Battery Power MU Plug - Bachmann 4-4-0 | Show Menu |
The following article details how to add a power car plug to a Bachmann 4-4-0 (American) Steam engine.
A power car plug is used to connect a trailing car containing both a battery and a radio controlled receiver. The battery provides power for the locomotive through the receiver, and the receiver controls the locomotive’s speed and direction. To view an article on how to build a Power Car, just click on the link.
Nothing prevents this locomotive from being restored to its original track state for re-sale at a later date.
Place the locomotive upside-down in a soft cradle or in the top of the Styrofoam packaging it came in, taking car not to damage the whistle.
Remove the 8 screws holding the cover on the bottom of the motor block.
Unsolder the four track power wires from the bottom of the axle bushings. Shrink wrap the ends of the wires and tuck them back in out of the way. This prevents the locomotive from feeding battery power back into the tracks.
Re-install the cover on the bottom of the motor block using the eight screws.
That completes the modifications to the locomotive. Set it aside for now.
Place the tender upside-down in the cradle.
Remove the four screws that hold the copper, axle wipers and brass, loop connectors to the bolster. Remove the axle wipers. This prevents the tender from feeding battery power back into the tracks.
Re-install the 4 screws back over the loop connectors. The screws fasten to the frames that hold the brake shoes.
Drill a 1/8 inch hole in the rear of the frame next to the coupler pocket. Thread the wires of a 2-pin plug through the hole leaving enough slack for the plug to rest on the step.
The two-pin plug is available from All Electronics.
Thread the wires through the closest hole in the floor of the tender that the track power wiring passes through. Hot glue the plug wires to the floor for stress relief.
Remove the two screws from the front of the tender. Flip the tender over and remove the shell from front to back.
Remove one of the screws holding three loop connectors to the tender floor. Cut one of the plug wires to a reasonable length and fasten a loop connector to it. Re-fasten the three other loop connectors and the plug wire with the screw. Repeat the process for the other plug wire and screw.
Tape the copper axle wipers to the floor of the tender so they never get lost. If the locomotive has to be restored to its track power state for re-sale at a later date; the plug can be removed, the wipers re-installed and the locomotive’s track power wires re-soldered to the axle bushings.
Re-install the tender shell and the two screws that hold in place.
That completes the modifications to the tender.
When a power car is connected to the two-pin plug on the rear of the tender, power will flow through the four-pin plug on the front of the tender to the locomotive. The locomotive’s front light and smoke unit function the same as they did with track power.
Congratulations! You now have a Bachmann 4-4-0 American that you can use with battery power and radio control. Say goodbye to dirty track problems, and hello to a smooth running, independently controlled locomotive.
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Last Modified 8/25/08 3:19 PM