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Post by domi on Feb 4, 2024 8:55:54 GMT -5
Hi gang, I have a question about these jewels. Mine (a CB&Q Heavy) gives me the feeling that only her tender picks up the juice. If I try to lift it a little bit, just leaving the locomotive herself on track, nothing happens when I send voltage in rails. Could anyone here (ideally Hans or Rob) give us any input about this question ?
Dom
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Post by rvn2001 on Feb 4, 2024 9:28:34 GMT -5
You are correct, Dom. The tender wheels are the only electrical pick-up points for the motor.
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Post by domi on Feb 4, 2024 13:08:35 GMT -5
You are correct, Dom. The tender wheels are the only electrical pick-up points for the motor. Thank you Thom. So I have to find a way to add some weight to it..  Dom |
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Post by rvn2001 on Feb 4, 2024 13:19:42 GMT -5
I've heard that there is room for a decoder in the tender so some weight should be possible.
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Post by tjdreams on Feb 4, 2024 17:09:10 GMT -5
I don't have a heavy weight here to check but my AZL light weight Mikado's pick up power from both the loco wheels and the tender wheels.
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Post by domi on Feb 5, 2024 15:34:51 GMT -5
I don't have a heavy weight here to check but my AZL light weight Mikado's pick up power from both the loco wheels and the tender wheels. Ah, ok. So contradictory statements. If one of the AZL guys could give some input...  Dom |
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Post by zscalehobo on Feb 5, 2024 17:15:25 GMT -5
I have a heavyweight and can try to remember to check later tonight. In the meantime, it might be nice to know what exactly is the issue here- not sure why you're considering to add weight to the tender as they usually have decent electrical pickup. Also - I've bookmarked an old US Z Scale Cubbin special page on Mikado troubleshooting - this page should be a technical document in the AZL troubleshooting pages .... web.archive.org/web/20181011163336/https://www.us-zscale.com/articles/azl-mikado-troubleshooting (US Z Scale via Wayback Machine) |
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Post by tjdreams on Feb 5, 2024 18:25:02 GMT -5
With the trailing truck removed you can see their are 4 wires attached to the loco chassis 2 for the head light and 2 for power pickup.  With the loco body, the weight and the LED wires removed you can see the 2 Brass/bronze contact strips running up the the insides edges of the chassis, they go through the chassis under the springs which hold them down so they make contact with each set of axle shaft on either side of the gear.  |
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Post by tjdreams on Feb 5, 2024 18:25:18 GMT -5
With a couple axles removed you can see the brass/bronze contact strips that transfer the power from the axle shafts  Oh and a word of advice Don't even think about taking one of these apart as putting it all back together is well lets just say Difficult |
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Post by BAZman on Feb 6, 2024 13:42:09 GMT -5
***AND*** make sure you pick the ENTIRE loco up INLINE (together) as that Universal drive shaft snap EASILY.
Don Fedjur has weights for both shells for very noticeable traction but I implore you to bide by David’s advise - don’t take it apart (until you have sacrificed 1 completely.
donfedjur@aol.com
*note: he services them. But also has a job so and people before you so give a couple of weeks.
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Post by domi on Feb 8, 2024 12:39:35 GMT -5
Thank you guys for your input. Especially tjdreams who showed us the truth about the locomotive itself. Be sure I won't remove the locomotive's drivers as it will just a nightmare to set them back in place.  So I must find a crafstman to fix my loco (I'm living in Europe), unless I send it to AZL for repair. Question for you AZL guys, are you doing such after-sale service ? Dom |
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Post by Admin on Feb 8, 2024 19:57:43 GMT -5
I have a heavyweight and can try to remember to check later tonight. In the meantime, it might be nice to know what exactly is the issue here- not sure why you're considering to add weight to the tender as they usually have decent electrical pickup. Also - I've bookmarked an old US Z Scale Cubbin special page on Mikado troubleshooting - this page should be a technical document in the AZL troubleshooting pages .... web.archive.org/web/20181011163336/https://www.us-zscale.com/articles/azl-mikado-troubleshooting (US Z Scale via Wayback Machine) Hi Frank, When I upgraded my site software due to a glitchy web host a few years back, some bits got left out. Thanks very much for highlighting this Mikado article... great catch! I'm going to pull this material off Wayback and would like to make it live again as I think it's very helpful info for a great locomotive. And yeah, as much as I love good web hosting companies, others are almost comical in their poor customer service. Man, I could have a roundtable about that... LOL. Anyway just wanted to say thank you Frank, much appreciated! John |
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Post by Admin on Feb 10, 2024 18:16:22 GMT -5
Just working on this tonight, the Mikado Troubleshooting document. I was going to pop it on my USZ site as a page there but I'm going to make it a standalone PDF to make it more easily available for other dealers to use, and directly to users as well... this way it's a bit easier to pass around and share. I got this info originally from Rob at Ztrack and think it should then be easily accessible online and offline. Bit of coffee and typing and I'll have it done tonight. Hmmm, coffee really does seem to be at the heart of almost everything I do. |
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Post by Scott on Feb 10, 2024 20:20:42 GMT -5
Yikes! … Ain’t they got Café Bustelo or Lavazza Arabica by you?... Heck, even Trader Joe’s Joe’s Dark or even Medaglia d’Oro. … Ya know that Joe’s Dark is 100-percent Arabica. … Ah, yes, Medaglia d’Oro. Ain’t nuthin’ like Medaglia d’Oro, Powers, and Reddi-Wip on a cold rainy night. …
Okay. Right. We’re not talkin’ cold rainy nights. We’re talkin’ troubleshooting.
Scott
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Post by Admin on Feb 10, 2024 20:58:25 GMT -5
LOL, it's either Café Bustelo or Pilon for me. 2 big scoops and 7oz water... not that I'm picky about such things. Just got back in and it's back to the reassembling that Mikado PDF...
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So I must find a crafstman to fix my loco (I'm living in Europe), unless I send it to AZL for repair. Question for you AZL guys, are you doing such after-sale service ?
