Just wondering if anyone as ever worn out a LGB diesels, or had any mechanical problems like with the LGB Alco’s or the little switchers, I would just like to know what went wrong if anything. I’m mainly interested in problems like running (motors, gears, etc.) not so much in electrical, body parts, and things that are easily repaired, or replaced. thanks
trainman
John,
While only one is a diesel, all of my LGB locos date from the 1980-s. Most spent 20 years in storage. Of these, one needed a new motor, and one needed a professional rebuilding to correct a my myriad of wear-and-tear related issues. A loco of similar vintage I picked up used three years ago needed new idlers. All have successfully returned to service and do several hours a month if not a week. I cannot imagine your diesels will be much different, as my quick study of old tech manuals shows the internals of the motor blocks are pretty much the same. If you are dealing with motors and gears, you are probably good to go.
I did find one thing in my years long adventure in getting an older loco working. Marklin changed the chassis design relative to my older LGB chassis, making it incompatible with my old loco (Glad I asked before I ordered!). This would suggest that you could find a similar issue if, say, the axle holes were no longer round and you had to replace the motor block.
Dan Pierce, an active forum member, was invaluable in getting my little iron horses back on the rails. He can probably provide you more specific advice.
Aloha,
Eric
From all the repairs I have done, idler gears, axle gears and motors are the most repaceable part failures.
On older engines and rolling stock it is the 18 volt incandescant bulbs that are loose and it helps to put a small amount of solder on the base contact, plus rotted traction tires.
Next failure is the broken whistles on the steam engines and the missing compressors on LGB moguls.
John,
What Dan said plus the injection molded motor blocks/housings, i.e., the axles tend to wear or elongate their respective bore which supports the axle. In other words the lack of bearings/bushings supporting the weight of the engine causes the bore to wear with normal use. This causes the gears to wear and or strip. The fix is a replacement motor block. Said problem is common in all of LGB motor blocks IMO. I have a box of Mogul, 2-4-0 and diesel motor blocks that were replaced along with motors, axles/gears, idlers and drivers. The drivers tend to wear and loose there plating. That said these engines have seen there share of rail time.
Michael
I pretty mechanical minded and repairs are up my alley, there is not to much I can’t handle. Just wondering why the motor blocks where the wearing occurs from the axles can’t be drilled out and new over sized bearing/bushings be installed. Since I haven’t taken a motor block out of an engine and examined it, I’m just assuming this could be done and of course finding the correct size bushing will be the hardest part of this type of repair. Just a though.
trainman
John,
For those of us running museum pieces, a thread showing how you restored a motor block would be very much appreciated, either as a path to follow or a go / no-go warning! Now all you have to do is find a “dead” loco that needs a new block!
Eric
I’ve pondered a bearing retro-fit for the LGB motor blocks. While it would be a great solution, a simple repair it is NOT! Once the axle bore is elongated it would be difficult to reference center. That and you’d have to effect the same effort four times at the least and hope you didn’t miss the centerline. If I were to attempt this repair I’d use an end-mill and bore one axle through the block at a time with the block assembled and fixed in place on the mills table. My suggested method may or may not work, again finding the axles center is paramount in two planes and not everyone has a milling machine. Since replacement motor blocks are available, I don’t think its worth the effort.
Link to info below:
LGB motor block info from TrainLi USA
Michael
Michael,
Thanks. This confirms my impression it would be beyond my tools and capabilities!
Eric
The split case motor blocks are easier to install bushings (make a jig and use a drill press) as the wheels have screws holding them on the axle, newer blocks are press fit wheels and keeping the wheels ‘quartered’ on the axles can be a problem for some. It is important to keep side rod motor blocks with the crank pins at 90 degrees.
John Lenheiser said:
Just wondering if anyone as ever worn out a LGB diesels, or had any mechanical problems like with the LGB Alco’s or the little switchers, I would just like to know what went wrong if anything. I’m mainly interested in problems like running (motors, gears, etc.) not so much in electrical, body parts, and things that are easily repaired, or replaced. thanks
trainman
John - Definitely carbon brushes can go bad and cause lose of track power pickup through the wheels to the motor block…check the wear of each one. I had to replace the wheels sets with gears on my LGB 2055 White Pass Alco Diesel about four years ago that I had bought @ 1989…the LGB box has Mr. Richter’s signature on it as a nice touch. I had used the loco so much that most of the wheels were worn down showing the brass color with groves in them like a traction tire. The easiest fix is to just buy the wheels set (wheels/axle/gear). I also just completed a LGB 2019S Mogul repair for a customer and the motor block gears were bone dry and idler gears totally ruined…see the photo that shows what can happen when no maintenance is done on a loco that’s run for years!
Thomas White said:
John Lenheiser said:
Just wondering if anyone as ever worn out a LGB diesels, or had any mechanical problems like with the LGB Alco’s or the little switchers, I would just like to know what went wrong if anything. I’m mainly interested in problems like running (motors, gears, etc.) not so much in electrical, body parts, and things that are easily repaired, or replaced. thanks
trainman
John - Definitely carbon brushes can go bad and cause lose of track power pickup through the wheels to the motor block…check the wear of each one. I had to replace the wheels sets with gears on my LGB 2055 White Pass Alco Diesel about four years ago that I had bought @ 1989…the LGB box has Mr. Richter’s signature on it as a nice touch. I had used the loco so much that most of the wheels were worn down showing the brass color with groves in them like a traction tire. The easiest fix is to just buy the wheels set (wheels/axle/gear). I also just completed a LGB 2019S Mogul repair for a customer and the motor block gears were bone dry and idler gears totally ruined…see the photo that shows what can happen when no maintenance is done on a loco that’s run for years!
That’s a good reason to remove the bottom plate on your engines and look it over, I do and sometimes just move the grease around on the gears, or replace it with new grease, depending on what needs to be done. Also lube the axle journals with the correct lube that is for plastic and recommended for that. trainman