# Adding track power pick up to rolling stock



## zoro (Feb 8, 2010)

Anybody know how to add track power pickup to rolling stock? The locomotive I'm using does not have the power leads and I'd like to be able to use one of my carriages to power the others. I seem to remember there was an LGB kit to do this awhile back but I can't seem to find it.


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Call Train-Li, one of the sponsers here on MLS. They have a large inventory of LGB parts. I used the LGB pickup kit many years ago. They were easy to mount in LGB trucks, do not know how they would work on other trucks. You might look into the ball bearing wheel sets with electrical pickups.


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## zoro (Feb 8, 2010)

I'll give them a shout. Who makes the ball bearing wheel sets with pickups? 99% of my rolling stock is LGB and everything I'd like to electrify so far is all LGB.


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## Treeman (Jan 6, 2008)

We have them in stock, LGB63193 

We also have LGB wheels for power, also from Train-LI.


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## zoro (Feb 8, 2010)

Thanks! Just out of curiosity do these add a lot of drag to the axle they pull power from?


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

LGB (plastic hubs, plated rims) and Train-Li (solid metal wheels Stainless) make ball bearing wheel sets with power pickups. These would have less drag than the solid axles you have now. Gary Raymond has single and dual ball bearing wheel sets and are solid, but smaller flanges. 

For outdoor use I like the heavier solid wheel sets, heavier center of gravity in the wind. 

Metal wheels with the brush kit work also, and when you add the wheel cost with the brush kit, it is close to ball bearing wheel set cost.


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Ball bearing wheelsets are the best way, but pricey. You can add plunger pistons, but they add a lot of drag. 

You can get pickup from one wheel of any aristocraft wheelset by adding brass bushings to the truck. Aristocraft sells the bushings

http://www.aristocraft.com/BRASS-BUSHING_p_2245.html

If you use the aristo bushings you sometimes have to drill out the truck frame, sometimes not. But you can just use a piece of brass tube instead of the bushings. Solder a wire to the brass tube, and insert it in the truck, then insert the aristo wheelset with the uninsulated wheel going into the bushing. Aristo's wheelset have one wheel insulated and one wheel contacting the track. If you do this, you can add typically four wheels of power pickup for virtually free. I've done it many times and it works well.

That being said, ball bearing wheels are better all around--tey greatly reduce rolling resistance and you can get power pickup from both wheels on an axle instead of one.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

One more vote for LGB ball bearing's with the power pickups, they are expensive, but worth the investment


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

There are other manufacturers also, lower price and lower quality. Aristo and AMS make them. 

Greg


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