LGB 23390 RhB Bernina Railcar ABE4/4 33 in green

[jonothan]

Hi there!

I've finally joined another forum after being a G-Scale Mad member. Some of you might recognise the name. Anyway, I'm an avid LGB collector, with a small indoor layout and I'm in the early stages of planning a garden layout. I live in Grimsby.

I'm also a great RhB enthusiast, and some of you might have seen my RhB pictures from several trips to the Graubünden.

Anyway, my new LGB 23390 arrived today, the RhB railcar in green. In the flesh, it looks very much better than in the catalogue. The rather dull appearance in the 2010 catalogue does the model no justice.

There's no MTS (not an issue for me, being mainly a collector) but the quality of assembly is spot on. It looks as if the LGB factory in Hungary is finally starting to get things right!

Jonothan

 

[jonothan]

Here are two more pictures...

 

[dunnyrail]

Thanks for posting the pics. I see there are figures inside. Were they already in or have you been brave and put them in yourself? I have been involved with dismantling one of these to put a sound unit in, two of us with 4 hands between us were involved in putting the beast together again. We did not get it quite correct and there is some loose plastic inside the passenger compartment rattling around to this day. We did the conversion 3 - 4 years ago.
JonD

 

[jonothan]

The figures were already inside.

There's actually a knack to dismantling the LGB 2*39* series RhB Bernina Railcars, I'll try and put together a thread as to how it should be done. It's a bit fiddly but easy when you know how.

J

 

[KentKeith]

The figures were already inside.

There's actually a knack to dismantling the LGB 2*39* series RhB Bernina Railcars, I'll try and put together a thread as to how it should be done. It's a bit fiddly but easy when you know how.

J

Yes please.....I've got a red one to dismantle to remove a cheapy Dietz sound system....and hope to have a green one to do, once the models arrive in the UK....and assuming that The Hobby Co have not mislaid my local hobby shop's order again.....:timeout:

 

[mike]

wow, ive been looking forward to seeing/getting one off these for agesQ!!!
it looks better than lgbs photo!!
to take apart, reasemble, do it up side down, loco, that is, not you..itsa a lot ,lot easyer!!
mike

 

[stockers]

That is a lovely looking motor car . Looks like things are looking up at the factory.

 

[stevedenver]

WOW what a beauty!

 

[RhBGe6/6]

Thanks for the pics! It looks great.

By the way, for those of you who are fans of this rail car, the new Zimo sound set (recorded from a real one) is superb. It's one of the best DCC/sound combos I have (and yes, I have the Massoth sound set also). I highly reccomend it if you plan on installing a decoder/sound in the railcar.

 

[jonothan]

Is 23390 a new mold? And what improvements are there from the 22390 in green? I'm surprised that you don't have 1 of each already!

One of these days we'll maybe meet at a GScale exhibition.

Regards, Gordon.

Hi Gordon

I'm going to the Lincoln Garden Railway Show next Saturday. Will you be there?

Right, the 23390 moulds are the same as the earlier models. So there are no appreciable differences between this model and the earlier one. The upper central headlight housing is now painted black (and looks better for it) but there are no other changes that I can see.

I now have all of these models, both red ones (20390) as the later version had a different number - early ones were 34, later ones were 32. I also have 21390 and 22390, the yellow Bernina livery numbers 34 and 30.

Here's a photo of the prototype, taken in Alp Grüm last September.

J

 

[mike]

calledi into arcaadia, in shaw, hopeing to see one in da flesh.. none there, might treat me self after i ve found somewere to live..kind off a house warming pressy to mee self!!

 

[Monty]

The figures were already inside.

There's actually a knack to dismantling the LGB 2*39* series RhB Bernina Railcars, I'll try and put together a thread as to how it should be done. It's a bit fiddly but easy when you know how.

J

 

[Monty]

Hi Jonothan,

I am new to this way of making contact but will give it a go. I live in NSW, Australia.

My 20390 is impressive and i am very pleased with it. I use a plain DC controller but it still has some limited sound effects running this way. Unfortunately these are a bit noisy for my track which is on a timber deck at the back of my house and for security reasons I don’t want to draw attention to it from passers by in the lane adjacent.

I was just going to put a small switch in the line to the speaker to disable it but on looking at the way the loco is assembled I am a bit nervous about attacking it with a screwdriver.

I tried to search for your thread regarding dismantling the rail car but can’t locate it.

Could you or anyone else help me in this regard please.

Thanks,

Monty

 

[mike]

Hi Jonothan,

I am new to this way of making contact but will give it a go. I live in NSW, Australia.

My 20390 is impressive and i am very pleased with it. I use a plain DC controller but it still has some limited sound effects running this way. Unfortunately these are a bit noisy for my track which is on a timber deck at the back of my house and for security reasons I don’t want to draw attention to it from passers by in the lane adjacent.

I was just going to put a small switch in the line to the speaker to disable it but on looking at the way the loco is assembled I am a bit nervous about attacking it with a screwdriver.

I tried to search for your thread regarding dismantling the rail car but can’t locate it.

Could you or anyone else help me in this regard please.

Thanks,

Monty

Hi

Its been a while sinsce i took one to bits ..but from memory use the top half of the polyethylene box as a cradle to rest the loco in up side down..its easyer to work on like this..behind the air houses at each end are small screws x4 . Put them in a small container for safe keeping.. there are screws
Next to the door step..at the back of the motor block behind the dummy mouldings along the edge .. in the middle off the black moulding along the edge
4 screws behind air house
8 screws under neith

Be warned it can be a pig to put back together with the cab doors falling out ect so be carefull and it will take time. .. can u not ajust the cv to lower the volume..

 

[Monty]

Hi Mike,
Thanks for the prompt reply and the great pictures. Much appreciated.
I have been using the box base as suggested and have identified some of the screws from a download from the Only Trains site of the 20390 schematic but the clue on where to find the screws under the air hoses was the best bit of info I have ever been given, I would probably never had found them. I think I have all of them now, thanks again!
I don’t do DCC so can’t change the programming, I have been told that this wouldn’t make any difference when using DC but will investigate further. I believe that another version does have a volume control in the cab, not one in mine though.
Thanks also for the clue re bits falling out, somethingto watch for! I have found that problem before whilst fitting lights into passenger carriages and having bits disappear onto the floor. My solution is to identify loose bits first and secure them in place with a small dab of clear silicone. Takes a little time to dry but is invisible if applied with say a toothpick. The bits can still be removed later if you are careful.
The screws in a container is also a good idea, I put a small rare earth magnet in with them, as I have knocked the container off the table on occasion.
Thanks again for your help.
Monty

 

[Monty]

Sorry everyone, I actually have a 25390, just for the record
Monty

 

[mike]

Happy to help and a beautifull set there...

 

[PhilP]

Is there not a 'sound off' switch setting?

 

[Zerogee]

Hi Mike,
Thanks for the prompt reply and the great pictures. Much appreciated.
I have been using the box base as suggested and have identified some of the screws from a download from the Only Trains site of the 20390 schematic but the clue on where to find the screws under the air hoses was the best bit of info I have ever been given, I would probably never had found them. I think I have all of them now, thanks again!
I don’t do DCC so can’t change the programming, I have been told that this wouldn’t make any difference when using DC but will investigate further. I believe that another version does have a volume control in the cab, not one in mine though.
Thanks also for the clue re bits falling out, somethingto watch for! I have found that problem before whilst fitting lights into passenger carriages and having bits disappear onto the floor. My solution is to identify loose bits first and secure them in place with a small dab of clear silicone. Takes a little time to dry but is invisible if applied with say a toothpick. The bits can still be removed later if you are careful.
The screws in a container is also a good idea, I put a small rare earth magnet in with them, as I have knocked the container off the table on occasion.
Thanks again for your help.
Monty

If you can get the volume altered by someone with a DCC system, by adjusting the relevant CV, then that should stay changed for DC operation too. Do you have contact with any other local G scalers, one of whom might have a suitable DCC system and be willing to help you make the adjustment?
It is unusual for an LGB sound-equipped loco not to have some sort of manual volume control, for exactly the reason you need it - easy adjustment when running on DC - very often they are quite well hidden (eg: under water tank fillers on steam locos), are you sure your railcar hasn't got one concealed somewhere?

Jon.

 

[Nodrog1826]

There is Phil, but if I read the instructions I found online, it only turns everything on or off, bit daft IMHO.

Important Notes - Lgb 25390 Instruction Manual [Page 10]