LGB Mallet

DRG11

Registered
Country flag
Hello all,

I've put a Massoth XL decoder into a LGB Mallet #22852 as per instructions here but im having problems getting it to work !,

The loco will not respond to #3 on the navigator which seems odd so I've obviously done something wrong, all the loco does is crawl forward making its sounds but it will not stop.
I've checked that all the wires are in the right places including the LGB interface cable wires .. all OK, The dip switches have all been moved over as instructions,
A photo of the attached decoder/wiring is here .....

20240522_160106.jpg
Any ideas please ? Many thanks to all for any help.
 
Have you done anything else? - Had the motor-blocks / motors out, at all?

Firstly, I would check that both sets of wheels are rotating in the same direction.

Examine where you have two wires into a decoder connection. - Easy to get a whisker of wire shorting between to connections.

Unplug the 6-way connector, see if it runs..

Unplug each motor-block, and see if it runs with either. - better done on rollers, or blocks.

Was the loco running OK before you attempted to fit the decoder?

Can you read CV1? - What value does it return?

Can you read CV29? - What value does it return?

Report back..

PhilP
 
Hi Philip,

I haven't touched the loco except to put the decoder in and was working ok before.

I removed the decoder and know I its got worse as there is a burning smell coming from the loco without the decoder in, the sounds are still there but it smells like burning but I cannot see anything !

cheers
 
Hi Philip,

I haven't touched the loco except to put the decoder in and was working ok before.

I removed the decoder and know I its got worse as there is a burning smell coming from the loco without the decoder in, the sounds are still there but it smells like burning but I cannot see anything !

cheers
Hm Dip Switches?
 
Could the burning smell be the smoke unit?

Unplugging the 6-way, the track and motor leads, and returning the DIP switches to 'on', should revert the loco to analogue.

If you have done nothing else, then there is a fault, possibly a stray bit of wire, or something has failed on the original boards.

PhilP
 
Following problems with the LGB decoder I intend to fit a Massoth unit in my Mallet, Can you advise which thread you followed please
 
Hi,

Not really looking at following any threads as pretty straightforward to change thats untill I get something wrong ... lol
 
Hi All,

Well its gone wrong, help needed please.

Ive taken all the electrics out of the loco, (I did find it was poss the dip switches as when check separately one motor worked and the other was shorting out the loco even after changing the decoders onto each set of prongs).

Anyway ive put the XLS in, wired it up and im still getting a short which seems to be from the trailing bogie, my question here would be do I need to remove the black set of wires fully as these are not used.

The photos show the XLS wired up to the front bogie and the other is the rear bogie with the wires,

Many thanks for anyone's help with this,
 

Attachments

  • 20240630_153558.jpg
    20240630_153558.jpg
    282.6 KB · Views: 0
  • 20240630_153617.jpg
    20240630_153617.jpg
    297.2 KB · Views: 0
Hi All,

Well its gone wrong, help needed please.

Ive taken all the electrics out of the loco, (I did find it was poss the dip switches as when check separately one motor worked and the other was shorting out the loco even after changing the decoders onto each set of prongs).

Anyway ive put the XLS in, wired it up and im still getting a short which seems to be from the trailing bogie, my question here would be do I need to remove the black set of wires fully as these are not used.

The photos show the XLS wired up to the front bogie and the other is the rear bogie with the wires,

Many thanks for anyone's help with this,
Ok do you have an electric meter and know how to check continuity? If so check the wires, you should only get continuity with the block out of the chassis on the 2 wires that go to the motor. Note the colours. The other block should be the same BUT when you wire the motors to the decoder one from each motor but alternate colour each end otherwise the blocks will be fighting each other. You could test this out if you have a 12v DC controller.

Not sure what the small board between the soldered connectors and the chip is or why it is present?

If the motor is still sorting it could be a slightly severed wire inside the block or a faulty motor on one of the blocks.

Those black wires are for the chuff sensor, they are doing no harm and will not be causing a short so leave them in.
 
As Jon says, do you have a meter?

For dunnyrail dunnyrail the small board has fuses on it..

Using a meter, or a bulb and battery:
Disconnect the wires from the track (brown and white) using the meter, or bulb and battery, check which wire (white or brown) is connected to the left set of wheels and skates.

Then do the same to prove the other wheels and skate (right side) connect to the other wire.
Right this down.

Then repeat for the rear bogie:
Left side connects to which (Brown or White)?
Right side connects to which (Brown or White)?

You may find the two bogies are opposite to each other, so from what you have written down, you can connect front and rear bogies 'left' wire to one track input on the decoder, and front and rear bogie 'right' wires to the other.
Don't connect the motor wires yet, and see if you still have a short.

If all is good, connect the front motor wires, and see if the front bogie runs.

I would then connect the rear motor wires (on their own) and see if the rear bogie runs. - If it does, does it run in the same direction as the front one did?

You can then connect both sets of motor leads, and the loco should run.

PhilP
 
Are you sure it's a 4 pin motor block.
Lgb mallets can have all 4 wires .but under the plastic screw on cover, top of the motor block, the 4 wires become 3 .. comon return .
 
Are you sure it's a 4 pin motor block.
Lgb mallets can have all 4 wires .but under the plastic screw on cover, top of the motor block, the 4 wires become 3 .. comon return .
Oh that will put the cat amongst the pidgeons! If that is so will need a full strip down of both chassis to convert to 4 wires x each. Could be the reason for the shorts as DCC does not like common wires between motor and pickup one side. It can of course be tested before strip-down by use of a meter.
 
Hi all,

Checked it all with the meter and didn't seem to be any problems at all so connected it all up and yes the chip went up in smoke, ahhhhhh

Well your right its a 3 pin block as ive looked under the cover and there are only 3 pins, emm I think ive made a bit of a c**k up there,

Thankyou to all for your help.
 
Don't feel bad, your not the 1st..you won't be the last to fall in this trap, at least you had a go..testing with a meter gives a false positive..and yes I've done the same..that's how I knew ...some locos , the 4 pins, 2 of the pins cross over and touch, in the bottom of the gearbox.. turning the bottom of the pin 180 degrees cures it..
 
Back
Top Bottom