Large Scale Central

LGB 0-6-2T: BadMotor, Bad Gears, Both, or Something Else?

Modeling Motive Power
#41

All,

I am please to announce that Gustav returned to service.

The proprietor or Western Edge of Tombstone discovered multiple small faults (bent and stressed rods, links, etc.) in addition to the split and worn gears that, coupled together, rendered the old fellow unrepairable by a neophyte like myself. With the various parts removed, it was clear that 10 years of service and 20 years of storage had take their toll. In the end, having a pro fix him saved me money and frustration. Money spent on learning is money well spent!

Oh, assuming the video worked, you might be interested to note Kid-Zilla then performed the ritual derailment to welcome Gustav home:

Thanks for the help and guidance on this project! I am glad to close this thread on a happy note!

Aloha,

Eric

#42

Eric I’m glad you’re up and running Gustav again.

Thanks for the link to the Tombstone store, I never would have thought of there, I tend to avoid tourist traps unless, say, we are taking a bunch of Englishmen there , then it was quite funny!

Good to see Kid-zilla doing his thing!

#43

John,

Yeah, who knew? My folks discovered the store on a trip to break in their tow-behind camper. It is right next to “Big Nose Kate’s,” which makes a mean jalapeno calzone!

Aloha,

Eric

#44

Sorry to resurrect this thread, but, as I mentioned in another post, Gustav stopped pulling this fall and earned the title Glitchy Gustav (Thanks, Forrest!). I want to capture all of my troubleshoot in one place, so please bear with me…

Anyway, the loco (LGB 2071D, circa 1984) takes power from all wheels, and they all turn, but the old fellow can barely pull his own weight, let alone a train. I reviewed this post, and, for the life of me, I have no idea how to get those plastic red and black caps off per Dan Pierce’ suggestion. I did take John Bouck’s suggestion, and, yes, it audibly grinds and feels “sticky” when I spin it. I’m putting in a strategic parts order next month (I try to anticipate needs 6-12 months in advance to save on shipping), and I guess a new motor will be part of it, absent suggestions to the contrary.

I think I have now spent more on trying to restore this old boy than my brother did when he bought it new 30+ years ago, but, to be honest, keeping Glitchy Gustav going is worth it to me on a railroad that presently serves more as a temporal link across generations than a physical representation of an actual line.

Have a great week!

Eric

#45

Eric Mueller said:

Sorry to resurrect this thread, but, as I mentioned in another post, Gustav stopped pulling this fall and earned the title Glitchy Gustav (Thanks, Forrest!). I want to capture all of my troubleshoot in one place, so please bear with me…

Anyway, the loco (LGB 2071D, circa 1984) takes power from all wheels, and they all turn, but the old fellow can barely pull his own weight, let alone a train. I reviewed this post, and, for the life of me, I have no idea how to get those plastic red and black caps off per Dan Pierce’ suggestion. I did take John Bouck’s suggestion, and, yes, it audibly grinds and feels “sticky” when I spin it. I’m putting in a strategic parts order next month (I try to anticipate needs 6-12 months in advance to save on shipping), and I guess a new motor will be part of it, absent suggestions to the contrary.

I think I have now spent more on trying to restore this old boy than my brother did when he bought it new 30+ years ago, but, to be honest, keeping Glitchy Gustav going is worth it to me on a railroad that presently serves more as a temporal link across generations than a physical representation of an actual line.

Have a great week!

Eric, if I remember correctly you just had some one in the states go over it not to long ago, did they put a motor in? Is there anyway to contact them and found out what they did. motor should spin freely by have resistance just because of the magnets pull, but not binding. Believe it takes the same motor as you small engines and if you purchase one and it’s not the problem it will go to good use in the future. Or 2nd choice, pull a motor out of one of your smaller engines cheaper just more time consuming. There should be very little end to end slop and no up down slop to the motor shaft, believe Gustav to have been thru the mill maybe time for him to het a new driver, Bill

Eric

#46

Eric’s video…

https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=DBFD37561B825D5F&resid=DBFD37561B825D5F!14363&authkey=APxI97n7apSIRjA

#47

Bill,

Yes, he re-geared it and replaced all the rods. They rods had all been bent just enough to throw everthying out of alignment. The motor is the same, and the old boy worked for about 2 months after coming home. IT does take the short shaft Buehler of my Stainz-es and stuff, but, yes, they are a real pain in the “okole” to remove. My brother said Gustav took a beating in brief service with him and his nephew before joining the roster of the Triple O, and “he” was a family favorite back in the '80-s. It looks like new motor time.

Eric

#48

Bringing a thread back from the dead here…

I had intended to get a new motor, but the funds went elsewhere to things like food and stuff. Anyway, I took Glitchy Gustav down to ensure he was ready for a new 5 A power source this weekend to see if power, not parts, was the issue. After poking and prodding, I touched all the wheel sets with some test leads. Everything was good until I touched the leads to surfaces that actually contact the rails…Nothing! Some work with a greenie-weenie, a bit of reassembling, and the old boy motored down the test track. Hmmm…That only took four months of head scratching, ignoring the issue, and pretending the problem would go away.

Keeping my fingers crossed for Saturday!

Eric

#49

YAY!!!(https://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-smile.gif)

#50

Glitchy Gustav happily circled the Triple O today for about two hours, delivering beverage to the grill master…Naturally, just as everyone sat down to eat, I heard the wonderful sound of a gear train eating itself…Sure enough, both the fore and aft idlers have no teeth about 1/3 the way around the circumference. I’ll post pictures later.

I am at a loss. The motor works. I have electrical continuity, I’ve replaced all the rods. I had him professionally serviced. Now, I am back where this thread began with a beautiful model sitting on a motor block containing a stripped gear train. About the only thing left I can think of is that the motor shaft might be a hair out of alignment, and maybe a new motor - and now new idlers - are the last link in the restoration / preservation chain.

Is it time to stop throwing time and money at this old fellow and retire him to the shelf? I hate to do it, as he just looks so good lumbering about the loop.

Back to the shelf he goes as I ponder my next move.

Have a great weekend,

Eric

#51

At this point I would stop beating myself up and retire that loco. (https://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#52

Eric Mueller said:

Glitchy Gustav happily circled the Triple O today for about two hours, delivering beverage to the grill master…Naturally, just as everyone sat down to eat, I heard the wonderful sound of a gear train eating itself…Sure enough, both the fore and aft idlers have no teeth about 1/3 the way around the circumference. I’ll post pictures later.

I am at a loss. The motor works. I have electrical continuity, I’ve replaced all the rods. I had him professionally serviced. Now, I am back where this thread began with a beautiful model sitting on a motor block containing a stripped gear train. About the only thing left I can think of is that the motor shaft might be a hair out of alignment, and maybe a new motor - and now new idlers - are the last link in the restoration / preservation chain.

Is it time to stop throwing time and money at this old fellow and retire him to the shelf? I hate to do it, as he just looks so good lumbering about the loop.

Eric I would say if you really wish to keep it and have it run, bite the bullet and send it to trainLi for repair I know they are good, as long as there is no slop in your axles and or motor there is no reason for anything to be out of line, Bill

Back to the shelf he goes as I ponder my next move.

Have a great weekend,

Eric

#53

Bill & Joe,

Thanks for the input. Is there a go / no-go telltale I should look for in the structure of the locomotive? Clearly, if there is something worn out that holds axels or motor in place, then no amount of part swapping will help. No point in sending Gustav to TrainLi only to find he’s beyond repair.

This spawned a more philosophical internal debate about whether I should take this as a warning my other old iron horses may be approaching “end of useful service life” and should be consigned to special runs on special days. Of course, this would mean I have to buy a replacement or two. I do try to rotate my locomotives for this reason to ensure equal wear, but with few exceptions, all of them are 30-35 years old.

Some hard thinking ahead…

Eric

#54

Eric, I’m sure that if it went to some reputable repair facility with a good explanation of what has been previously done and the problem you are currently experiencing, that is the side frames were worn or damaged that I would hope that the would let you know before repairing, and it is certainly easy enough for you to pre check the engine before shipping as to slop in the axles and gears, good luck, Bill

#55

All,

After giving this running project much thought, I am thinking of giving Glitchy Gustav’s innards a thorough cleaning, installing new idler gears, and trying one more time. I am operating under the theory that a bit of grit might be pushing things out of alignment just enough to cause grief. Failing that, I will retire the old fellow to static display until my professional wanderings take me past a repair facility.

Thanks for the patience and ideas!

Eric

#56

Try this first, from GSC click on download, it works I’ve saved 3 motors this way

LGB motor repair and testing.

#57

Bill

I get a message saying I don’t have permission to download.

Tom

#58

Bill,

I had the same message as Tom.

Eric

#59

Mee too

#60

don’t know guys I just click on the link and it takes me to LGB motor repair and testing original article by Neil Robinson 6 Feb 2011 click on that and it takes me to

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LGB motor repair and testing original article by Neil Robinson 6 Feb 2011 2019-01-09Download and click on download and there it is

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