LGB service and repairs

S

Sarah Winfield

Registered
Country flag
As I now believe I have isolated where the fault I have been having with my LGB Stainz is, is there a reliable service and repair facility in the UK please? It might mean taking the locomotive apart to replace part of the gearing if my suspicions are correct.

Thank you,

Sarah Winfield
 
Sarah Winfield said:
As I now believe I have isolated where the fault I have been having with my LGB Stainz is, is there a reliable service and repair facility in the UK please? It might mean taking the locomotive apart to replace part of the gearing if my suspicions are correct.

Thank you,

Sarah Winfield
Click to expand...

Wellllllll...
Any of the 'Garden Rail' retailers will probably have a repair service..

Peter, at Chalk Garden Rail (Gravesend) comes to mind..
(other suppliers / repairers are available) :)

??Is there a GSS group in Dorset??
??Might we have a Forumite, who is a competent person to have a look, locally??
 
Sarah Winfield said:
As I now believe I have isolated where the fault I have been having with my LGB Stainz is, is there a reliable service and repair facility in the UK please? It might mean taking the locomotive apart to replace part of the gearing if my suspicions are correct.

Thank you,

Sarah Winfield
Click to expand...

The "official" service, spares and repairs agent for the Southern part of the country, at least, is Chalk Garden Rail in Kent. However if you think it's a broken or stripped gear on one of the axles, it's not a difficult replacement at all, probably something you could handle yourself once you'd sourced the spare part......

Jon.
 
Paul at P+S hobbies in York is great to deal with
 
Sarah,

Remind me what type of Stain do you have- Do you know the age?

After the very early Screamers that had gear train drive the Clamshell LGB chassis had axles with screw on wheels. I think this continued for a short time after the drop bottom type chassis appeared. Now LGB wheels and gears are sold as one factory made assembly on the axles.

None are that hard to fix if you can get the parts as has been said above.

James
 
Unfortunately I am not able to identify the different types of stainz the locomotives. I could post a photograph of the underside, side view etc if that would help? I suspect it may be of quite an age (bit like me really). The only identifiable label is on an old sticker with 2020 on it. There might of course be something under the large black square, like as someone suggested a fridge magnet, stuck to the bottom.

Zerogee, Since it appears quite happy going round my oval in reverse might that rule out a mechanical problem? It is when I try to drive it forwards that the locking up takes effect. Once I have the wheels un- locked it will quite happily move in reverse again; it just won't go forward.

Sarah Winfield
 
Sarah, I'm sympathetic to your plight but, being a simple soul, I fear you have only three options if you wish to return the loco to good order.

One, dismantle the loco, at least in part, and post images on here for further advice.

Two, accept a visit from or pay a visit to a competent individual or dealer.

Three as two but posting both ways rather than in person.
 
Sarah Winfield said:
Unfortunately I am not able to identify the different types of stainz the locomotives. I could post a photograph of the underside, side view etc if that would help? I suspect it may be of quite an age (bit like me really). The only identifiable label is on an old sticker with 2020 on it. There might of course be something under the large black square, like as someone suggested a fridge magnet, stuck to the bottom.

Zerogee, Since it appears quite happy going round my oval in reverse might that rule out a mechanical problem? It is when I try to drive it forwards that the locking up takes effect. Once I have the wheels un- locked it will quite happily move in reverse again; it just won't go forward.

Sarah Winfield
Click to expand...

Hello Sarah,

First clue is the type of couplings - if they are the older metal sprung non reversing then 99% chance it is a clamshell.

On these the screws that hold the block together are on one side.

Clamshell mechs did appear with the plastic Spring couplings too for a while. You mention a magnet? On Clamshells this was held in a metal cradle that clipped on underneath.

A clamshell mech needs the gear set that LGB still make and sell - I forget the part number, but can look it up when I am at home BUT the chassis needs dropping out and totally stripping to fit them. I have done this a few times, but it is not for the faint hearted!

If you have the later drop bottom type the screws are underneath 6 in all two at each end and 2 in the pocket where you can stick the magnet in the middle. Changing the gear/axles/wheels here is much easier as they are exposed when you remove the drop plate BUT getting hold of the spare correct wheel set is the key.

As I recall the earliest drop plate chassis kept the screw on wheels so the 17 to 1 ratio axles in the gear set can be used.

Please post a picture.

Where are you based? I am in Warwick, but GSC has countrywide if not international membership and I would be happy to do Stainz open heart surgery for anyone in reasonable range and I am sure many others would too!

James
 
Last edited:
Neil Robinson said:
Sarah, I'm sympathetic to your plight but, being a simple soul, I fear you have only three options if you wish to return the loco to good order.

One, dismantle the loco, at least in part, and post images on here for further advice.

Two, accept a visit from or pay a visit to a competent individual or dealer.

Three as two but posting both ways rather than in person.
Click to expand...

Of course Neil and I'm not ungrateful for your thoughts but there is at least 2 other alternatives. I) It spends the rest of its life going backwards or 2) it goes to that great locomotive graveyard in the sky!

There is no way I would attempt to dismantle it. (I've seen too many left over parts from repairing my bikes).

I'll muse on my next c.o.a. and just enjoy it going backwards.

Thank you.

Sarah Winfield
 
Sell it quick, get a newer one.
 
Sarah,

This thread seems to have gone quiet... Any pictures?

That gear set I mentioned is LGB Cat No. 62006 - GRS have it at just under £35, but other suppliers are avilable and some are likely to be cheaper! The set includes gears for the U series locos too, which is fine if you have a U series, as I do, but only one. This is less than I have of the standard type mechs and I do seem to have the EU 'U series' gear mountain accumulating in my spares tub!

GRS are also listing front and rear axle and wheel assemblies for Drop Bottom Stainz locos at £17:48 each, same caveat as before.

From reading all that you have said i guess the most likely reason for what you describe is that the one or both of the gears have worn, but in one direction only. This is quite normal. You also describe how it will run quite well backwards after you have undone the jamming. If the quatering was out, it wouldn't run at all!

Naturally the offer of help still stands.

James
 
James Day said:
If the quatering was out, it wouldn't run at all!
James
Click to expand...
Sorry to be pedantic James but that is not stricktly true. Yes if the quartering had been got entirely out of sync then the loco would indeed not run. But we have been pontificationg about a well known problem where LGB Locomotives have been used for a long time, abused and been indulging in feats of great pulling strength. Then the gears can come out of sync by one or two cogs in the gearing giving the effect of the quarting not being spot on. LGB Locomotives have quite sloppy rods and connecting rods so that they will still run after such abuse but quite likely in a LUMPY way. My own Harz 2-10-2 was exhibiting this lumpy running last year on examination over the winter I found that indeed one of the wheels had slipped a cog or two noticeable by the fact the the Axles were not exactly in the same plane.

Thus I asked Sarah a few posts back for some side pictures to see if this had indeed happened to her Stainz. I have no doubt that if you give any assistance this will indeed be one of your first diagnostic tests.
 
dunnyrail said:
Sorry to be pedantic James but that is not stricktly true. Yes if the quartering had been got entirely out of sync then the loco would indeed not run. But we have been pontificationg about a well known problem where LGB Locomotives have been used for a long time, abused and been indulging in feats of great pulling strength. Then the gears can come out of sync by one or two cogs in the gearing giving the effect of the quarting not being spot on. LGB Locomotives have quite sloppy rods and connecting rods so that they will still run after such abuse but quite likely in a LUMPY way. My own Harz 2-10-2 was exhibiting this lumpy running last year on examination over the winter I found that indeed one of the wheels had slipped a cog or two noticeable by the fact the the Axles were not exactly in the same plane.

Thus I asked Sarah a few posts back for some side pictures to see if this had indeed happened to her Stainz. I have no doubt that if you give any assistance this will indeed be one of your first diagnostic tests.
Click to expand...

Jon,

Not disagreeing at all. You are right - I overstated my case - yes a minor quartering error can still be a runner, but with lumps!

However, the fact that the loco is constantly slipping out of quarter and jamming going just one way, but not the other points to exactly what you describe. At least one Worn gear! Sarah can put it back in quarter, but not to stay, if you insist on going the other way as well.

In my view the only cure to that is replacing the worn gear sets.

Hope we get some pictures.

James
 
James Day said:
Jon,

Not disagreeing at all. You are right - I overstated my case - yes a minor quartering error can still be a runner, but with lumps!

However, the fact that the loco is constantly slipping out of quarter and jamming going just one way, but not the other points to exactly what you describe. At least one Worn gear! Sarah can put it back in quarter, but not to stay, if you insist on going the other way as well.

In my view the only cure to that is replacing the worn gear sets.

Hope we get some pictures.

James
Click to expand...


Sarah posted side-on pics of the Stainz a few days back, in one of her other threads on the problem, James - and it actually looks as if the quartering is OK in this case!

Jon.
 
Just thinking about my problem. As I said yesterday with the locomotive supported each end and with power to the skates it was quite happy going forwards and reverse. The most likely issue seems to be my track, hence a day of track cleaning.

However, that doesn't, to me anyway, explain why, when it was placed on the track, it was happy going in reverse but not going forwards.

Am I right to be bemused or is there a logical explanation, please?

Sarah Winfield
 
Zerogee said:
Sarah posted side-on pics of the Stainz a few days back, in one of her other threads on the problem, James - and it actually looks as if the quartering is OK in this case!

Jon.
Click to expand...
Not sure how but I missed her pics as well and twas me that asked for them doh! So indeed someone does need to take her Stainz in hand to see what could be wrong.
 
Sarah Winfield said:
Just thinking about my problem. As I said yesterday with the locomotive supported each end and with power to the skates it was quite happy going forwards and reverse. The most likely issue seems to be my track, hence a day of track cleaning.

However, that doesn't, to me anyway, explain why, when it was placed on the track, it was happy going in reverse but not going forwards.

Am I right to be bemused or is there a logical explanation, please?

Sarah Winfield
Click to expand...
Sarah,
The difference appears to be that when running in the basket, there was no weight on the drivetrain, and the wheelsets were free to float out of sync. This seems to reinforce James' diagnosis of worn gears. The removal of the motor block from this vintage Stainz is awkward, and the rectifying of internal faults within a clamshell motor block is a skill requiring much practice, three hands, and may fails (my experience). But find a sympathetic and competent repairer, and you will have a solid loco that should give you many years of enjoyment.
 
My level of confidence has taken a beating.

Tomorrow I'll lay some of my cleaned track and hope for the best. Not the best way to enjoy my venture into garden railways.

Watch this space.

Sarah Winfield
 
Sarah Winfield said:
Just thinking about my problem. As I said yesterday with the locomotive supported each end and with power to the skates it was quite happy going forwards and reverse. The most likely issue seems to be my track, hence a day of track cleaning.

However, that doesn't, to me anyway, explain why, when it was placed on the track, it was happy going in reverse but not going forwards.

Am I right to be bemused or is there a logical explanation, please?

Sarah Winfield
Click to expand...
I had an engine that behaved similarly, on it's back it would would happily run in either direction, but on the track it'd only go backwards. The problem ended up being with the brushes in the motor itself and was not a simple fix.

Sophie B
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom