Any tips to keeping PS3 drawbar plugged in?

I take a plastic zip tie wrap and secure the tether to the plug on the tender. Works beautifully and I've never had issues with it. I can take a photo if interested. 

Inspect the connector to see if it is damaged.  If so, it can be replaced.  If undamaged the connector should snap in place and stay in place until removed.  G

My connector on a ps3 263 tinplate snaps in but works itself out also. I am open to other's ideas on this.

It will only take a few connect/disconnects to have the plug not sit as firmly in the socket. I'm a huge supporter of my zip-tie trick. NEVER has it worked loose and it isn't very noticeable. 

2 reasons I refuse to purchase MTH steam engines:

Their so called wireless drawbar

Sound sets

I know but they are they are the only ones making tinplate these days.....

I noticed the same issues with the ps3 imperial fef that I just sold. The new ps3 drawbar is pitiful. Very flimsy and not well designed. when it comes to steam, I will stick with ps2 or legacy.  

Hey guys an thanks for all the replies, def some pointed me in the right direction

 

Just thought I would post that I seem to have come up with a solution.

 

First off I should mention that I did look closely at the plug, and basically found no real damage. From seeing the way its made, it has two little ridges on side of the tender side plug, and the female plug on the draw bar has two slots on the sides for those ridges to fit into, an probably all with pressure these slots pinch on those ridges for most likely the majority of the hold. Probably some comes from each little plug and some other parts to it all.

 

At any rate, to some degree I could say my slots were spread a tiny bit, but I doubt anymore then normal from a plug in or two, an I very much doubt a replacement would be any dif after the same.

 

Btw, one other point I want to make before I forget is I wanted to mention that I have a living room perimeter floor layout that winds around a lot of furniture, so for sure I probably am taxing this connection probably more then most as it has tons of 031 curves, switches and S-runs.

 

Anyway, so for the fix...at first I took a look at the tiewrap idea and for sure have no issues with tiewraps as I use a tone on many things including my large R/C Helicopters.

 

But in looking at this connection, the few things I didn't like were for one, how close all the wires were that came out of the top of the tender part going to the PS3 stuff. Basically in looking at least for my PS3 Imperial Blue Comet, with a tiewrap, I felt it might have been pushing on these given how wide it was (for even a thin one) an was just too worried about that. Second was how at least again for my train, I could see how the top front of the same part was already rubbing against the underside of the tender part just a little, and while not bad, I thought with again the width of a tie-wrap, that it might have caused a strike of the tiewrap at a attempt of a full swing an thus a restriction of its full movement (an with all my curves am sure it would have). So this too was a concern.

 

Lastly while not 100% permanent, it did make so the only way I would take it apart would have been to cut the wrap.

 

Anyway, know I'm getting long here, so on to what I did, which was basically to use a rubber O-Ring.

 

With the O-Ring I found one, that being as thin as it was, it really didn't put any pressure on the wires, two as again being thin, it allowed for a complete swing of the connection, an three, as compared to a tie-wrap, it is a lot more easy to pull to the side to disconnect, all while leaving it there to reconnect.

 

Basically what I did was put it over the tender part first, then pulled it to the back side of the plug. I then made the connection, and with a little screw driver, I pulled it over the engine drawbar part.

 

So after I put it on the tracks and have let it run for over a half hour now an with a 11 car consists (an even for the length of the draft of this post) an it has yet to come apart!

 

As for what size O-Ring, I can't say 100% the size it is as I grabbed it from a junk nuts & bolts collection I have, but I did measure mine an it seems to be .70 for a OD, an .50 for a ID. Although I don't think a exact size of that is all that critical, just basically one that will be tight enough to hold, but still let you work with it is probably good.

 

Anyway, hope that wasn't too lengthy, but just thought I would post all of that as it might be helpful to others.

 

Thanks

Hi, I have a PS-3 steamer with the wireless drawbar on order for delivery in the coming months, I am considering canceling this purchase, and taking the 10% loss as a learning experience, and a valuable lesson. It seems that in this thread and many others on this subject there are a lot of people who purchased these engines and are trying various homemade fixes (many of them very clever) to keep them running.

 

This would have been the first time I ever spent over a thousand dollars on a toy, and for my money I think I'll stick with an older, tried and true runner. As one respondent said, " it would only run 25 or 30 laps before he had to reconnect the plug", at 25 laps that would be about $40.00 per lap!

 

MTH has to fix this problem with a design change! Would you buy a car that you only use to go around the block 25 times with before it needed service?

 

Rich

Chooch the choice is up to you, but honestly, I think things like this just completely sums up this hobby for about 75% if not more of anything you buy.

 

I can tell you, I used to be into this hobby a lot more years ago. Kinda started off as a thing for my brother with Downs Syndrome as he gets a huge kick out of it, an is something he can partly do an the rest just watch an enjoy.

 

But then I got bit by the bug an spent thousands.

 

But will say that for just about 75% if not more of everything I bought an no matter from and/or of who's brand it was or how much it cost me, I spent so much time fixing it an getting it working right from right out of the box that is was just absolutely insane.

 

As well can tell you I personally saw others spend hundreds times more then me, an dealt with just the same.

 

Then lastly to add an I don't mind saying this one bit, was the huge premadonna an other completely wrong attitudes of so many in the hobby who as a community did everything wrong in what they were an did, an thus communicated to the makers of this hobby, that in all combined, it just completely burned me out of the hobby.

 

For this just past experience my bother is home visiting and all he wants to do it play with trains an so I broke out the trains I got him for last Xmas, but other then that an for him during the holidays, I don't run them ever....even though I leave the layout out all year round an all I need to do is turn on the switch.

 

In the end guess what I'm saying is, choice is yours, but this fix for this issue (at least now that I figured one out) was a super easy one and now that I know this, I personally would not let at least this problem keep me from getting a PS3 train.

 

But saying that I would add as well that if what you are looking for is a hobby that is a get it right out of the box as well as other provisions of services, and not accept stuff that is wrong, and for all that wrong not being supported and thus ensured to be continued by the community of it, then I would recommend just 100% getting out of this hobby...as for all I ever saw of it, that is what it is....an will always be that way.

 

I have several PS3's but only have trouble with my new Blue Comet tether.

Spence

Will post photos later

Thanks for the replies. WBF line I guess I left you with the wrong impression, I know that things happen and that they have to be fixed. It seems there are an awful lot of complaints all having to do with the same issue on this type of brand new equipment. That points out a design flaw that should be addressed by the manufacturer. That's it. Very simple. 

I do not intend to get out of the hobby, that said, there are a myriad of other locomotives out there that this problem does not exist on. For my money I will buy one of those, and when I find problems with them, I will fix the problems. I do not need to purchase one that I know to be defective by way of a design flaw.

 

Spence, Is the loco that you are having the problem with significantly different or larger than the others that do you do not have the problem with? 

 

Sjc, I would like to see that picture.

 

Once again, thanks to all. Rich

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These pictures aren't that great since my camera doesn't really want to focus this close to something but these give the general idea. I've seen sockets where this arrangement won't work, or at least won't work on this size tie wrap, the super thin ones maybe but I'm not sure how effective those may be. 

No problems, post boards are as well a tricky place, but I think we pretty much are on the same page.

 

Basically I am in agreement with you, for sure if there are issues with the products, and ones that makers are not willing to fix as enough people are buying them just as they are, then I applaud any who stand up a say, well I'm not going to buy it.

 

Sadly, this many times is the only real voice these makers listen to if any.

Cooch; it is a good size but I don't think it's any bigger than my Imperial Big Boy which runs over anything without any problems.

SJC, thanks for the photos, it looks like the wire from the tender is held firmly in place, and the zip tie is merely holding the tether securely to the connection point to ensure that there is no separation. Is my interpretation correct?

 

WBF line, No worries mate, and by the way, good job taking care with your brother, I have a tribe of grandchildren who like the trains. If I buy the new engine, they won't get to play with it for a while. Right now they will be limited to the Williams family of Locomotives. Which, by the way, run perfectly, right out of the box, and they run, and run, and run.

 

Spence, I thought it may have been just the larger  steamers that we're having the problems, but I guess I was wrong. The fix that SJC uses looks pretty good, I hope it solves your problem. Nice layout photos, other than the trucks, do you have any UPS equipment on the layout?

 

Rich

 

 

Rich, the plug stays put without the zip tie for about a half hour and that wasn't going to work for me! The zip tie is wrapped around/slipped over the bottom plug (drawbar) and the socket (tender) and is tight enough to hold both in place but still allow some play. It ran on my old layout  OK (and THAT track was like running on the surface of the moon!) and the club modular layout, I'd say it works!

Thank you, SJC, great pictures, and explanation!!! Rich

I love my 30-1265-1 Northern, but, with the cars it pulls up inclines (4-5 per cent) the tether on this PS-2 would separate.  I went to Lowe's and purchased a small O ring and life has been good with it since...this was about 8 plus years ago.

George,

 

Where did you put the O ring? That engine doesn't have a wireless drawbar.

You are right, Mr. Barry.  It is a PS2 and the drawbar would separate going up my steep inclines and then come right back down again.  The O ring from Lowe's took care of it coming apart. Not a hit on the PS-3 drawbar, my little point was even back in the olden days the O ring worked for me keeping my train together.