Dear All,
I had one of these once: I bought it just after they were released to see what it was like and what it did. Note the manual switch on the top:
The other interesting thing about them was that the magnet inside was not the steel block magnet they have today, but a strange moulded armature, made out of something similar to what you find on the back of a fridge magnet. I only had one like that. The later ones bought a few years later had the bar magnet instead.
I was told that these early magnets tended to crack when it got frosty, so that possibly explains the re-design?
Obviously the earliest versions didn't work that well, the top switch often jammed, so was it replaced with a plug and then the hole for it was filled in, there were issues with the amount of 'reach' that led to the rotor and rack and the lantern actuating rings being redesigned several times, and in the case of the latter eventually removed!
The early ones came with a replacement point tie bar and rivets too, as they would not work properly with the pre-epl LGB points until this part was changed!
As spare parts were readily avalable from LGB I re-built all mine to what was the latest spec in the 1990s. I wasn't bothered about the history back then. However whilst having an exchange on LGB point motor development with a chum, I realised that I wished I that had taken a picture of the original rotor and magnet arrangement!
So if anyone has an unadulterated original one, please could I ask for you to kindly take an internal image or two to show the unusual workings?
Maybe I should get out more....?
Much appreciated!
James
I had one of these once: I bought it just after they were released to see what it was like and what it did. Note the manual switch on the top:
The other interesting thing about them was that the magnet inside was not the steel block magnet they have today, but a strange moulded armature, made out of something similar to what you find on the back of a fridge magnet. I only had one like that. The later ones bought a few years later had the bar magnet instead.
I was told that these early magnets tended to crack when it got frosty, so that possibly explains the re-design?
Obviously the earliest versions didn't work that well, the top switch often jammed, so was it replaced with a plug and then the hole for it was filled in, there were issues with the amount of 'reach' that led to the rotor and rack and the lantern actuating rings being redesigned several times, and in the case of the latter eventually removed!
The early ones came with a replacement point tie bar and rivets too, as they would not work properly with the pre-epl LGB points until this part was changed!
As spare parts were readily avalable from LGB I re-built all mine to what was the latest spec in the 1990s. I wasn't bothered about the history back then. However whilst having an exchange on LGB point motor development with a chum, I realised that I wished I that had taken a picture of the original rotor and magnet arrangement!
So if anyone has an unadulterated original one, please could I ask for you to kindly take an internal image or two to show the unusual workings?
Maybe I should get out more....?
Much appreciated!
James