@Paul Kallus posted:I suspect my newer MTH bipolar locomotive (has two pickup rollers) has a disconnected pickup roller (all wires that I can see are attached) because it is stalling on each and every Ross switch (I have another MTH bipolar that makes it through just fine and from operating previous bipolars I know they can make it through. I have a Cen-Tech digital voltmeter from Harbor Freight. If I test the continuity by placing the leads on each pickup roller, it should read close to zero Ohms, right? Would that conclude that both pickup rollers are connected and therefore rule out one of them as the problem? If so, that would clue me to that its a grounding wheel(s) problem. Do I have that about right?
Yes, you have that right.
The inexpensive meters will often not read all the way down to zero. Set the meter on 200 ohms. Cross the meter leads and see what the meter reads (hey, that rhymes!). On my meters, they tend to read in the 3-4 ohm range with the probes touching. So you know that 3-4 ohms, or whatever your meter reads, equals zero in real life.
If you get no continuity between rollers, try the arms that hold the rollers. The pickups could be connected internally, but there could be dirt/crud/burnt oil inside the roller.
