Disassembly of LGB Sumpter Mallet boiler

[beavercreek]

I have a LGB Sumpter Mallet (DCC) which has broken locating pin and sideways restrictor pin on the front power bogie/block.
I have been able to get correct spare motor block top with intact pins.
...... But, unlike the Uintah mallet, there does not seem to be a straight forward method of being able to separate the top section of the boiler from the bottom to access the screws which screw into the locating pins on the top part of the block and hold the power block/bogie to the loco.

I have the pdf file of the Sumpter mallet spares and exploded diagrams but this is not that helpful as to finding the boiler disassembly screws and where they might be hidden.
I already have taken off the smoke box (it has a pulsed smoke unit installed)


Doers anyone have experience of taking apart the Sumpter version of the mallet? As I said before it is not the same construction as the Uintah version

I would be grateful of some pointers .

 

[kim]

Hi Mike,
Glad you found one! I have had both of mine stripped down when I installed xls chips in them. There are a variety of lengths of screws so plenty of marked up containers for them. I start on the sides removing all plastic pipework and air cylinders and taking out the screw behind the stack and the screws either side of the boiler, these hold metal clips inside that I haver worked out what they do! Also a good time to remove the steam generator, stack etc ready for turning the loco over, depending on how you support the upside down loco. Once turned over remove front and back bogies. I always start at the back of the loco and there 6 screws for the cab, 3 each side, move along past the speaker grill and there are 2 more, 1 each side. There are 2 screws, 1 each side, that are hidden by the large steam pipes and you will see these by turning the rear drive block from side to side. You can now turn the loco back over and the cab and boiler should lift straight off revealing the electrickery inside. The boards are easily removed after unplugging various leads but be aware that the bridging cable between the 2 boards is soldered onto the front board and is quite delicate -don't ask me how I know!! They are actually quite easy to take apart and I would recommend getting new gear boxes for the motors and new reduction gears.
Enjoy!

 

[beavercreek]

Hi Kim
Many thanks for the heads up on where the remaining screws are located for disassembly.
Yes it is a loco that is in a bit of a state in the fact that the locating pins on the front boggie where both broken, letting the thing just flop free.
Unfortunately the previous owner had already dismantled a lot of the detail and it is all in a bag complete with screws...so no indication which screw goes where.
He also tried to glue the pins back onto the block...never likely to be a success.

I will use my other old Sumpter mallet to assist with the reassembly by checking the size of screws in the different places etc.

The rest of the loco is in 'as new' condition and besides having DCC, it has the pulsed smoke u nit which looks like a MTH unit.

 

[kim]

Enjoy mate. Forgot to say to take out the plastic disc that the volume control goes through in case it snags.

 

[beavercreek]

I am looking forward to the two sumpters double heading up my gradient hauling a decent length train

 

[kim]

I am looking forward to the two sumpters double heading up my gradient hauling a decent length train

If you are using a 1200z be wary of consisting the loco's. I consisted my two lgb 2-4-0's a few years ago and they ran and sounded great but when I put them back to single loco operation the sound boards were just not right and these days they run silent.

 

[beavercreek]

Kim
Were you using the Massoth consisting protocols?
I tend to just give locos, which I set up as a consist, the same address and not use Massoth's consisting system.
No sound problems so far

 

[kim]

Kim
Were you using the Massoth consisting protocols?
I tend to just give locos, which I set up as a consist, the same address and not use Massoth's consisting system.
No sound problems so far

I was Mike, using the same address is the way to go. Be great to see a video of them storming your gradients when you are done, with both sound systems turned up of course!!

 

[PhilP]

If they are different vintages..

Run them a couple of feet apart, before running them coupled. - Allows you to see they are running at around the same speeds for differing throttle settings.
Just avoids over-working one of the loco's..

 

[beavercreek]

If they are different vintages..

Run them a couple of feet apart, before running them coupled. - Allows you to see they are running at around the same speeds for differing throttle settings.
Just avoids over-working one of the loco's..

Yeah Phil, that's what I do, but to a different purpose.

When I multihead locos using a 'helper' I always put the slowest at the back.
This is done due to the inclines on my layout.. not going up but for going down.
Going up the gradient, the slower, rear end loco will restrain the front loco a small bit but will then add to the shove.
BUT going down the steep gradient, the slower loco acts like a sort of brake and stops the string of freight cars from piling down force on the front ones thus usually stopping the concertina-ing of them due to the force from behind.
It works pretty well and means that I can, when I wish at times, have much longer trains running, than my 'challenging' line would normally allow.