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Athearn RTR SD40 pick up issue

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KPack:
I have heard reports from others that the wires Athearn uses to carry power from wheel to board can sometimes break internally.  They are stranded wire, so theoretically they should resist breakage more than solid wire.  However I've noted that the individual strands in the Athearn wires are very weak.  It's possible that one or more may be broken, but that's not easy to diagnose without replacing all the pickup wires.

The other thing it could be is an issue with power transfer from the wheels to the wire itself.  Sometimes a material like Conducta-lube or Neverstall can improve the electrical conductivity, but I've found that to be a temporary fix.  It usually wears away and can also gather dust.

Lots of different things it could be here.  I'd methodically go through the suggestions found on this thread and rule things out.

-Kevin

KPack:
One more thing....is this one of the Athearn RTR where one half of the power is transferred through the frame?  Those are the worst.  If that's the case you'll be better off soldering wires directly to the trucks eliminate all the potential power loss connections from the trucks to the frame.

-Kevin

CPRail:
I don't think it has any power going through the frame. There are 2 wires from each truck which connect to the respective board ends. I've personally soldered the wires to the trucks and the board.

I'll have to try the glass test when I get home. Last time I checked the trucks appeared to move freely in the x and y axis, but I'll double check. I'll also see if the wires are broken internally with my meter - it's not too hard to put new wires in.

Thanks for the thoughts - keep them coming.

Antoine L.:
I have had only problem with Athearn RTR GP40. I did all by the book, isolated motor from frame, hardwired everything from power pick ups. Bleh, Done it all 3 times. At some point I managed to have the unit running only to find out the clutter of wires were pressing against the flywheels. Athearn RTR are mostly new versions of the bluebox same old technology, in my humble opinion.

Take your time and it might work at some point. Mine will go back to DC operations on a shelf layout.

Antoine

CPRail:
Happy New Year Group!

It took a ton of time and head scratching, but I finally figured out the problem.

Turns out the Athearn DCC Quick Plug board got pooched somehow. I’m not sure if it was the layout I was operating on that pooched it, or a fellow operator's DCC power issues or what, but I took a chance and swapped it out for another Athearn DCC Quick Plug board and problem solved!

My Old Man and I also figured out how to hard wire a 9 pin plug into an Athearn engine (he had a bad board on a unit as well), so it was a productive afternoon!!

Cheers,
Ian

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