I have a MTH New Haven GE 44 tonner delivered fall 2016.
I have run it sparingly on carpet layouts.
I am finally building my switching layout (gargraves and ross) and am running DCS.
This little 44 tonner has been so frustrating. It stalls on every switch-sometimes predictably, sometimes intermittently.
I know there have been past threads on the gremlins associated with this small loco:
1. Short pickup roller spacing and only 2 pickups--I've power routed switches (using slide switches linked with a spring to the throwbar to alternately feed hot voltage to the unused closure rail), but still have issues
2. Traction tire to grounded wheel ratio and limited truck movement--I've read someone removed the traction tires and added metal tires. My trackwork is flat and directly on hollow core doors at the moment.
3. Supercapacitor too small--has anyone successfully upgraded theirs?
So my question is how to diagnose which of the three of the above are my biggest problem or the easiest order to address the above problems.
My current thinking is pickup rollers is the easiest to address--for testing purposes I'm considering attaching a wire lead to the pickup roller mounting screw using a ring crimp terminal, connecting this either directly to the power supply or to the circuitry in a lighted caboose. But, as I want to use this engine for operations-style switching, this would not be a long term solution.
I think I've read through every other thread on the subject (none really ended with a real solution), but feel free to direct me (and anyone else who may find this useful) to the previous threads.
Thanks a [44] ton everyone!
