When it comes to the running qualities of our locomotives, I've long thought that the weak point are the current collectors, the way in which the current is picked up from the tyres. We have very good motors and gearboxes and with compensated, and now CSB suspension systems there is no longer any problem in ensuring all wheels are in contact with the track. However when it comes to collecting the current from the wheel tyres we end up fiddling about with pieces of phosphor bronze wire or strip.Not very high tech!

I've been on the lookout for something better and think I found it in Hobbycraft (this was whilst Mrs. D was wandering around the sewing section). I was looking at the jewellery section and discovered that you could buy small metal beads that are used for making jewellery. Unfortunately I threw the packaging away but I think this is what I used.

http://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/beads-unlimited-midi-metal-rounds-3-mm-gold-plated/561573-1001

Put simply, the bead is threaded through and then soldered to phospor bronze wire and it is the bead, not the wire, that bears against the back of tyre. Being round there is no scratching and as it is gold plated this should mean better electricial conductivity. The hole in the bead is larger that most phosphor bronze wire but as it is soldered this is not a major issue although a closer fit would have been better. For 1384 I had to use one piece of wire for the two driving wheels each side and I found one advantage was that once the wire had been soldered to the baseplate it was possible to move the bead on the wire using a soldering iron to ensure it was exactly in line with the tyre. Another advantage over using phosphor bronze strip was appearance, the wire is far less noticeable.

Clearly the wire needs to be cut off where it comes out of the other side of the bead.

I've adapted three of my locomotives so far and found that current collection is much improved whilst friction is reduced.

I'd recommend giving this a try, at £ 2.70 for 100 it's hardly going to break the bank.