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Rivarossi 4-6-4 Hudson tender problem

3K views 15 replies 8 participants last post by  Jscullans 
#1 ·
I have a Rivarossi 4-6-4 Hudson locomotive with a problem in the tender. When I connect another tender to locomotive, it runs, and when I connect the tender to a different locomotive, that locomotive does not run. Clearly there's a problem with the tender. Are there any suggestions as to how I might fix this?
 
#5 · (Edited)
Hi. The two Rivarossi Hudsons that I have both pick up power on one rail through the loco and the other rail through the tender.
There is a thin, stiff wire across the hole on the coupling link for the tender connecting pin to make a contact between loco and tender. The problem is in the tender wiring or contact to the tender wheels which provide half the power so best look there for the fault.
Alternatively have the tender wheels been removed or replaced the wrong way round or the bogies (trucks) rotated or fitted the wrong way round ?
The insulated wheels on the tender should be all on the same side - Right side on my Empire State loco looking from the rear of the tender.
Hope this helps.

Additional. Look for the plastic insulation on the loco front or rear trucks where it can be seen on the inside of the wheels and check that the tender has the insulation on the OPPOSITE side.
 
#13 ·
ive gone my rounds with a stubborn blue goose. it turned out to be corrosion on the screws that mounted the tender trucks to the frame were corroded and the section of wire that goes from the motor to the frame was shady. make sure to keep the contacts to the tender wheels clean and keep the wire on the draw bar clean or you will end up with a locomotive that runs like Chicago rush hour traffic. stop, floor it, slam on the brakes, floor it and so on. the newer Hornby model rivarossi locomotives with can motors are excellent but the older ones can be a pain
 
#15 ·
I was having problems with the tender again, so I took two additional steps. First, I added an additional half ounce of weight to the tender to improve the contact between the wheels and the track. Second, I tightened the pin as much as I could by hand to enhance the connection from the tender to the locomotive. The combination of these two things made a dramatic difference.
 
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