LGB 19902 Extension pack

[Sarah Winfield]

I recently bought one of these second hand off ebay de.

Why? Because it worked out a saving of 30%

It has now been delivered and despite my concerns I may have bought the incorrect item it appears OK.

The only thing is the rails are black! They are brass, I've checked with my AVO meter but its as if they have a coating over them.

Could members help and explain possibly why please?

Thank you,

Sarah Winfield

 

[PhilP]

Sarah, I would guess they have either been used before, or are very old..
The LGB track will go 'black' as it tarnishes over time to give a nice patina and look more prototypical..

A rub alng the top of the rail with a cleaning block will give you a nice shiny surface to run your loco's on.

 

[idlemarvel]

As PhilP says you can clean the top of the rails easily and "weathered" track looks better outside. But if they are that old and tarnished I'd be more concerned about the points. You should check the electrical continuity across the points. If you are more familiar with smaller scale points you may have come across the terms insulfrog and electrofrog. G scale points are electrofrog in other words the point does not act as an isolator, current flows both ways regardless of the way the points are set. Also check the points are "flat"; points are the main source of lack of power continuity for short wheelbase locos. Of course none of this matters if you are going battery (before someone else says this!).

Did the seller not have a picture of the tarnished track? If it is not what you want or were expecting you could send it back if the goods are not as described.

I don't know how much you paid for the track pack but you can get the PIKO equivalent 35300 new for £116 from topslots.

 

[Gizzy]

Maybe they've been painted?

What was your AVO reading Sarah....

 

[Sarah Winfield]

Thank you for your replies.

I was aware it wasn't new when I bought it. I'd lost a couple of items on ebay UK so thought I would try ebay de. They had two on offer in a "buy in now" auction so I thought I would buy one of them which even with the postage seemed a reasonable price. The advertiser was a model shop and not a private seller.

The box has a price tag on it of euro 119.99 so I suppose if you want the age could be established from that. I'm not particularly interested to be honest I'm just pleased with my purchase; it'll see me out!

I thought Insulfrog indicated the frog was made of plastic as Peco Insulfrog and Electrofrog indicated a frog through which current flows ie made from nickel silver for example. But then of course I may be wrong.

Sarah Winfield

 

[Sarah Winfield]

Maybe they've been painted?

What was your AVO reading Sarah....

No reading at all until I revealed a bit of the brass underneath then it indicated continuity.

SW

 

[Gizzy]

Then a good clean should sort it Sarah?

Either with a block or you could do what I had to do once, and jet wash the track.

Others have tried the dishwasher with good results, but what the domestic authority had to say on that one, I wouldn't know....

 

[Sarah Winfield]

I don't know why but I'm having a bit of a deja vu moment?

I have had a dishwasher for 2.1/2 years ever since I moved into my new house. I've never tried to use it looks too complicated so it sits in my kitchen and I use it as a store cupboard..

I'll clean the top of the rails and also the point rails. Do you know if you can buy the small over-centre spring that sits in the point rails change-over mechanism please?

Thank you,

Sarah Winfield

 

[Gizzy]

Not sure if you can buy just the spring for manual points, but you can buy these....

http://www.champex-linden.de/lgb_pr...f37a539c1256def005510e202ec.html?OpenDocument

 

[Gizzy]

Just checked the Glendale site and they have some second hand Manual Point Levers for £3....

http://www.glendalejunction.co.uk/SecondHand.html

 

[Sarah Winfield]

And I've just ordered from ebay!

Just my luck.

Thanks anyway, they'll come in useful sometime because you do see points for sale without this mechanism.

Sarah Winfield

 

[Neil Robinson]

Thank you for your replies.

I thought Insulfrog indicated the frog was made of plastic as Peco Insulfrog and Electrofrog indicated a frog through which current flows ie made from nickel silver for example. But then of course I may be wrong.

Sarah Winfield

Sarah, you are correct.
LGB points have plastic (insulfrogs) such as Peco OO They differ in that both exit roads are always live unlike some OO points that switch the track power to suit the point setting.

 

[Sarah Winfield]

The reason I'm pleased to have gone DCC is that the biggest bug-bear of my previous efforts at building a model railway has always been the electrics.

I think as well I was too elaborate in my layout. I like to see trains looking as if they are going somewhere even if only to a fiddle-yard.

There is many a frustrated modeller who has tried to assist me on other web-sites. I hope I don't outstay my welcome.

Sarah Winfield

 

[KeithT]

I don't know why but I'm having a bit of a deja vu moment?

I have had a dishwasher for 2.1/2 years ever since I moved into my new house. I've never tried to use it looks too complicated so it sits in my kitchen and I use it as a store cupboard..

I'll clean the top of the rails and also the point rails. Do you know if you can buy the small over-centre spring that sits in the point rails change-over mechanism please?

Thank you,

Sarah Winfield

R1 points should have a built-in spring to allow trains to run through, it then re-sets.

 

[JimmyB]

Others have tried the dishwasher with good results,

Tried that, but my dishwasher said she wouldn't do it

 

[PhilP]

Tried that, but my dishwasher said she wouldn't do it

Incoming!

 

[Eaglecliff]

As far as cleaning rail surfaces is concerned, I still swear by 1200 or 1500 grade grit wet-or-dry paper (Halfords, hardware shops &c.) wrapped round a 50mm length of wood, used wet and wiped off with old socks. Wear rubber gloves if desired.

 

[PhilP]

As far as cleaning rail surfaces is concerned, I still swear by 1200 or 1500 grade grit wet-or-dry paper (Halfords, hardware shops &c.) wrapped round a 50mm length of wood, used wet and wiped off with old socks. Wear rubber gloves if desired.

You could buy another pair of socks?!

 

[Eaglecliff]

Not having a devious mind, I just assumed readers would know to use the gloves on their hands... what you might do, Phil, I hesitate to guess... mind you, an ex-soldier of my acquaintance told me about the Northern Irish girls wearing wellies to the local hop in the Fifties... while he and his mates kept their Stirling SMGs on their shoulders while they danced...

 

[Paradise]

The reason I'm pleased to have gone DCC is that the biggest bug-bear of my previous efforts at building a model railway has always been the electrics.
I think as well I was too elaborate in my layout. I like to see trains looking as if they are going somewhere even if only to a fiddle-yard.
There is many a frustrated modeller who has tried to assist me on other web-sites. I hope I don't outstay my welcome.
Sarah Winfield

Naah! The hobby needs some livening up.