Large Scale Central

LGB - too soon to evaluate?

Reviews
#51

Today I ran my Olomana with my Chloe. They are both small LGB 0-4-2 locomotives. The Chloe runs noticeably faster then the Olomana at the same voltage. After an hour or so of running, the Olomana started stalling on the one switch. The lead drivers had cleared the plastic frog, but the locomotive was acting like it wasn’t getting any power. It turns out that the power pick up on the fireman’s side (if it had a fireman), for the lead driver, had gone bad. I opened the locomotive up, and rotated the metal pick up holder in the frame, so a different spot on the holder would contact the power bus. Then I put 2 drops of conductive lube on the contact itself, and put the Olomana back in service. She ran for about a half an hour before she started stalling on the switch again.

Since I remove the skates on my 4 coupled LGB locomotives, so that they can actually climb my summit, the only power pick ups are the drivers. Since the Olomana has metal trailing wheels, I am thinking of adding power pick ups to those wheels to help improve her performance. So when I take her into the shop to replace the bad power pick up on the driver, I may try and work out power pick ups on the trailing wheels.

Total run time so far, under 5 hours. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-frown.gif)

#52

It was also a selling point for LGB vs most of the others. They took pride on where LGB was made, just as my Hartland and Kalamazoo trains have “made in the USA” on the box as we as a people are rightly proud of what we still make here in the USA. From what I know from my late uncle, who was German and who got me started with LGB trains, was that Germans are a proud people as well and take pride in what they produce. But your correct, it is nice to have easy to find and read labeling on the box for where an item was produced. Either way, its a global market, whether we like it or not. I am just thankful that LGB survived and is still being made by someone. Mike

#53

Yea, I like some of the LGB stuff, and I am glad that they have survived in one incarnation or another. Its just a shame that I have to repair my nearly new LGB Olomana. Shades of Aristocraft.

#54

David Maynard said:

Yea, I like some of the LGB stuff, and I am glad that they have survived in one incarnation or another. Its just a shame that I have to repair my nearly new LGB Olomana. Shades of Aristocraft.

Why not just contact the dealer and let them know it has failed? It’s my understanding (and I could be wrong) that LGB no longer does repairs, they will just replace the defective item. At least that is what they did with my new reversing control I purchased. I even admitted I burned it up, the dealer had LGB send me a new one and also sent a UPS call tag to take the bad one back.

#55

Vincent I could, and I would for something more serious then a flaky contact. But, really, a bad contact? I have some in my spare parts bins…somewhere. Its going to take more time to find the darn part then it will to replace it. Once I get off my butt. Besides I am going out of town on Wednesday, so I wont be here to deal with return tags and such.

#56

David-

Please report the outcome from the repair or replacement of your Oloama loco.

As I recall LGB America’s previous location in San Diego, CA., any problem first meant resolution by a phone call to repair. If the call didn’t bring a solution, mailing the loco was next and the repaired or replaced loco came back in reasonable time – with frequently no charge.

So your experience may define what are the expectations and limitations for what customers can expect from LGB.

Thanks,

Wendell

#57

Wendell, like I said, I am not sending it back to Trainworld for a bad power pick up. I am leaving town tomorrow for a business trip (more training), so it will probably be 2 weeks before I tear into her and replace the pick up.

On the regular track (not the one switch), she runs well. There is still some gear noise, but I do not expect that to go away. Bevel gears tend to be noisy.

#58

I had purchased the LGB New York Streetcar. Two years later it developed a short in one of the modules in the rear set of wheels. This trucks controlled sound and motive power in both trucks. I had tried to get it fixed but no one who could say that it was repairable. A $700 Shelf Queen, very disappointing to say the least. Dennis

#59

Dennis, that doesn’t sound right. If its a machine, it can be fixed.

#60

Calling Dr. Pierce

#61

If I recall correctly, the NY street car with sound is the original made in Germany model, parts may be hard to find.

I always wanted this one because it had sound, hate that the new versions dont have that option.

#62

If anyone on this thread purchased an item from us TrainWorld. You can send me an email at [email protected] along with the original invoice number. I will do my best to forward any issues to the appropriate person at LGB who MAY be able to assist you. No promises because Im not sure about parts and stuff but I will be more than happy to give anything a shot. Please attention your email to Ken Jr. list the item #, problem, and the TrainWorld invoice number.

#63

I have a LGB American trolley in for repair with a melted gear box/wheel. We ordered a replacement LGB truck for this trolley, they are available, shipping time for parts can be long (months).

On another note, LGB boxes do have country of origin on them and there is a round gold sticker on the bottom of rolong stock with a date code which decodes as follows ymm01y. So 912017 decodes as (19)97, December first.

Also Marklin has a white sticker/label on the bottom of the Engines/rolling stock.

For original (non Marklin) All European Stock was made in Europe. Newer non Marklin Amenican stock was made mostly in China (original porter was made in Korea and has metal whistle and metal hand rails). Older American stock was made in Europe. Most of the toytrain items were made in Europe. I say Europe as LGB made items in Germany and also in other European countries.

#64

KUDOS to Ken Bianco for his offer to try and remedy parts needs. He is upfront in his statement of what he can offer.

So is it accurate to claim the “best bet” for buying LGB is to buy the older production - the one that proclaims “Germany” as the origin. My pre-Marklin (Germany) production LGB Moguls have been generously maintained and for 14 years have not failed. Granted, the shoes have been replaced via TRAINWORLD and the worn rubber band tires long discarded. Still, they haul and run flawlessly. What happens when the Buehler motors give out? If Train-Li is still in business, that’s my first stop in response to their ads.

If Ken Bianco’s offer is taken, please report what the problem was and the result of Marklin-LGB’s response.

Best,

Wendell

#65

I will say it again, I have no issues with either of my (2) brand new LGB locomotives. If you want to hunt around for older models that’s up to you, I am happy buying the new product being produced and will continue to buy it without hesitation.

#66

I feel the new LGB models are getting better every year as the factory was in a learning curve when these items were first produced in Hungary.

Packaging has been improved and plastic quality has improved.

However, I do not like some of the ‘gaudy/bright’ colors. But LGB always said they make toys, not models.

#67

In the past two years my husband and I have bought new from LGB the Olomana, a cleaning locomotive, power tender and ICE train. Of the four all but the ICE, which is sold under their Toy Train line, have been returned for repairs/exchange within the first six months. We have eight cars on the ICE train now and that thing is a tank. Runs everywhere every time. We’ve also picked up second-hand four older LGBs, all of them have performed flawlessly.

#68

When running the chloe or olmana and even the snoopy surfer, these motor blocks only have 1 drive gear, therefore pull only 2 or 3 of the 2 axle small cars. Adding weight and pulling more cars will make the rear axle plastic gear fail.

Note: the rear axle plastic gear is driven by a motor with a brass gear.

Rear axle to front axle on older blocks use a serpentine belt.

Newer block has a real drive shaft with plastic gears.

So, the new block has parts not compatible with the old block such as motor and axle!!!

Also note on hte newer block no solid contact to the motor power leads, metal posts go through a hole in the motor leads.

Soldering this will fix intermittent running motors or even current starved motors.

#69

I opened up my Olomana when I first got her, and saw that instead of a cogged belt, like in the older Chloe I have, the Olomana uses a drive shaft with bevel gears. That also explains why the Olomana is a bit noisier then the Chloe I have. Being as that the small LGB locomotive, like the Chloe, the Olomana and the little industrial steamer, are such small locomotives I don’t weigh them down with long trains. I also remove the skates from them. The skates act like breaks, causing them to slip on my grade, and the skates have to be putting some drag on the drive mechanisms of these little engines.

The Olomana now has several hours of run time with her train. Probably over 2 dozen hours.

#70

We only ever pulled a couple cars with ours, it had maybe 20 hours of runtime.

Dan Pierce said:

…Also note on the newer block no solid contact to the motor power leads, metal posts go through a hole in the motor leads.

Soldering this will fix intermittent running motors or even current starved motors.

This sounds like it could have been the problem, the gears looked fine.

Sophie