installed CVP receivers in these locos. They run ok on the bench when the feed wires are connected to the front and rear trucks.

but when placed on the track, they run sporadically or not at all.

Any ideas?

Thank you kindly, Al

-- Albert E. Mero (alshorr@optonline.net), November 07, 2001

Answers

Al,

It sounds like dirty wheels, track, or hardest of all to see, dirty electrical pick-ups on your wheels. Besides making sure your track and wheels are clean, use a drop of "Conductalube" on the electrical contacts for the wheels. You can buy this at your hobby shop. Bachmann, Atlas, and probably others sell it. I have seen this stuff work miracles on some locomotives. Once it works a miracle on just one of your locomotives, you'll put it on every one you have! Hopefully this will solve your problem. Good Luck.

Note: Rivarossi only has a couple of wheels per loco that does power pick up. Even the Challenger only has power pick-up from four wheels. So it is essential that what few wheels you have that are picking up power are doing a good job.

It's an even better idea to add pick-up to the other wheels. Your hobby shop will sell kits that do that, too. The only problem I've found with these kits is finding the motivation to take the time to put them on! :)

-- Allan Gartner (wiringfordcc@augustmail.com), November 07, 2001.