LGB Crocodile - two questions

C

chris stockdale

all things narrow gauge
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Hi guys,

About a zillion years ago - well, thirty or so - I had a Z gauge Marklin Crocodile - it's a style of loco that, to my eyes at least, looks completely fascinating.

Anyway, the other day I bought a second hand version. The box is marked 20400.8, with a small separate sticker saying digital. To be honest, I'm not too sure what I've got. I don't have any desire to run multiple trains using digital, I'm simply looking to having some fun running this one loco.

So, at last we get to the questions:

1. Does some kind person have the same or similar loco and would be willing to scan or photograph any instructions/information as my box has the loco in but nothing else?

2. What sort of reasonably priced analogue controller, assuming I can run the loco in that fashion, should I buy?

Thanks in advance.
 
Welcome to GSC!

Manual can be found here:

http://www.onlytrains.com/manuals/20400.pdf

Exploded diagram here:

https://www.champex-linden.de/download_lgb_explosionszeichnungen/2040-1.pdf
 
Hi Chris,
Assuming that the Loco is what it purports to be it should run OK on both Digital and with an Analog DC Controller. Personally I would suggest that you get a Digital setup as G can be addictive and as your first purchase is Digital it makes sense to go down the Digital route. It is not about running more than 1 Loco. Wiring and general setup is much easier and if you get another Locomotive (Digital of course) then you do not need to consider putting in Section Breaks to isolate that other Locomotive ('s).

A good second hand LGB MTS system will set you up fine, though you could look at some of the other systems around out there. So long as any choice packs enough grunt (circa 5 amps at 20 ish or so Volts) you should be OK.

JonD
 
whether you decide to go analogue or digital, you will need a controller with a bit of beef. A basic 1 amp controller will start to struggle with this loco, especially if the motors have been round the block a few times.
There are lots of controllers out there but I would suggest you need 2 amps minimum and i cant think of a 2 amp controller from one of the big train makers. For simplicity, as you appear to be starting out, I would use a controller from one of the regular model railway company s. There are loads of other options, most of which should work, but a bit of experience might be needed here to ensure you get something decent that wont muck up the decoder in the Croc.
 
Many thanks for the info.

Hi again to t'other Stockers! We exchanged a PM way back when I first joined here. I've been off doing other stuff in a variety of scales and gauges - I'm a modelling butterfly - but that Crocodile was always going to drag me back here. I was fortunate enough to get a brown version which to my eyes seems just 'right'.

cheers,
 
Nice loco - enjoy it.
 
chris stockdale said:
Hi guys,

About a zillion years ago - well, thirty or so - I had a Z gauge Marklin Crocodile - it's a style of loco that, to my eyes at least, looks completely fascinating.

Anyway, the other day I bought a second hand version. The box is marked 20400.8, with a small separate sticker saying digital. To be honest, I'm not too sure what I've got. I don't have any desire to run multiple trains using digital, I'm simply looking to having some fun running this one loco.

............
Click to expand...

Hi Chris , welcome to the forum!

What you have there, as far as I know, is a very early digital version of the Croc - probably a model that was originally analogue, but converted to digital before it left the LGB factory. The ".8" suffix on the model number seems to indicate this, as I have a green Rugen 0-8-0 which has a similar code suffix - the box was for an analogue loco, but as you say it has had a sticker added noting that it is digital.
The potential problem with this is that the decoder(s) will be very early types - the Croc will either have a pair of 55020 decoders (the first DCC decoders that LGB used, made by Lenz as opposed to the later Massoth-made ones), or it will have one 55020 decoder and a 55030 "booster" to run the second motor. Either way, this is now quite an archaic system, lacking various functions like back-EMF load control that is found in more modern decoders (the 55021 and onwards). If it's a 55020/55030 set-up that can also be a bit flaky, I had a Mallet with this system which I had to rip out and replace with a single Massoth XL.
Having said that, if the loco is working fine and doing what you want it to (either on DCC or analogue) then that's good, I'd leave it alone and enjoy it as Alan says. However it's also quite a simple job to upgrade it to more modern decoder(s) should you ever want/need to do so.

Best,
Jon.
 
Hi Chris, having a break from 7/8ths ;)
If you have any problem with the loco running it may be the old chips. They can be easily removed if it stutters just move the dip switches over if you do. It should be in the instructions but if not just shout on here ;)
 
Hi Paul,

If someone did a 7/8ths Crocodile (cripes, there's a thought ??? what a size that would be) then I'd be saving the pennies - but as they don't…

cheers,
 
chris stockdale said:
Hi Paul,

If someone did a 7/8ths Crocodile (cripes, there's a thought ??? what a size that would be) then I'd be saving the pennies - but as they don't…

cheers,
Click to expand...
But Shirley...

To be 'metre gauge' at 7/8th's, wouldn't you need to use G3 track to be anything near??

:o :o :o ;)
 
Rather more than gauge 3 track - about 73mm gauge would be required for accuracy.

And the Crocodile locomotive itself would be some 970mm long…

cheers,
 
better not mention there is a large amount of s/h 45/64mm dual-gauge track sitting on the floor at GRS at the moment!!
::) ??? ;) ;)
 
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