LGB 2090 Köf D10

Henri

Henri

refuses to grow up
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My D10 is in need of a serious update. I got it 'well done used' and indeed it has a couple of issues.
Power pickup from the tracks is rather poor and reversing is not it's favourite activity.

So I took it apart to see the inner gear work and oh yes, a worn gear, very badly worn. I switched front / rear wheels (and thus gears) for the time being and that helped a little, reversing is now something that he's a little bit more happy to do. Cleaning out all the VERY dried out grease did wonders as well. (pick below from before situation)

2016-07-31 14.39.00.jpg

But power pickup from the tracks is still very poor. I haven't really measured conductivity from the wheels yet (wheel/brush/motor), but I spotted this rubber 'traction' band around one of the wheels. This will certainly NOT help conductivity! As the wheels are not 'flat', but have a slight degree, contact with the rails is only in the corners between wheel & flange. And that's where this rubber band is situated!

So I'm curious to know if this is a design flaw or something common use from LGB? My VERY old 2050 Fiery Elias Howler howls around the track very happily without the extra power pickups... At any speed, at any type of track and at any point... I expected this more modern loco to be even more reliable...

Worth investing new parts?


2016-07-31 20.53.48.jpg
 
The rubber traction tyre is common on a lot of LGB locos, Henri, to give them extra grip and allow them to handle gradients. As your line is pretty much flat and level, and you'll be running mostly short trains, your need for them is very much reduced. I would think that your little Kof would benefit greatly from a new set of wheels/axles/gears, especially if you can get a set that doesn't have the traction tyre.

Jon.
 
Clean the backs of the wheels, where the carbon brushes rub.. You don't have to get them shiny-silver, just clean them back a bit.
Check the skates are free to move up and down.
Clean the tyres (flange and 'flat' bit) of the wheels..
That axle with the worn gear does need replacing.. They normally come in a set of the two axles, I think?? - You could just use the axle without the traction tyre from the new pack if you like.
 
Yes I did clean the wheels before I re-installed them, both the running surfaces as the carbon brush areas. I'll get out the multimeter and start measuring... Skates are ok, just a little worn surface.

If anyone knows a supplier for spare wheels and/or gears... What 'type' of gear is in this 2090? Makes searching a little easier.
 
I think its worth getting new gears for the axels, or, new wheel sets. That groove will eventually cause slipping and quartering issues.
And, as for the traction tire, while it does reduce conductivity, it is actually very little because the majority , as i understand, comes from the flange area. I guess it comes down to traction needs.
 
For improved traction I always add weight to bring the weight of the loco to 2.2kg. I usually used small lead balls, I get them from a diving supplies shop, and install them in small plastic bags inside the loco.
 
If the gear has 34 teeth then I have some available at £8.40 (+ £2.95 UK shipping) for a pair (part no CL30338), unfortunately I have not yet listed them on the website.
 
Try giving the motor itself a check too. LGB's habit of over-greasing causes fouling of the brushes and commutator. Does the motor have one large black and one large red section on either side at one end? Or is it all silver all the way round from one end to the other? The sealed motors are bit more of a pain to strip and require some careful heat application to remove one worm before the brush section can be removed. There is a thread on here somewhere that shows how to clean the motors.
 
I totally hate Traction Tyres, they Steel Electricity and betray Prototypical Running. But that is just me, if you are happy for your Stainz to pull 10 Vehicles up a 1:30 on a curve. Then Teaction Tyres are for you Rule 1 etc.

But Henri, your little line does not need them so advice as given to replace Wheels without Teaction Tyres is sound.
JonD
 
I Always thought that the traction tyres were more to assist with the added drag of R1s and R2s rather than just gradients.

Even R3s can cause some drag - it becomes unnoticeable at around the 10ft diameter mark in my experience :nerd::nerd:
 
well, its odd, but I don't think most model trains have the proportionate scale tractive force of their real life prototypes. while a stainz may only pull 2-3 four 4 axel vehicles 1:1, my F7 ABAs or Mikado sure wont pull 50-100 on the flat.

I guess most models don't have corresponding 'scale' weight. If they were of cast iron, probably. I know my forneys, sprembergers and 2-6-2 Hrzqr wont pull well at all w/o the little rubber rings. likely others too.

Add wet track and a bit of grade, w/o remote control micro sanders, and, well, tires can be minimally helpful to an otherwise hopeless situation in getting moving. I can always hook up fewer cars.

otoh, I too love to watch those drivers spin and the loco "work" (without damage to its internal gears.) it is the latter which is why the poor little 2090 has that grooved gear. I had a stainz, used, that must have been hauling bricks up a grade, which had the same deep gear groove. Admittedly, less weight and no tires will allow the wheels to slip and the gears wont take the brunt of the wear. I also add weight , but just a bit, to some of the very light LGB locos, like the 2033s and sprembergers.
 
I managed to find the problem causing the bad conductivity. One of the brush cylinders didn't make contact with the 'current wire'. It was at the same side of the traction tire, so conductivity on that side of the loco was only on the skate when the traction tire prevented contact.

I cleaned the brush cylinders and the 'current wires' and now conductivity is back on all four wheels and skates. And besides a slight stutter due to the worn gears, it runs beautiful again. Gears are next, but the 2090 is in very poor condition. Maybe a nice base for a DIY project!
 
It is sometimes worth putting the tiniest drop of elelctrolube or Pecolube on the plunger cylinders, to ensure that the slide in and out smoothly.
 
Henri said:
I managed to find the problem causing the bad conductivity. One of the brush cylinders didn't make contact with the 'current wire'. It was at the same side of the traction tire, so conductivity on that side of the loco was only on the skate when the traction tire prevented contact.

I cleaned the brush cylinders and the 'current wires' and now conductivity is back on all four wheels and skates. And besides a slight stutter due to the worn gears, it runs beautiful again. Gears are next, but the 2090 is in very poor condition. Maybe a nice base for a DIY project!
Click to expand...

Good news Henri! It's always nice when the OP finds a solution and posts the answer.

We've enjoyed our LGB 2090 since it was first purchased, as a starter set for my, then young, son in Hamburg in the 1980's. It still runs well and has given many hours of enjoyment over the years. Hope it works for you.

Here's a picture of the 2090, still hard at work, taken last winter.

susch-in-the-snow.jpg
 
....and, for the non believers, the action shot...snowplow-in-action.jpg

They really are smashing little locomotives and great pullers. Keep the traction tyre - hang prototypical it's simply more fun! It's the only loco in my collection that will climb my rack rail without the aid of the rack!
 
I purchased the 'track cleaning set' to be mounted under a wagon and yesterday the 2090 pushed the wagon around the track with a brick as cargo. There was a part of track the 2090 wouldn't run (before the brush cylinder fix), but just pushing the cleaning wagon around it would run OK.

I'm starting to like this little loco! But I'm wondering how much money to invest (missing the 3rd lamp, air hoses, needs new gears, worn out screw holes...)
 
Henri said:
I purchased the 'track cleaning set' to be mounted under a wagon and yesterday the 2090 pushed the wagon around the track with a brick as cargo. There was a part of track the 2090 wouldn't run (before the brush cylinder fix), but just pushing the cleaning wagon around it would run OK.

I'm starting to like this little loco! But I'm wondering how much money to invest (missing the 3rd lamp, air hoses, needs new gears, worn out screw holes...)
Click to expand...

Sounds like the perfect loco to customise to your tastes. My 2090 is from a starter set and didn't have lighted lamps among other things. Made a good inexpensive learning project, and I still like and run it frequently to pull a track cleaning car. Oh, it was a 'dealer demo' and I had to put a motor block in it to make it reliable.
 
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