Wheel resistors on Genesis cars
Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2013 5:57 pm
This could go under d.c. or DCC, as I'm using DCC it is here.
I have been fitting resistors to all my stock for block detection, I found that only metal axles worked well. Not a problem on most stock as I could just fit Intermountain wheels in place of any plastic axles, reaming out Athearn one as they, and some Atlas use shorter axles. The problem was Athearn Genesis cars, with the rotating bearing caps, they have plastic axles with special shaped metal ends. I resigned myself to leave the few I've got unfitted, or having to change trucks.
Today I was painting the wheels on one, (I'm working my way through the fleet painting trucks and wheels, weathering can come later, but removing shiny wheels and trucks makes a vast improvement on my high layout), when I found the wheels pull out of the axles easily and the axle is a tube. So I thought I could fit a resistor in the axle, I use 402 SMD resistors, tiny. I would need a wire on each end to contact the axle ends. Then a brain wave! Kadee knuckle springs, I have loads of spares. An hour of trying to solder half springs to the ends of these tiny resistors another brainwave, I only need to solder a full spring to one end! far easier and it gives a better join with no insulating needed. It was done in five minutes. I pushed the resistor and spring into an axle, tested it and great it worked!
So now I can buy more of these cars if I want, knowing that they are actually easier to fit resistors to than my other cars.
I have been fitting resistors to all my stock for block detection, I found that only metal axles worked well. Not a problem on most stock as I could just fit Intermountain wheels in place of any plastic axles, reaming out Athearn one as they, and some Atlas use shorter axles. The problem was Athearn Genesis cars, with the rotating bearing caps, they have plastic axles with special shaped metal ends. I resigned myself to leave the few I've got unfitted, or having to change trucks.
Today I was painting the wheels on one, (I'm working my way through the fleet painting trucks and wheels, weathering can come later, but removing shiny wheels and trucks makes a vast improvement on my high layout), when I found the wheels pull out of the axles easily and the axle is a tube. So I thought I could fit a resistor in the axle, I use 402 SMD resistors, tiny. I would need a wire on each end to contact the axle ends. Then a brain wave! Kadee knuckle springs, I have loads of spares. An hour of trying to solder half springs to the ends of these tiny resistors another brainwave, I only need to solder a full spring to one end! far easier and it gives a better join with no insulating needed. It was done in five minutes. I pushed the resistor and spring into an axle, tested it and great it worked!
So now I can buy more of these cars if I want, knowing that they are actually easier to fit resistors to than my other cars.