Battery Operation for LGB Trains

 LGB locos initially were designed for track power operation. So, to switch from track power to battery power requires some major changes for your LGB loco.

LGB was designed as an outdoor model train to be run in your backyard or garden layout. The tracks were built to withstand weather and climate influences. Track accessory and the LGB locos were also made to withstand those influences like sun, wet morning dew, temperature changes etc. Track power supported these challenges best. In the beginning of LGB (the late 60’s) there were no batteries around that would have supported such power needs. Nor were there any control systems available for battery operation.

That all changed in the early 2000’s with the first wireless handheld controls to come onto the market, first for track power and shortly after for battery powered model trains. However, the supply side kept being limited to only a very few manufacturers. In addition the availability of suitable batteries was indeed very much limited. LGB locos and the garden layout would require batteries being capable of supplying at least 1 Amp at 14 to 18 Volts for a duration of at least 3 hours or more. Regular batteries like gel cell batteries or NIMH batteries were too bulky and required a trailing car to carry the power pack. 

Within the last five years lithium-ion batteries and polymer-Li-ion have entered the market fulfilling the power requirements and the size requirements in one. Now it is possible to install a battery pack into a properly sized Diesel loco (like F 7 or Alco Diesel-- Switcher Diesel locos are yet missing out, but see below) or into a tender of a steam loco (like a Mogul or a Mikado, a smaller steam loco like the Forney is still missing out, but see below). 

A Mogul #  22194 w/ Vanderbilt Tend before installation

Nowadays, battery operation may be a real alternative to track power. Especially outdoors and with excessively large layouts, keeping the tracks clean becomes a growing challenge and a time consuming job. Being independent from track power makes operation possible at any given time without any track cleaning. Battery power control systems presently do not catch up to the versatility of a grown digital control system with up to 28   functions, various consists possibilities, and switch operation.  Battery operated systems often give only limited access to additional functions. 

The # 22194 w/Vanderbilt Tender
after installation and TLC by Klaus

For the analog operator the battery operation adds 2 or so more functions to his loco-control ability.  For the digital train operator, especially when comparing to “fully blown DCC-systems “ like Lenz (with 29 functions), ESU (20 functions) or Dimax (16 functions), battery operation with the Revolution (by Aristocraft)  throws you back significantly to 6. The AirWire set  is a bit bulky but delivers more functions.

Klaus installs battery operated wireless controls into LGB locos – so far into Moguls and Stainz w/tender. His customers are VERY happy with the results. It is not that easy to put all the components into the LGB loco since you need to remove the LGB electronic first and then install e.g. the Revolution components. The Revolution comes with an interface 'pack' which is a bit bulky and needs to find its space in the loco or tender. And of course the battery pack needs to go somewhere, too. That's why the large LGB Steam and Diesel locos make it possible to install into the loco or tender. However, for smaller engines there is always the possibility to install the components into a boxcar which then 'fuels' the train.

 It takes a bit of time to get the job done. A decoder support plate is also required due to space and installation reasons. Klaus manufactures those plates in his workshop. Once all is in place Klaus checks for proper functioning, test-runs the engine and control system, and off it goes to its customer-based layout.

Buying Used LGB Moguls

With LGB/Märklin in insufficient supply of new locomotives the LGB fan is driven to the estate and collectors's market or simply to used locos.  LGB locos have always been made with great care and especially those still made in Germany come in a material that will last for decades or better say more than half a century. When buying from an unknown source like from eBay, amazon.com or dash follow some simple rules: ( below see 4 examples of damages with a broken smoke stack below left and transport damage on the right)

dirt and abandonment lead to this poor sight

This loco was simply slaughtered
by a previous, untrained installer

are all decorative parts in place or are some listed as missing? The Mogul sports some decorative parts that are very hard to come by these days among which are the flag poles, the stanchions, the generator, the bell and bell holder, the cow catcher and/or the snow plow. If any of these are missing that should reduce the price by about 10% (of the original price when new).

• does the Mogul come with its tender. The Mogul loco and the Mogul tender are considered "one locomotive" and cannot be separated. The tender has a cable connection to the front loco for power pick-up, cables for lights and were installed the sound preps 

This Mogul was NOT packed well at all.
The cow catcher needed replacement

• does the Mogul show wear and tear? Take a look at the loco wheels and the power shoes if the buyer provides such a photo. Can you detect signs of worn out wheels? Or worn power shoes? Then the loco had a lot of operation time and maybe the gear wheels and the motor are also about to expire. Take an additional 15% off (of the original price when new). Mogul loco wheels are (almost) no longer available (except at TrainCraft By Klaus - we carry them for restorations) and the same goes for intermediate gear wheels and the Original Buehler motor (which we also carry)
• is the smoke stack in proper condition and does the smoker work? All Moguls came with a smoke generator (Seuthe 5 Volt smoker - made in Germany) whether in the wood version (diamond or balloon smoke stack) or the coal version (elongated smoke stack). especially the ballon smoke stack is prone to cracks and breaking of. Some just glued the stack 'back together' with improper glue, leaving either bad glue marks, cracks or real damage leading to non-operable smokers. Smoke stacks are sometimes available (TrainCraft carries them!) but pretty expensive these days. If the smoker is not working deduct 20% of  the original loco price when new.

• is the Mogul very dirty and shows scratches or missing lamps/lights? Then the loco had not only a lot of operation time but has also been left outside or been generally not taken care of. Other essential parts may be damaged then as well - see all of the above. Then check also for possible damage on the connecting rods. If you have all parts at home or access to it and the Mogul is offered for less than US$ 300.00-go for it anyway.

• does the Mogul come in its original box that matches the number on the loco? Is the box in good condition? These days the collector's market is growing and the original LGB box is becoming as important in collecting LGB as the loco itself to appraise and determine the total value of the LGB loco/set.

Then there is wear and tear or simple damage that can only be detected if the Mogul is opened by a professional. Over the years your "Famous Klaus" came upon oxidized  lead weights spreading this "salt" within the motor block , burnt gear wheels due to an owner's try to 'improve' the traction way to much with added weight...,and badly worn-out bearings which lead to general motor and body damage.

Now for the good news: LGB Moguls and other fine LGB German made locos are made out of very durable materials and very high-class plastic. They will survive A LOT!! And Klaus is always near to get any Mogul back to its Original glory and operation - even if the radiant shine of a brand-new- out-of-the-Nuremberg-factory loco sometimes is a thing of the past. -- So- go call Klaus (770-886-6670) or email him at  klaus@traincraftbyklaus.com  with all your LGB Mogul needs!

Motors and Gear Wheels

LGB locomotives are getting older. After all, LGB driving stock has been around for more than 45 years now. Most of the locomotives were made to run for about 800-1200 hours which would loosely translate into 5-10 years of operation. NOW- we all know by now that a German made LGB loco runs much longer - 'way much longer' in Generation X speak... But there comes a time after maybe 20 or so years.... that the material will run its course. And today's topic is about the relation between the Buehler motors and the gear wheels.

Motors: There are 2 types of Buehler motors. The older one was utilized for the very first LGB engines starting from 1968. It was custom-made for Lehmann by Buehler back then. In the early 90's Buehler changed the design of the long and short shaft motors to achieve better cost-profit margins. Some of those 2nd generation motors might die earlier than the first generation. But what leads to the demise of those motors other than old age? And why do the gear wheels play such an important role in this?

 'dead' Buehler motors

Motor Demise: One of the coils fail (mechanical overload, bad soldering spot or else), thus the motor runs rough. With that it puts an excessive mechanical strain on the gear wheel. The collector then gets clogged up with carbon dust shorting the other collector segments. This results in a large heat production inside the motor which travels to the gear wheel via the axle and the worm gear. Now the worm gear eats itself into the plastic gear wheel. Result: the loco stops running. And you might think it is a faulty gear wheel because that is what you see first when you check.
Mechanical overload :  too many additional lead weights in the loco (thinking to improve loco traction...), loco is running unattended, derails and gets stuck still running, human weight from above ( a 2-year-old lies on top of the loco trying to ride it...). If the loco is blocked suddenly then the plastic of the gear wheel gets damaged by the worm gear because the motor keeps running. The damaged plastic wheel results in a rough driving characteristic and a higher electrical load to the motor which eventually kills the motor.

Small selection of LGB gear wheels

Gear Wheel: There are about 15 different gear wheels. Different LGB locos use different gear wheels and one LGB loco may have more than one type of gear wheel. All LGB gear wheels are made of plastic and were manufactured in Germany. Three colors are prevalent: white, grey and black. The color does not define the type needed.

Gear Wheel Demise: In case the loco runs 24-7 or similar - like in doctor's offices, in children's hospitals, in public parks or exhibitions - the axles work themselves into the motor block body thus widening the bearing of the axle (See also our blog about Operating 24/7 in Feb/2013). The axle starts to wobble thus changing the precision position of the gear wheel. The plastic gear wheel wears off , and the worm gear cannot grab it as before thus either the loco just stops or the motor gets too much load resulting in a slow demise.
In case the gear wheel is connected to the intermediate gear wheel this intermediate wheel then gets damaged as a result of the wobbling and the motor gets damaged in the long run as well. If this happens in a steam loco the wheels that are interconnected with a connecting rod loose their synchronization and start binding. The connecting rods get damaged and the motor will get a devastating overload.

What to do: Call Klaus ( at 770-886-6670) and discuss your loco operation mode with him to determine what parts you need and how to prevent similar damage in the future. Klaus has Buehler motors and all gear wheels in stock to keep your LGB trains running.

Hand Cars -- Part 2

20032 Fiery Tom 2001-2002

"Fiery Tom" was first displayed in the 1998 catalog accompanying a set of fire engines, trucks and related figurines. It was made in Nuremberg/Germany in relatively small numbers. Selling price is starting at US$ 250.00 but may be too low by the time you read this

20030 Fiery Tom 1998-2000

It was followed by # 200323 which looked the same but had a German fire siren sound and a blue flashing light on the side car. Again, production numbers were pretty small. Selling price is at US$ 300.00 and increasing


In 2001 LGB issued the 21020 Christmas/Santa Fortuna Flyer  exclusively for LGBoA.  This Fortuna Flyer was followed in 2002 by # 21030, the Santa rail-motorcycle,

FORTUNA Flyer 21020

Santa Cycle 21030

 also an LGBoA exclusive. Both were made in small numbers, about 25% of a regular train "edition". While each of them sold for roughly US$ 90.00 in 2012 they sold for $ 1,250 the pair about 4 weeks ago.

LGB 20040 snow plow DR Cottbus

From 1999 to 2003 LGB also issued a snow plow used by various Narrow gauge train lines, this one being used by the "DR - Cottbus" with DR for 'Deutsche Reichsbahn' (German Railroad Line dating from 1920-1945/49). They gave it the LGB # 20040 and issued the same with sound in 2001-2002 with the # 20040.8. Auction/Estate prices are anywhere from $ 80.00 to 150.00 but may blow up fast...

The next 'generation' of hand cars / flyers came in 2004 with the # 24020. It was the Snoopy Flyer and was made in small numbers. It is selling around $ 300.00 with prices probably going up fast.

LGB 24020 Snoopy Flyer

LGB 22030 Peanuts Cycle

Then the LGB as we know it was about to 'expire' with declaring bankruptcy in 2006. The models they made before the final curtain came were the LGB 22030, the Peanuts motor cycle with Charlie and Lucy riding and Snoopy & Woodstock on the back bench. The market price currently wobbles between US$ 350.00 and  $ 500.00 with a clear upward move. It was announced as an LGBoA Exclusive but was obviously sold to other markets as well later that year.
The same 2005 catalog also displayed the LGB # 20050 Snoopy Joe Cool as draisine (hand car) which goes for about US$ 400 to 500.00 as well.

LGB 20050 Snoopy Draisine/ hand car

Then came the Disney Draisine # 23010 in 2006 with only 500 built the price goes up on a weekly base currently at US$ 470- $ 500.00

LGB 23010 Disney Draisine

Then in 2006 LGB's Rolf Richter tried another 'pull on Coca-Cola' by having made a hand model (# 24010) and advertising it without having secured the rights with COCA-COLA company. You guessed it- it  was never manufactured. It would have been cute though with the Coca-Cola polar bears carrying snowballs and a Coke bottle...

If you like more information on any of the above listed items or want to buy or sell one - please contact Klaus at  770-886-6670 or email at klaus@traincraftbyklaus.com

LGB Hand Cars, Flyers, Draisine

Hand cars have their own charm. The following is a quote from Wikipedia about hand cars:
A handcar (also known as a pump trolley, pump car, jigger, Kalamazoo,^[1] or draisine (powered or unpowered) in many other parts of the world) is a railroad car powered by its passengers, or by people pushing the car from behind. It is mostly used as a maintenance of way or mining car, but it was also used for passenger service in some cases. A typical design consists of an arm that pivots, seesaw-like, on a base, which the passengers alternately push down and pull up to move the car. --- Handcars have been normally used by railway service personnel (also known as a Gandy dancer) for railroad inspection and maintenance. Because of their low weight and small size, they can be put on and taken off the rails at any place, allowing trains to pass. Handcars have since been replaced by self-propelled vehicles that do not require the use of manual power, instead relying on internal combustion engines or electricity to move the vehicle.

Below we try to list all handcars, motorcycles, flyers and similar, ever made by LGB. If you are interested in purchasing one, please contact us. We have a great selection of Original Old German LGB driving stock at hand.

LGB made their first handcar # 2001 in 1971! The "Riesenfreude-Katalog 1971" presented it in a black-and-white-photo and offered it for DEM 42.50, which would be the equivalent of  roughly US$ 170.00 in today's money

LGB obviously was never for those with small pockets. This little Gustav-hand car was made in 7 different color versions for the LGB number 2001 alone. In 1993/94 the same base model got the LGB# 20010 and  those were manufactured in Nuremberg/Germany until 2007. Prices vary depending on condition of those cars and demand for certain manufacturing years/color schemes and range from US$ 70.00 to US$ 120.00 (?).--The newest number for the little Gustav-Draisine is LGB # 20011 in yet another color version and are offered for 1US$ 176.00 to $ 220.00 in the new LGB 2013 catalog. Manufacturing is not in Germany.

LGB Santa hand car # 21010

It wasn't until 1993 that LGB made another little hand car, this time a Christmas/ Santa hand car LGB # 21010. They were made in Nuremberg Germany until 1998.


In 2004 and for 2005 LGB made a similar Santa hand car with the number 21013. It had a Gnomy Stainz on the car. It was made in in similar small numbers as the 21010.

LGB # 21013 from 2004/5

Demand is growing for these Santa hand cars and their collector's value is rising beyond their original sales price of  approx. US$ 140.00

LGB # 22010 Clown Hand Car

LGB continued their hand car series in 1995/96 with a Clowns Hand Car LGB # 22010. They were made until 1999 in Nuremberg/Germany.  The Clown's car features a clown with an umbrella, an artist's box and a handbag, a monkey on the box and a seal with a 'golden' ball next to the monkey. Spare parts for this car are still available, but becoming scarce. Demand is changing from high to low to high within the last 7 years and current value is around US$ 170 to $ 200.00 for mint condition. Expect rising prices.

LGB # 22020 MARS Flyer

The Clowns Hand car was followed by the MARS flyer in 1997 with LGB # 22020. It features a propeller which actually propels the little car. It was offered/made until 1999 in Nuremberg/Germany. Expect to see prices ranging anywhere between US$ 300 and 500.00 for this neat little flyer.

That same year, 1997, LGB also offered another version of the flyer, the FORTUNA-Flyer, LGB # 20020

The motor drives the propeller which actually then propels the little flyer. This time the propeller comes in red and the body is painted in blue. A pilot sits in an old-fashioned cockpit, wearing a cap. 

LGB 20020 FORTUNA Flyer

The original box included a labeling sheet. The FORTUNA Flyer is a bit pricier than the MARS flyer and sees asking prices around US$ 350.00 to $500 and more.

Please follow our 2nd part of the Draisine series report including LGB #'s 22030, 22032, 22040, 22050, 23010 and 24020 to be published here shortly.

For any questions call Klaus @ 770-886-6670

.....About Screws

Screws.They are telling a great story about your LGB loco. And they have their own LGB story.

LGB# 69002

The most commonly used screws on your loco or car can be bought from LGB-dealers in packs of hundred, LGB # 69002. As the photo shows they come in a variety of 4 different sized black screws and one silver metal screw, the pack contains approx 100 pieces.

The original (German) LGB screws are all self tapping - they cut themselves into the material while being screwed into it. They are made out of ferromagnetic material so they will cling to your screwdriver (right image)
Screws made in China do not necessarily have that characteristic so they may be hard to work with and may get lost easily. Note: the most common damage your Famous Klaus is seeing are screws that have been over-wound. Self tapping screws that are over-wound will damage the plastic they are screwed into. And once the damage is done it is difficult to repair the thread. (Your Famous Klaus does this kind of repair, though)

Then there are screws used to mount push rods to the wheels. They are not sold by LGB dealers. There are metal screws used in the body/ motor block, there are screws used to assemble the timing gear, there are screws to mount wheels on axles (old LGB motor blocks) and some screws require washers. The image below shows all types of screws used in LGB locos.

NOT FOR SALE screws for LGB locos - Repair and restoration only!

Screws in very good condition

Screws on left are in used condition,
 screw on right shows damage.

When working on the screws make sure to use the correct fitting screwdriver. Incorrect sized screwdrivers will damage the screw for good. The value of an Old original LGB Loco made in (Western) Germany (before 1990) hinges often enough on the condition of the screws. Below are 2 images, one of a (Diesel switcher, left image below) body with almost perfect screws and one of a tender with used screws. Note that the tender (right) has been opened multiple times for various repairs and maintenance issues. The screw on the very right has 'wrong screw driver damage'. When working on your loco to remove screws always use a white towel underneath. Do invest in an $8.00 white bath towel and keep it just for your loco needs. (You may thank me later...) That way you'll find all screws easily, they wont roll away and wont fall down to the floor where they always hide in the furthest corner close to the neighbor's shed......

Another value decreasing condition is the use of non-LGB screws in a loco or wrong size screws. The first  impairs the looks as long as the size fits which is not very likely. Which brings us to the wrong-size-screws. Mostly Klaus sees non-LGB screws that are too big for the purpose. If they are self tapping they generate a thread that is too big for the correct sized screw and will only help as long as the wrong screw is not removed. Since the screw doesn't really fit in the first place ( note that US screws are based on inch base and the LGB German types are based on metric - you get the idea why other screws rarely fit) chances are they either come loose or the plastic piece holding the thread can crack. That's when the trouble will start for good. Klaus has gotten quite a few locos in for repair this spring with exactly that fault showing. His work scope spans from expanded repairs of the thread itself to complete restoration of specific plastic parts of the loco.

So be careful when working on your loco (screws) and make sure to always use the correct sized screws to preserve the value of your engine!!

NEWS From TrainCraft By Klaus

We have a new service for all LGB fans and friends:

Estate Management

Yours Truly and your 'Famous" Klaus have been asked several times in the past year to help with estates or purchases. And even though there has been very little new LGB driving stock coming to the US market on one hand we have experienced a stronger and growing supply of existing LGB stock coming from estates, a personal need to sell or change of collection/hobby. And on the other hand we have a royal follower-ship of LGB fans asking ever more often if we could get them their 'dream' LGB loco. 

So it was time to get that 'train of the ground' and put it on a platform...

To help both sides in this deal and avoid eBay and the uncertainty it brings to the untrained bidder/seller (bidding timing, understanding condition of the LGB product, ability to determine correct value of auctioned item to name a few) we offer Estate Management exclusively for LGB trains.

What you get on the Seller's Side:

• we help you list and pre-organize your LGB items for sale
• we take locos/cars into our workshop for examination 
• we determine the current condition, current value and approximate realizable sales price 
• we repair or restore the loco/car to improve sales chance and sales price upon seller's OK
• we certify status of condition, value and production data of the LGB loco/car up for sale
• we utilize our own database to offer and sell the LGB product
• we do NOT use eBay. We sell through our blogs and 
• we organize professional packing, shipping and payment 
• we issue payment to you within 5 days of sale

Bottom line: you give us the loco, we service, valuate and sell it for you and you get the money. Done.

Brokerage fee is always individually negotiated and will range from 18 % - 22% depending on work(shop) scope and volume sold and usually covers certification, spare parts and labor. Decoders and other added accessories are negotiated separately.

What you get on the Buyer's Side:

• an LGB loco/car that comes with a certificate issued by "Famous Klaus" stating explicitly the loco/car characteristics, condition, year built, present value, improvements made, and added accessories.
• knowing that you get what you paid for
• get what you want: we search for you for that hard-to-find LGB loco/car you always wanted (limited to driving stock made before 2006)
• access to truly international LGB supply: we work with sellers in USA, Canada, Germany, Austria, France and Italy
• no auction hassle - we do the work for you
• feel confident with your mind at ease when purchasing a collector's LGB item 
• we install for you state-of-the-art decoders, additional features (light, smoke, etc), getting the loco ready for instant operation. 

A brokerage fee may be applicable in extreme search cases and will be negotiated upfront.

What to do next? Look at our current top offer:

1980 Year Loco by Magnus/Hoehne exclusively hand-built for LGB # 101 of 140 made.
9-10 condition, with box, original document: Hoehne certificate; Certificate by Klaus re collector's Value and condition, completely checked and partially restored to Old Original German Hoehne/LGB Standard.
Very rare! Collector's Value US$ 5,900.00-- TrainCraft Price: US$ 4,800.00

If seller or buyer please contact us via email: klaus@traincraftbyklaus or call us at PH: 770-886-6670 (weekdays from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST).

A Report from the Toy Fair in Germany

The  International Toy Fair Nuremberg, Germany, ended Tuesday Feb 5. The LGB world was eagerly awaiting any news from Märklin/LGB about the new owner and any - hopefully - good news for new products and the abysmal spare parts market. Well, the word is out, or not, or never. Yours Truly is not really kidding. The news turned into no news. Simba-Dickie, the new owner wasn't so sure after all if they still wanted to go on with the take-over. A new date for further information about that subject is set for March. We will keep you posted.

Meanwhile back on the ranch at Märklin headquarters the decision stood NOT to provide any further spare parts for the LGB program.

No further LGB products are scheduled for the American market.

The LGB New Items 2013 catalog is available here: ( click on www.lgb.de/de/produkte.html )
on that page click on the left photo  for narrow gauge locos, cars, and sets and on the middle photo for standard gauge items. You can use your Google translator or email Yours Truly with questions. There are no  US  locomotives available from LGB (exception see below). The catalog notes them as "manufacturing ceased". Out of 13 new narrow gauge locos none is available at this point. The only available US loco(s) is/(are) an F 7 A and B unit 330 and an F 7 A unit 333. It seems that many locos presented in 2011-2012 as new items were not available for the longest time and are now marked as "manufacturing ceased". Seems they never ever manufactured them in the first place? Strange policy...Yours truly wonders what will happen with the "New Items 2013" ?

The Toy Fair itself did not provide any head turning news to begin with. There was not a real focus on electronic toys nor on old-time, traditional toys either. The market seemed to be in a holding pattern/waiting-for-Godot-mode. No breakthroughs in decoder technology for model trains, nor in control systems nor in fine collector's models. Nada.

A lot of Asian "visitors" were noticed. Did they come to check out new technology (that wasn't there)  or did they want to buy for their own ever growing toy demand? No word on that either.

So, where do we LGB fans go from here? Straight to eBay?  Yours Truly has an observing eye on eBay UK (United Kingdom), Germany and USA and sometimes Italy. Prices for LGB locos in good to mint condition are going up while volume offered is going down. Spare parts offers are going down, in volume while prices go up.

Are there any good news to be had?? YES ! Your Famous Klaus aka TrainCraft is now offering:

 Estate Management. 

What is that - you're asking? We help everybody and anybody who wants to sell or buy LGB trains made before 2006 with our own database. We advise you on your loco (you want) to sell regarding value and possible restoring/repairs to increase the value of your item, we inform you about demand,  we appraise the value for resale and we list you- the collector- for engines you want to add to your collection. Any loco or car that passes through Traincraft will receive a certificate stating clearly the year it was made (complete LGB # from Original LGB box required, or else Klaus will estimate), the precise technical current state and condition, the collector's value and the currently viable market price. Klaus charges a very reasonable fee for his service which will depend on the number of stock he manages for you. For further information please email Klaus at klaus@traincraftbyklaus.com or call at 770-886-6670. Our web page will have complete information about this new service by next week.

 French Mikado (!) -- SOLD !!

Super"food" for super engines or how to run 24/7 for a very long time

We're talking about dynamic stress, applied load, impact, forces. There are quite a few LGB operators out there who run their locos literally 24/7 or 18/7 or 12/5 . Yours truly is talking about true workhorse locomotives in toy shops, botanical gardens, children's hospitals, real estate offices, restaurants, museums just to name a few..............The engines are operated for at least 8-10 consecutive hours every day. Imagine the wear and tear on those locos!

Where the problem starts:The plastic housing of the locomotive makes/is the bearings for the axles. The plastic contains glass particles to enforce the strength and stiffness of the housing. During the operation the axles work themselves into the plastic resulting in a widening of the plastic bearing. In the end the locomotive axles start wobbling in the way too large (axle) opening of the housing. The plastic gear wheel on the axle of the locomotive will not be defined in its position anymore resulting in excessive wear on the plastic gear wheel.
"Quick fixes":Once problems arise with the plastic gear wheel one might tend to exchange the plastic gear wheel. However, this would be a short lived fix as the gear wheel will wear out pretty fast, again. The regular problem fix would be an exchange of the motor block housing. In case of a daily, continuous operation   the engine will end up with a worn out motor block housing soon, again.

The professional Solution: This calls for the  installation of a different kind of bearing, e.g. ball bearings, roller bearings or sintered bronze bearings, to enforce the motor block housing to a degree withstanding the continuous impacts. However this kind of installation requires a massive re-work of the axle/ motor block design including these activities: remove the loco wheels from the axle, put the new bearings in position on the axle and re-install the loco wheels with the correct quartering in case of a steam loco. The  position of the former bearing in the motor block needs to be widened to accommodate the new bearing. This work step requires exact industrial precision since the position of the bearing is crucial for the smooth operation of the gear work in the motor block .(Please do not try this at home- not even if your wife is not home ) .

Precision manufactured bronze bearing

                       Klaus' Professional Solution:                Your Famous Klaus took a different approach by developing and manufacturing a specific sintered bronze bearing. This bronze bearing is C-shaped and provides an easy change of the axle while taking care of the 'bearing-job' as well as enabling the axle to position itself precisely. This may be applied to all LGB engines.  Even for those engines where the motor block is very worn out and would need an exchange motor block which is not available any more. Even in this situation the bronze bearing treatment can be applied and will save many a historic and valuable LGB locos.

The finished product

The Result: Super"food" for super operating locos! Take note:your general average LGB loco, made in Germany, is constructed to run for 800 to 1200 hours in her lifetime no matter if she runs literally 24/7 or 2 hours on Christmas morning. That translates into just 125 days at 8 hrs of continuous operation per day. Klaus gives you 5800 hours of continuous operation!! Which equals 5 - 8 times the life span of your engine.
Price: US$ 95.00 for the bronze bearing treatment plus installation workshop hours according to locomotive type. For further information call Klaus at 770-886-6670 or email at klaus@traincraftbyklaus.com

A Note About Wear and Tear: to fight wear and tear on mechanical components regularly calls for grease. Grease is needed within the motor block starting from the worm gear of the motor through an intermediate gear if present down to the plastic driving gear wheel on the axle. Few people are aware of the fact that metal loco wheels and power shoes need to be greased as well. Putting some lubrication on the tracks will double the life expectancy of loco wheels and power shoes instantly. Once the nickel plating on the wheels is gone the rest of the brass wheel will disappear even faster. So do yourself a big favor and add a little grease  e.g. "W D 40", on to the track. Klaus recommends to spray about one (1) foot of the track about every 150 feet once a week. The wheels of the train will carry the lubricant around the layout.

What the Forney did...

The Complaint: Klaus  had a dear longtime customer complain about his LGB Forney (27251). In DCC (digital) operation this Forney, the customer said, changed speed without reason. All in a sudden it went faster. All in a sudden it went slower. The Forney had a sound decoder installed and the speed change of the loco was easy to detect with the chuffs going faster or slower.

First Suspicion:Klaus' customer suspected the decoder might have a malfunction. Especially since the decoder was an older model.  -- The Forney was shipped to Klaus' workshop

Workbench Test: Klaus put the Forney on the test bench in analog mode (DC). Klaus wanted to clearly measure the Amperage that the loco was drawing. First there was nothing, then after 10 minutes of operation the Amperage began to shift and jump. With the changing Amperage the RPMs of the motor changed as well. Then Klaus switched to DCC (digital) operation and found the same shift and jumps in RPM speed.

Diagnosis: Pursuing fault finding by elimination, Klaus had to find out: was it a decoder fault or was it a mechanical fault? For that he separated the decoder from the gearbox. He then connected the gearbox to an analog power source (like a transformer with an analog outlet). The same jumps and shifts occurred. So- without the decoder being connected but the same error occurring it was clear- Klaus had a mechanical problem at hand.
Diagnosis II: Next Klaus dissembled the motor block and took out the motor. He connected the motor to an analog power source. The motor was running normal - at first. Then (here , your Famous Klaus" gut feeling comes into play ) when the motor was running at 10 Volt Klaus changed polarity ( rotating direction ). At that, the Amperage jumped to 1.2 Amps and immediately afterwards fell to the normal value of 0.2 Amps. Klaus could repeat this effect.  - The culprit was the motor.

Why did it happen? Possibly carbon brushes made of weak material had polluted the collector inside the motor. (The collector distributes the power evenly to the coils). Since the new Buehler motors feature a full shell, the carbon brushes inside could not be exchanged.

The Solution: Klaus installed a new motor, re-assembled the engine with sound decoder and the Forney is operating just fine!

Your Next Step: Call Klaus and ship your LGB engine to him to have all your LGB locos running like a charm!

LGB fun in the New Year

Happy New Year to all LGB friends out there. Yours Truly got the flu over the Holidays and your Famous Klaus was busy getting me back on track. Fortunately it hit me after Klaus had finalized the work on your engines in his workshop. So, here we go again refreshed with all the news fit to print....

Klaus' video clip: Klaus has posted a video clip on You Tube so you can get a glimpse of how MUCH he loves the new ESU sound decoders he is utilizing now for LGB locos. Yours Truly was fearing that his workshop walls would suffer serious damage after all the swearing, hissing and fussing about the "other" German decoder(s) from the past that had more and more faults and caused more and more troubles installing them properly according to Klaus' quality expectations. Your Famous Klaus truly believes in keeping the Old German Quality Standard for LGB alive while at the same time providing the very best functioning accessory available to keep your LGB trains running. But as they say- take a look for yourself. A pic is worth a thousand words.
The link is:

http://youtu.be/UxQg1gTbk8U

Or go to You Tube and in the search box put in: F 7 slow op  - then hit enter. Then click on the video. It is a 2 minute video clip and may take a few minutes to load into your computer/ device. For any additional questions email Klaus at klaus@traincraftbyklaus.com or simply call him.

Märklin/LGB sold: Märklin/LGB has been sold again - you have probably heard that already. The new owner is the Simba-Dickie Group in Germany. They manufacture children toys for kids under or around 5 years old. We will wait and see how this will impact the LGB situation for the USA. It is unclear when the new owner will take over Märklin/LGB in 2013. It will probably influence the train stock available this year for the US market. Then again, most of what you want is already only available on eBay or at estate sales. The parts and spare parts situation will also remain scarce - to say the least.

EBay: Upfront one note -  PIKO is NOT (!!!!) LGB ! No matter how often you may read PIKO - LGB, it is PIKO - not made by LGB. And is has NOT the value of an LGB car or loco. Do NOT mix up the Original LGB Shell tank car, valued currently at about US$ 300.00 with the PIKO Shell tank car currently offered for approx US$ 80.00-90.00 Same goes for the Hasseröder beer car. Though it is valued  slightly higher on the European market than on the US market, it is only valuable if and when made by LGB.

EBay LGB offers are -continuously-  priced according to collector's value ( as of Jan 02, 2013). Yours Truly found a slight overpricing in specialty car offers and an under-pricing for Uintahs and F7 A and B units. Surprisingly low is the number of offers for locos (roughly 360) and the variety offered. I have not seen any Mallets, U-series, Ruegen or Harz locos for quite a while. There is one MOB on offer right now and even for a very good price, almost half of its true value. Buyer's tip: when considering an eBay LGB loco purchase try to see if a picture of the power shoes and the wheels is available and take a close look. If they are looking worn or used, that will tell you that the loco had quite some operating use.