# Easy-disconnect wiring for Bachmann 3-Truck Shay



## Tom Lapointe (Jan 2, 2008)

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! 
















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


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## Snoq Pass (Jan 2, 2008)

That is a very interesting idea. Love it!!!!!!


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