How to take apart Central Station (LGB 55005)

[Ianjd59]

This will probably sound a daft question, but how do you take apart an LGB Central Station? I've recently come into posession of an LGB 55005 that is apparently totally dead, the story goes that the output was shorted, the lights went out & it's been that way ever since. I can't believe that LGB didn't build in some sort of protection, so I thought it would be a simple matter of popping the top off & having a look (I did qualify as an electronics engineer a few years back). However all attempts to remove the top have been frustrated, it has 6 small dimple type buttons on the side which move slightly, but no obvious screws or suchlike. Can anyone offer the solution before my attempts become more destructive!

Regards, Ian.

 

[Neil Robinson]

I've not opened up a central station but I have opened similar LGB controllers with those dimples. They are actually plastic rivets
Take a drift, such as an old twist drill, the same or slightly smaller diameter than the dimples and drive them into the unit.

 

[Ianjd59]

Many thanks for that, I'll give it a go.

 

[KeithT]

Many thanks for that, I'll give it a go.

Brave man, I await the results with interest.......

 

[mike]

you need to frosce in gthe dimple tabs.. its not easy..

 

[Ianjd59]

Well, for those awaiting with interest, Neils' suggestion worked a treat, pop the little plastic rivets inside the box, & off comes the top. Unfortunately this didn't achieve a lot as there's no sign of any fusible devices, no black & charred bits, no sign of anything untowards at all. As circuit diagrams seem to be unobainable, I'll have to try & find somebody who can service LGB kit. So I've put it back together, now, does anyone know a man who can?

 

[Philbahn]

Well, for those awaiting with interest, Neils' suggestion worked a treat, pop the little plastic rivets inside the box, & off comes the top. Unfortunately this didn't achieve a lot as there's no sign of any fusible devices, no black & charred bits, no sign of anything untowards at all. As circuit diagrams seem to be unobainable, I'll have to try & find somebody who can service LGB kit. So I've put it back together, now, does anyone know a man who can?

Think your best bet is return it to Massoth, After all it is theirs

 

[whatlep]

Think your best bet is return it to Massoth, After all it is theirs

I agree. They are efficient and will update everything to the latest specification/ software at the same time as doing any repairs. They take Paypal too, so payment is easy.

 

[muns]

I agree, return it to Massoth for repair. I would suggest emailing them first on

 

[Ianjd59]

That's interesting, send it back to Massoth, hadn't thought of that. Doesn't say much for LGBs presence in the UK, don't they have any service agents here??
Does that mean whenever a fault happens with any LGB kit, it has to go back to Germany?

 

[mike]

no, it means that it gose back to the point off manufacture

 

[Ianjd59]

Can anyone tell me who the UK LGB importer is currently (assuming there is one). There's nothing on the LGB website (not that I can make out with my school-boy German anyway, didn't there used to be an English language LGB site?).

 

[Gizzy]

Can anyone tell me who the UK LGB importer is currently (assuming there is one). There's nothing on the LGB website (not that I can make out with my school-boy German anyway, didn't there used to be an English language LGB site?).

I'm not sure if there is an official LGB importer, but I was told that Chalk Garden Rail is the LGB agent for spares in the UK by Jeremy of Dragon G Scale when I wanted some wheelsets for a Shoema loco.

So I contacted Peter at Chalk Garden Rail. Never dealt with him before but found him to be most helpful....

http://www.chalkgardenrail.co.uk/acatalog/index.html

 

[Dover Rover]

Try this people they used to be the UK main servicing agents before everything went wrong .
It's worth a try.http://www.chalkgardenrail.co.uk/acatalog/index.html < Link To




http://www.chalkgardenrail.co.uk/acatalog/index.html < Link To http://www.chalkgardenrai...uk/acatalog/index.html

 

[muns]

The Hobby Company was at one time the LGB distributer in the UK, not sure if that is still the case:

http://www.hobbyco.net/scripts/cgii...ab.p?session=kghjjdnoZjkmAgkrcjaaOdyjdjOclFpf

 

[Gizzy]

Well, for those awaiting with interest, Neils' suggestion worked a treat, pop the little plastic rivets inside the box, & off comes the top. Unfortunately this didn't achieve a lot as there's no sign of any fusible devices, no black & charred bits, no sign of anything untowards at all. As circuit diagrams seem to be unobainable, I'll have to try & find somebody who can service LGB kit. So I've put it back together, now, does anyone know a man who can?

Found this on a Google search. If you use a DC supply you must have the correct polarity, or it won't work. AC isn't an issue....

http://www.shourtline.swl4.com/LGB_55005_Type_II_Central_Station_Original_Manual.pdf

 

[Ianjd59]

Thanks for the manual link, I use http://www.champex-linden.de/lgb_produktdatenbank/ for LGB manuals, they seem to have most of them.

I mailed the Massoth 'Hotline' yesterday & received an automated 'We have received your mail' message (in German), but nothing since.

I can't comment on the circumstances of the units demise, as I aquired it in it's 'dead' state. But I was told that it was working when it had its' output shorted, at which point the lights went out & that was it. I'd have to say that I'm rather dubious of this, as I can't believe that LGB (or Massoth) wouldn't have built in some short circuit protection. There's no fuse to be seen internally.
I would have thought anybody who regularly uses LGB kit regularly would know that they're AC powered, but you never know!

 

[LTfan]

The Central Station can be AC or DC (either polarity) powered.

David

Some electronic gizmos (such as the transformer for my Roco digital kit) use a fusible resistor instead of a fuse.
Looks like a normal small-wattage R but it goes permanently open-circuit when overheated.
I couldn't make out the colour code so I fixed it with a 250mA microfuse instead.

 

[whatlep]

I mailed the Massoth 'Hotline' yesterday & received an automated 'We have received your mail' message (in German), but nothing since.

Fret ye not. Massoth can and will fix your kit! Since they really can;t provide a quotation remotely as they can't see your item, the best thing to do is send the item direct to Massoth with a covering note containing your email ID, postal address and (optionally) a phone number. Put all those on a Post-it note attached to the 55005.

Massoth will advise you of the cost, including return postage, via email.

As to LGB equipment warranty returns, you are at the whim of the Gods (i.e. no chance), apart from kit purchased after Marklin's resurrection in administration which can be returned to the dealer for repair at their expense. You'll need a receipt of course.

 

[Ianjd59]

Just an update this time, . Chalk have got back to me, & said to send it to Massoth! I'm still waiting for a response from Massoth on their 'Hotline' (I'd hate to think how long the 'n ormal' line takes to get a response!).
If this is an example of how difficult it is to get LGB kit serviced, I'm not suprised so many people have told me not to go down the LGB MTS route!