LGB Track Cleaner

[electricity_bill]

My ultra reliable ancient lgb track cleaning loco has developed a strange fault. It intermittently just stops moving with power on (lights and cleaning motor running ) a slight push gets it moving again. No mechanical fault noises so motor problems or brushes?

 

[PhilP]

Check for plastic 'string' around the axle of the cleaning wheels..

Also anything around the driven axles..

They generate a fair bit of heat, and throw the muck about..
It may just need a good service? - I think the fault might be heat-treated?

PhilP

 

[Greg Elmassian]

Just out of curiosity, which part stops moving? the locomotion part or the cleaning wheel part (or both?)

 

[electricity_bill]

Just out of curiosity, which part stops moving? the locomotion part or the cleaning wheel part (or both?)

Just the driving wheels.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

So the cleaning wheel keeps spinning when the loco stops? Do you know if your unit has a decoder in it?

 

[PhilP]

Putting my neck on the line :
I would guess it is analogue. The cleaning motor speed control won't work, and the block containing the cleaning motor will be very hot to the touch.

Fix I would do:
New decoder. Relay and rectified track power (could use a Buck convertor to give speed control) and a replacement cleaning motor..

I used to pass the old motors to a club, who would use them to drive the rotating brush, on a sweeper-loco. - They are open to the air in this situation, but only tended to last a short while..

PhilP

 

[electricity_bill]

The loco is DCC equipped and I cannot help but think that it is an issue with the motor. You simply push the loco slightly forward or backward, and off it goes for a while.

 

[stevedenver]

Assuming clean pick ups, wheels, plungers making contact
New motor....?

 

[electricity_bill]

Assuming clean pick ups, wheels, plungers making contact
New motor....?

Can you replace the brushes?

 

[dunnyrail]

Can you replace the brushes?

Do you mean motor brushes. Motors these days with LGB et all are somewhat different to Triang motors of the past, yes they have brushes but not as easily replaced as they are mounted inside a motor cylinder. There have been threads on here how to do it but have sadly been lost in the midst if time, Forum change and updates.

 

[stevedenver]

the early buhlers did have replaceable brushes
i have only once seen them available, and neglected to buy some, decades ago
they are fiddly indeed, and easy to screw up the retaining pressure springs, as i recollect...(my old WPY diesel has them and one motor was stalling on occasion, intermittently, until i messed with the brushes, many , many year back)

i suppose, you could remove the motor, and soak it in meths, run, rinse with meths again and dry, to remove any brush carbon dust that may have collected on the armature, etc., and see...

otherwise, new motor.....???
does it stall on a test track?
does it stall in reverse?
if not in reverse, perhaps some board issue, speed control pot, perhaps you can take it out of the speed control setting, ie i beleive its "1" on the slide switch, (at least on my analog version)

 

[electricity_bill]

the early buhlers did have replaceable brushes
i have only once seen them available, and neglected to buy some, decades ago
they are fiddly indeed, and easy to screw up the retaining pressure springs, as i recollect...(my old WPY diesel has them and one motor was stalling on occasion, intermittently, until i messed with the brushes, many , many year back)

i suppose, you could remove the motor, and soak it in meths, run, rinse with meths again and dry, to remove any brush carbon dust that may have collected on the armature, etc., and see...

otherwise, new motor.....???
does it stall on a test track?
does it stall in reverse?
if not in reverse, perhaps some board issue, speed control pot, perhaps you can take it out of the speed control setting, ie i beleive its "1" on the slide switch, (at least on my analog version)

Thanks for that. It stalls in both directions so I now am convinced it is the motor.