Lake George and Boulder loco query

voodoopenguin

voodoopenguin

Retired
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Finally got round to testing the loco and coaches from a second hand LGB set I acquired a couple of years ago, been in storage. Never really checked it out before and had assumed it was a set at the cheaper end of the market but was surprised to find that both the 0-4-0 loco and the tender were motorised. It ran very well round the garden circuit but my query is, can the chuff chuff sound be turned off easily? It comes from the tender and I was hoping there would be a simple on/off switch but cannot find it.

Paul
 
Is there a link between the loco and tender? - If so, the loco switch may turn it off??

There may be a volume control under the tank filler, of is the coal load removable? - Single screw, in middle of load??
 
No link between loco and tender. The tender will happily pull a train by itself, chuffing away! I'll investigate screws etc. tomorrow in the light.

Thanks, Paul
 
There is a hole in the coal load to access the volume control. Just push a small screw driver inti the hole and turn.
The locomotive and tender were joined by a cable which when attached matched the speed of both motors.
 
OK, with further investigation I have found a volume control underneath the tender that can be adjusted using a flat head screwdriver from silent to quite loud. It can also be done using fingers.



Not obvious from my photo is that the adjustment is above (below in photo) the pick up so the screwdriver has to be angled.

Seems there were variations with this model.

Thanks to all

Paul
 
As you might gather, no instructions are with this set!

Having found how to adjust the chuff chuff volume some of the responses have made me look closer. Just inside the cab on the floor are two small electric sockets marked + and - however I cannot find any equivalents on the tender to connect to. This got me wondering if there was a mismatch so Googled and found the tender certainly looks correct for the loco but that the loco might be a smoker. The photo I now show is at the front and underneath, is this some sort of control and if so is it on or off? If it does smoke then what does it need? I have several old Tri-ang OO locos that smoke and the accepted oil these days is Johnsons Baby Oil.



Paul
 
That is 'on'.. Current runs up the centre of the smoke stack, to the smoke unit. - The other connection is to a collar, further up.

We use a lot more 'smoke fluid' than a OO engine would. Baby oil leaves a residue, which builds up into a horrible black mess over time.
A 'real' bottle of either LGB or Massoth (cheaper) smoke-oil can also be used to lubricate round, and in small quantities, as a cleaner for your loco's.

Failing that a 50:50 mix of garden lamp oil and barbeque lighting fluid is used by many. - Personally, I don't like the Citronella stuff, but many say it helps keep the 'fluggs' away!

I use a litre of plain lamp oil, to one bottle of Massoth smoke-fluid.
I also have a (very expensive) small bottle of smoke-fluid with added 'coal' smell. - You only need a few drops to get the effect. :):nod:
 
Thanks for the warning about baby oil. I seem to recall that there might be a bottle or two in some of the sets I have. I assumed it was just lubricating oil, maybe I should check them out properly.

Paul
 
Of course it would help if I actually showed some photos!

This is the set as I bought it (second hand) and now my brain is in gear it's probably obvious that the tender is in the place where the oval of track would have gone so yes, it's probably an addition.







Looking at the loco itself, I know it's electric but if this was based on something in real life where do they store the coal if it doesn't have a tender? There's no bunker for it.

Paul
 
voodoopenguin said:
Looking at the loco itself, I know it's electric but if this was based on something in real life where do they store the coal if it doesn't have a tender? There's no bunker for it.

Paul
Click to expand...
On the Stainz loco, there are small coal bunkers forward of the cab front spectacles....

21211.jpg
 
PhilP said:
Well the tender is worth more than a circle of R1! :):nod::nod:
Click to expand...

Just looked and a red version just sold on eBay for £107 plus shipping! Failing memory tells me I paid much less than that for the whole set. Good to know but not for selling. Still to test if the loco smokes.

Paul
 
If the volume control is in the coal load of the Non motor powered 4 axle tender then this is the 20230/20232 version and the sound tender was sold separately as a 69232.
The tender with 2 axles and sound does NOT sync its speed with the engine!!!! The cable between engine and tender is track power only.
That tender with the red bottom just has the lake george and boulder yellow sticker. I say this as I have a Factory made Lake George tender label that is not a decal, and the whole tender top is yellow.
Also note that the passenger cars shown have 4 axles and tha t set came with 2 axle cars with plastic wheels. So, the purchaser got themselves a great bargan!!
 
Gizzy said:
On the Stainz loco, there are small coal bunkers forward of the cab front spectacles....

View attachment 243256
Click to expand...

Yes, as Giz says the extensions on the front of either side of the cab are the bunker spaces, one filling hatch is depicted as open on most Stainz models. Some folks might mistake those for small water tanks, but the Stainz is a "Well Tank" design - the water tankage is slung between the frames, below the boiler, hence the big funnel-topped pipe at one side for filling the tank....
However, some very small locos don't even have that amount of coal storage - a lot of little industrial types just had a pile of coal on the cab floor, that was replenished as needed.

Jon.
 
And, as for the +and - holes in the loco cab, they are for a jumper cable with old style marklin electrical pins, designed to connect to the tender for greater off the track electrical pick up.
Old tenders also had + and - plugs, similarly marhed.

Your tender is a later design, and no longer uses the old marklin style pins, but the newer style clip in plug.

You can buy a double ended clip in plug, and replace one end of the clips with marklin pins. You must correctly determine the + and - wires,or youll have a short. Ie connect, gently raise voltage, if shorted, reverse, or, a polarity meter too.

Fwiw, the jumper/ tether is great on outside layouts, far less critical on clean well laid track.
 
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