# Battery power for Bachmann 44-tonner power block



## Bill Martinsen (Mar 4, 2008)

I have a single power truck from a Bachmann GE 44-tonner locomotive. I want to build a critter using this power truck, and power it with onboard batteries. There are no wires attached to the truck, so I'm having trouble determining how to attach the wires from the batteries to the power truck. I assume the answer will have something to do with the four arc-shaped slots around the king pin. 
Any help with this would be greatly appreciated. 

Bill Martinsen


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## Bill Swindell (Jan 2, 2008)

I have not worked on the Bachmann brick but I have worked on the H-L-W one. I suspect that you will need to go inside the block and remove the track pickup leads from the wheels and bring those leads out of the block to connect to your batteries.


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## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

Bill, 

You'll want to open up the truck, pull the motor out, remove the printed circuit boards with the power pick up plungers on it (I had to use needle nose pliers and a screw driver to bust it up) and then solder new leads directly to the motor. It will be a reliable connection then. 

-Brian


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

Bill I agree with Brian that it would be best to solder direct to the motor terminals.

If you are wary of disassembly but can solder OK, you can solder wires to the two exposed (front & back) pcb pads in the top of the truck.
http://www.rcs-rc.com/pics/Bachmann-DIZZIE/Truck-new-wiring.jpg 









It is most important not to let any solder touch the frame.
I applied dabs of silicone to anchor the wires.


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## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

Tony, 

Not trying to be a smart alec, but how do you disable the power pick up plungers to the wheels and isolate the motor with that approach? 

-Brian


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By altterrain on 10/30/2008 10:55 PM
Tony, 

Not trying to be a smart alec, but how do you disable the power pick up plungers to the wheels and isolate the motor with that approach? 

-Brian


Hi Brian. Because as far as I am aware the wiring from the track pick ups are not connected to the motor. They go up into the loco to the internal pcb before going back to the trucks. By removing the plunger assemblies the track voltage goes no further.


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## Bill Martinsen (Mar 4, 2008)

Brian and Tony -
Many thanks for the assistance. I think I'll try opening the power block.

Bill Martrinsen


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## Dave Ottney (Jan 2, 2008)

Bill, 
I've used two of those power trucks for two projects. Opening up the block is simple. Getting the board with power pickups out is a little toughe, I removed all the screws but couldn't figure out how to get the board out from under the axles. If you are sure you won't be going back to track power just break them to get them out. Once those board are out you can solder leads to motor terminals and run the leads up through the holes on the too of the block. 
These are great power trucks that run smoothly and quietly and could probably pull the paint off walls. I've got one running with a simple on/off switch and a 5 cell nimh pack and the other one is run with an RCS system and 10nimh or 4 li-ion cells. 
Dave


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## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By TonyWalsham on 10/31/2008 1:40 AM
Hi Brian. Because as far as I am aware the wiring from the track pick ups are not connected to the motor. They go up into the loco to the internal pcb before going back to the trucks. By removing the plunger assemblies the track voltage goes no further.





I guess that makes sense.










-Brian


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## Guest (Oct 31, 2008)

done a few, both approaches mentioned, i had more fun tearing into it and breaking out the board! 

Mine will run with as little as 4.8v Alkaline...powering my "Toby" Steam Dummy...that still isn't finished! 

cale


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Now that the LGB 2046 parts are hard to come by, I'd like to keep the B'mann 45 ton motorblocks track powered to do some climbing on my mountain line. Is the pivot point one of the electrial pickups from the one side of the track? I've dismantled the locomotive and have just bare trucks. Thought I might just cut the plunger assembly from the frame and mount it over the truck like it was when it was installed in the locomotive. Possibly even putting the PCB back into service. 

Or can I just loop the wires from the frame of the truck and the other pickup back to the motor contacts on top of the truck.... 

Any thoughts? 

Thanks in advance.


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Tony...... Thanks so much for the idea and image with the wiring coming out of the top of the motor block. I took them apart, removed the PCB's in the truck, soldered the wires to the track pickup tabs and the return motor leads, put it back together, tied the right wires together, put them on powered track and they work. Again, thanks for the input.









They can work both on track power or on battery by just changing a wire or 2.


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## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

Hey Stan, 

How did you get the gears out? I tried and couldn't do it. 

-Brian


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

Brian. 

They do fit snugly. Try a bit of leverage. I gently but persistently used a small screwdriver with the gearbox end as a fulcrum point.


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