Life-Like SW8 Contacts
  1. •N scale Life-Like switchers are great little locomotives with fine details and fantastic low-speed, especially with a decoder in it.
  2. •The only trouble I have had is with the brass contacts that transfer power from the trucks to the frame.
  3. •I documented my conversion, based on a web page I once saw, which is no longer available. I had to go by memory and I think I got it right!
 
The truck-to-frame contacts on the Life-Like SW8 locomotives are known to be fragile, easily coming loose from their plastic nubs on the shell.
 
One solution is to glue the contacts back on to the body with CA (superglue) but I found that they’d break loose again every time I removed the shell.
 
Another solution is to replace those contacts completely with something better...
 
0. You'll have to figure out how to disassemble to locomotive. First, you remove the cab and cab weight, then the body shell.
 
1. Cut two 6mm x 46mm strips of 0.14mm brass sheet.
 
2. Lightly score the strips once lengthwise down the center, to create a guide line for folding later.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
3. On the first strip, cut openings on one side:
    - cut one opening at 2mm to 14mm, 3mm deep
    - cut another at 20.5mm to 23.5mm, 4.5mm deep
You can see the two cutouts marked below.
4. Do another strip like this, but a mirror image, for the other side.
 
5. Hold the long side of the strip (no cuts) under a steel ruler and bend the exposed tabs at a 90 degree angle. I used a wide, straight Exacto blade to lift and bend the tabs.
6. Remove the original brass pickup strips from the locomotive shell. They should come off easily, if they already haven’t come off on their own.
 
7. Test-fit the new strips into the locomotive shell to make sure they fit properly. The large opening should clear the narrowing of the engine hood just before the cab and the small opening should clear the latch which holds the walkway to the body shell.
 
8. Glue the pieces in place with some CA (superglue).