LGB Harz V-10 diesel loco. 20320 - a review.
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As I far too often do, I was bumbling through Ebay.de when I saw it. I had assumed with all the virus issues at the moment, release would be delayed. A quick ebay message confirmed that it was actually in stock, they had 3.
I checked the suppliers ebay profile (25,000 transactions at 99.9%) and looked around for price. There were indeed several other suppliers but the one I had stumbled across was also the cheapest . The moment I bought it the price for the remaining two went up 20 euro - so fast I think it must be built into ebay.
Easter and the virus got in the way and it arrived 14th April. 8 days is not bad all things considered.
I checked the suppliers ebay profile (25,000 transactions at 99.9%) and looked around for price. There were indeed several other suppliers but the one I had stumbled across was also the cheapest . The moment I bought it the price for the remaining two went up 20 euro - so fast I think it must be built into ebay.
Easter and the virus got in the way and it arrived 14th April. 8 days is not bad all things considered.
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So, what do you get. Well - a loco obviously. A driver figure with a sticky bud to fix him down, a track magnet (more on that later) and the paperwork.
The model is small, correctly so. M/LGB have resisted the urge to stretch it to be the same width and height as the rest of their stuff. Nice.
The model is small, correctly so. M/LGB have resisted the urge to stretch it to be the same width and height as the rest of their stuff. Nice.
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Unusually, I did flick through the paperwork - just checking for any updates on turning off the Mfx bit in the decoder. Nothing new, just the comment that you can turn it off.
However, I did notice a bit that said power buffer - it has a built in buffer for smooth cruising over bad pointwork - and it does, not that I have 'bad' pointwork.
Out on the high line of my new spiral. Work in progress.
However, I did notice a bit that said power buffer - it has a built in buffer for smooth cruising over bad pointwork - and it does, not that I have 'bad' pointwork.
Out on the high line of my new spiral. Work in progress.
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Time to bung it on the rails and see whats what. Default 3 on the digital (we will sort out some of those bits later). F6 button to turn on the sound. but first up, - the engine starts. (F6 again and it stops). Engine running and I turn the knob, nothing happens - but only for a moment, then the engine speeds up and only then, the loco slowly moves off, gaining speed as the inertia control allows. Stopping in a hurry is a little quicker, which may well be fortunate!
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It runs very smoothly (I did run my track cleaner loco last week) even slowly over point work, not a moment of hesitation. The power buffer seems to work well. The F9 button switches the lights on. These are high up on the cab front and rear faces - they change between white and red depending on direction of travel.
It runs over one of the track magnets on my line and the horn sounds briefly - almost too brief actually. I have added the new magnet right in front of the loco in this picture, so it alerts me that a train is entering the Shedbahn.
It runs over one of the track magnets on my line and the horn sounds briefly - almost too brief actually. I have added the new magnet right in front of the loco in this picture, so it alerts me that a train is entering the Shedbahn.
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How is it made?
It is a standard LGB 3 axle chassis, similar to Heidi, Kof diesel, Frank S, etc. One traction tyre being fitted.
Interestingly, underneath, sockets are provided for automated uncouplers to be fitted in place of the normal ones.
The bodywork is (correctly) fairly plain - it is basically a tin box, isn't it? However, the bonnet hatch handles are separate items as are the wipers, hand rails, door handle and brake pipes. The exhaust pipe (just in front of the cab) is metal.
The doors are hinged and spring shut.
One of the nicest details over previous LGB offerings is the connecting rods. They are grey, not silver, and also show a surprising amount of detail. These rods continue rearwards, partly hidden by the steps, to a jack shaft and cranks. Once a little muck from use has got up around the wheels, it is going to look very realistic. The flanges are of course huge but I am perfectly happy for my trains to stay on the rails where I want them.
It is a standard LGB 3 axle chassis, similar to Heidi, Kof diesel, Frank S, etc. One traction tyre being fitted.
Interestingly, underneath, sockets are provided for automated uncouplers to be fitted in place of the normal ones.
The bodywork is (correctly) fairly plain - it is basically a tin box, isn't it? However, the bonnet hatch handles are separate items as are the wipers, hand rails, door handle and brake pipes. The exhaust pipe (just in front of the cab) is metal.
The doors are hinged and spring shut.
One of the nicest details over previous LGB offerings is the connecting rods. They are grey, not silver, and also show a surprising amount of detail. These rods continue rearwards, partly hidden by the steps, to a jack shaft and cranks. Once a little muck from use has got up around the wheels, it is going to look very realistic. The flanges are of course huge but I am perfectly happy for my trains to stay on the rails where I want them.
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The air intake on the bonnet pulls out and exposes a screw head for volume control. I wonder how many bits will get lost!
It is a reasonably heavy loco and I guess it will pull more than the original, but maybe not up my new spiral. It walked it, easily, with 3 four wheelers though.
Now, the Mfx decoder. You need to be careful using anything but Marklin gear but it is easy enough without. With the Massoth kit I find it easiest to work with individual CVs rather than allowing the system software to change a range of CVs. Or just get your dealer to do it for you.
CV50 selects which operating systems are 'on'. The default is everything being on. Reduce this CV value by 8 and you switch off Mfx.
CV1 sets the address. From 1 to 127 I think. I used 68, the end of its running number. If you want to go higher you need to adjust CV17, 18 and 29.
This is where the standard non Marklin software can lead you astray if you let it try to do everything for you. I did it as an experiment and it changed CV18 to 0, it should have stayed at 128 - the default. Easy to correct if you checked it first! With the wrong value in CV128, your loco wont work!
If you want to play with some of the higher CVs (and you probably never would want to), you need to unlock them by adjusting specific CVs. - it is all in the instructions.
It is a reasonably heavy loco and I guess it will pull more than the original, but maybe not up my new spiral. It walked it, easily, with 3 four wheelers though.
Now, the Mfx decoder. You need to be careful using anything but Marklin gear but it is easy enough without. With the Massoth kit I find it easiest to work with individual CVs rather than allowing the system software to change a range of CVs. Or just get your dealer to do it for you.
CV50 selects which operating systems are 'on'. The default is everything being on. Reduce this CV value by 8 and you switch off Mfx.
CV1 sets the address. From 1 to 127 I think. I used 68, the end of its running number. If you want to go higher you need to adjust CV17, 18 and 29.
This is where the standard non Marklin software can lead you astray if you let it try to do everything for you. I did it as an experiment and it changed CV18 to 0, it should have stayed at 128 - the default. Easy to correct if you checked it first! With the wrong value in CV128, your loco wont work!
If you want to play with some of the higher CVs (and you probably never would want to), you need to unlock them by adjusting specific CVs. - it is all in the instructions.
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Nice loco from what you describe it will probably be full of kit in the bonnet, tricky one for me to turn into a Battery DCC Loco. The Power Buffer will be an added issue as well. Still LgB cannot please all of the people all of the time!
Nice review Alan, but isn’t it in the wrong section? It’s certainly not a scream outline locomotive.
do we actually have a section for that? 
Like the physical scale appearance of locos, digital is becoming more refined. Converting to battery would probably loose a lot of those refinements, and love 'em or loath 'em, you are paying for those refinements. I suppose battery control will gradually catch up, some digital processes can now be accessed with some of the controllers out there. I am not sure if you can keep the power buffer with batteries but it would be a great shame to loose it. Also, the engine sound changing before the loco moves is a very neat effect.
Horses for courses I think.
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Yes my battery system of choice gives me sound functions 1-12 which is generally around 9 more than I can remember. Function swapping can revise the chip so that the 12 you want are there, that is if you can work out how to do function swopping! Tried it on a Massoth Decoder and it just did not work as expected, but the return to status quo did.Doh! Shows how much I know about batteries.
But it does show that LGB under Marklin are pushing forward, and that with the power buffer as standard it's aiming to keep DCC as a main contenderDoh! Shows how much I know about batteries.
MFX, DCC, DC can all benefit from a buffer..
Nice looking model. - Though why three big, black screws in the rear of the cab?
Nice looking model. - Though why three big, black screws in the rear of the cab?