Lgb track cleaning locos
- Thread starter DavidH
- Start date
Zerogee
Clencher's Bogleman
Essentially no; the same loco in different liveries. Both are factory-DCC-chipped, the red one is the newer type but nothing at all wrong with an older yellow version if it has been well looked after. If possible, have a good look underneath before buying - the most commonly reported problem is "threads" of plastic spooling off the cleaning wheels when they get worn, which can gum up the works and put excessive strain on the cleaning motor if they get wrapped around the cleaning wheel axle. If all looks clean and well cared for underneath, then either type should be just fine. Aesthetically, I have to say that I prefer the look of it in yellow!
Jon.
Jon.
Only the colour, really.. - To the best of my knowledge..
Both are capable of running on an analogue track, though digitally fitted. - On many second-hand offerings, the original LGB board will have failed, and been replaced. Usually with something a little more robust.
If you get one don't leave it un-supervised! - If the loco should stall, or get caught in some way, with the cleaning wheels still continuing to run.. They WILL wear 'hollows' in the track, if left like this!
Both are capable of running on an analogue track, though digitally fitted. - On many second-hand offerings, the original LGB board will have failed, and been replaced. Usually with something a little more robust.
If you get one don't leave it un-supervised! - If the loco should stall, or get caught in some way, with the cleaning wheels still continuing to run.. They WILL wear 'hollows' in the track, if left like this!
Zerogee
Clencher's Bogleman
The OP did mention the 20670 specifically, which is the factory-DCC version (checked it on the Champex-Linden database before answering!):
http://www.champex-linden.de/lgb_pr...0467cf6/8905698518e9a05bc12568ee00377545.html
Quite right, though, to point out that there are early analogue-only ones out there.....
Jon.
dutchelm
Registered
Sorry to disagree but mine says 20670 underneath & is analogue. It is DCC ready but no decoder fitted. Made 2001
Zerogee
Clencher's Bogleman
OK Mike, fair enough - I stand corrected, but the CL listing does indicate the 20670 as being the DCC version, so I'd just assumed that the earlier analogue types had a different number...... guess it's yet another example of the confusion and lack of overall consistency in LGB product numbering!
Jon.
Gizzy
A gentleman, a scholar, and a railway modeller....
Brought a second hand yellow one last year from EvilBuy at a really great price.
Very pleased with mine, especially as I have a much larger layout than I had previously. Don't know how I managed without one!
All my MoW locos are in yellow livery....
Very pleased with mine, especially as I have a much larger layout than I had previously. Don't know how I managed without one!
All my MoW locos are in yellow livery....
SophieB
Registered
Our train club has one of the yellow 20670 models which in non-DCC, my husband and I have a DCC yellow one and the newer DCC red one. I seem to recall that only the last production year of the 20670 was fitted with DCC.
Greg Elmassian
Guest
I had a used one, I bought (and shipped) from Germany many years ago and it had the rudimentary DCC decoder in it. Pretty sure the DCC option was offered for several years.
Also, is it out of production now?
Greg
Also, is it out of production now?
Greg
Gizzy
A gentleman, a scholar, and a railway modeller....
stevedenver
Registered
Let me add,
When you get yours, take it apart and thoroughly clean.
The track dust gets everywhere, and its essentially an abrasive.
Diassemble the cleanng axels, wheels, etc.
Never add weight to the floating cowl. The gearing is great if left alone. It is not if taxed.
The cleaning tires/wheels have a very long life. But the discs on which they mount tend to crack at the axel, a bit. Buy a spare set.
The cleaning wheel flanges shed nylon, delron, ???threads,
I pull on the flange edges to remove them before they spin off and wrap the axel. But, it will still happen. These threads add drag to the axel, and need to be pulled out regularly. I blow the dust out evertime i use it.
One can also reverse leads to the grinding wheel motor so that it pulls in the direction of travel. This helps on wet track on a grade. Otoh. Imho, doing so can increase the amount of dust under the floating cowl area. I have done both wirings. I think having the wheels pull in the direction of travel helps tracking through points and curves, a bit. It greatly helps on wet track, as i have had the loco stall, as the rough grinding wheels have equal opposing traction to the metal drive wheels!
Otoh, i think the normal wiring might reduce the amount of dust under the cowl, as its thrown forward.
When you get yours, take it apart and thoroughly clean.
The track dust gets everywhere, and its essentially an abrasive.
Diassemble the cleanng axels, wheels, etc.
Never add weight to the floating cowl. The gearing is great if left alone. It is not if taxed.
The cleaning tires/wheels have a very long life. But the discs on which they mount tend to crack at the axel, a bit. Buy a spare set.
The cleaning wheel flanges shed nylon, delron, ???threads,
I pull on the flange edges to remove them before they spin off and wrap the axel. But, it will still happen. These threads add drag to the axel, and need to be pulled out regularly. I blow the dust out evertime i use it.
One can also reverse leads to the grinding wheel motor so that it pulls in the direction of travel. This helps on wet track on a grade. Otoh. Imho, doing so can increase the amount of dust under the floating cowl area. I have done both wirings. I think having the wheels pull in the direction of travel helps tracking through points and curves, a bit. It greatly helps on wet track, as i have had the loco stall, as the rough grinding wheels have equal opposing traction to the metal drive wheels!
Otoh, i think the normal wiring might reduce the amount of dust under the cowl, as its thrown forward.
Last edited:
Greg Elmassian
Guest
That "dust" will also be part of the abrasive on the cleaning wheels. I played a bit with this, and concluded that while changing the direction indeed made it easier to run in tough situations, the less junk I "blew" back towards the loco the better.
The best solution in my mind was to change to a smarter decoder, and run a nice high track voltage that really spins the cleaning wheel, and allows the loco to move slowly. Running on DC track power was terrible until I could put the full 24 volts on the rails and enough current to satisfy it. Too little voltage/current and the cleaning wheels would sort of grab and then release, having the cleaning end bounce up and down, just not working right.
Also, tips from long ago to keep the cleaning wheels "true" and true them when they get out of round. I cannot tell you how many times people got the wheels out of round, then added weight to stop the bouncing, and tore up the motor, wiring, etc.
The weight and design is pretty finely balanced.
Greg
The best solution in my mind was to change to a smarter decoder, and run a nice high track voltage that really spins the cleaning wheel, and allows the loco to move slowly. Running on DC track power was terrible until I could put the full 24 volts on the rails and enough current to satisfy it. Too little voltage/current and the cleaning wheels would sort of grab and then release, having the cleaning end bounce up and down, just not working right.
Also, tips from long ago to keep the cleaning wheels "true" and true them when they get out of round. I cannot tell you how many times people got the wheels out of round, then added weight to stop the bouncing, and tore up the motor, wiring, etc.
The weight and design is pretty finely balanced.
Greg
NCS from Qbyn
Registered
Definitely don't run it on track with a reversing loop module, without first removing all other locos from the track. I made this mistake a few years ago and the track cleaner got caught on one of the isolating tracks. The resulting short managed to fry the DCC chip in a completely different loco parked up a siding several feet away! It also temporarily disabled the 4-port switch decoder nearby. A very expensive lesson. I now will only use the track cleaner when no other loco is anywhere on the layout.
KeithT
Hillwalking, chickens and - err - garden railways.
Mine “fried” several years ago and was fitted with a chip and a relay (so I was told). It worked well for several more years but last weekend suddenly it began to run slowly then “died”.
Ho hum.
I will get it repaired because it is an essential, reaching parts of the layout I can’t any more. :-/
Ho hum.
I will get it repaired because it is an essential, reaching parts of the layout I can’t any more. :-/