretty good, all-around soldering iron to have around for a lot of general projects. I'm sure most hobbyists do have a soldering iron of this size. Respectfully however, you must not do much work on N-scale locomotives. That guy in post #6 above has done a lot of hard-wire decoder installs in N-scale, does N-scale repair work for his local hobby shop (which involves a fair amount of broken wires amongst other things), and therefore knows what he's talking about.
> 
> Anybody desiring to do soldering work on N-scale locos owes it to themselves to acquire a small wattage soldering iron. A 25 or 30 watt soldering iron radiates too much heat for those little 28 or 30 gauge wires used in N-scale locos, and will quickly melt the insulation much further back than desirable for a good soldering job. Not to mention any copper contact strips which are always attached to plastic truck and body frames and plastic motor pieces.


My 8 Watt Weller soldering iron works well.
DMK


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

Have you fixed this locomotive?


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## Dave Kitch (Apr 20, 2021)

MichaelE said:


> Have you fixed this locomotive?


Following the repair, I could no get reliable continuity from ther wheels to the motor. Electrical pickup path is bad. Will make locos into dummies.


DMK


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