Kean Maygib spring plungers

[Kenneth BelbinParticipant]

Can anybody advise on the assembly of these items. The scrap of paper sent with the plungers has been of no use. It says “slide the spring onto the body of the insulator”. This is impossible and even if it were it would not work. Perhaps it should read, “Slide the spring onto the pickup”. Having soldered the wire into the pickup ensuring that there is no solder left of the exterior of the pickup the instructions say ” Feed the wire through the insulator” I found this impossible without stripping back the wire insulation. Having done this the next instruction is to “Push the pickup into the insulator”. Again impossible, all that happened was that the insulator broke into two due to excess force! These have been around for some time so there must be a way of assembling them. Any ideas?

[Paul WillisParticipant]

Kean Maygib sprung plunger pickups?

That round receptacle by your feet, to the right?

Yes, put them in there. Put something else on top of them, and never think of trying them again.

*Nobody* seems capable of getting them to work properly. Probably not in the last thirty years, As you’ve found, there are problems constructing them. And then, even if you’ve built and installed them, the spring pressure is either too light to work and collect current, or too strong and your locomotive has the equivalent of driving with the brakes on. They seem to work well in 7mm and larger, but for 4mm there are too many challenges.

If I ever find I have a set on my hands (usually because they have been included in an Alan Gibson kit, I usually find someone who doesn’t know better will give me a couple of quid for them via a well-known auction site.

You will find a set of coiled phosphor bronze wire pickups to be much easier and reliable to make and to use. Or try split chassis collection. I’ve moved to that recently, and certainly won’t be going back.

Good luck!
Paul Willis

[Kenneth BelbinParticipant]

Thanks for your reply. I will perhaps try reaming the insulator until it will accept the cable/pickup assembly and then if this does not work, do as you suggest. If they are as useless as you suggest I wonder why the EMGS shop stocks them.
Regards Ken

[David FranksParticipant]

Nothing wrong with the more recent lightly sprung Gibson ones, I use them all the time. The secret is a very light flexible wire so the plungers are free to ‘follow’ the wheel rim. Kean ones are as has been said very fiddly and too stiff.

Highlevel D10 with Gibson plungers, runs beautifully.

Plunger pickups seem to be a bit like Marmite, I love them and must have fitted dozens of them.
Dave Franks

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