The LGB Mogul 2-6-0

The basic idea for a Mogul engine was born at LGB in the very early 80's. It took a few years to get it from an idea to a hand model, to early production and eventually to the accomplished best seller engine. The idea for the Mogul was born after Wolfgang and Eberhard Richter observed an ever growing American demand for LGB. Wanting to offer something truly American the idea for the Mogul was born.

The archetype Mogul was designed and first manufactured between 1852 and 1860. Soon she became one of the most built steam locomotives in America and was exported to nearly 20 countries world wide. (for detailed information about the history of the original Mogul see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2-6-0) The Mogul was originally built for standard gauge as well as for narrow gauge lines. Hence it was the ideal template for LGB.

LGB started working on the prototype in early 1983. With the main body of the engine and tender built as hand model it was time for a photo shoot. To make the hand model look good a lot of details were added for the catalog shoot: Pipes, running boards, uncoupling bar and many more details made a great hand model. But it was expensive to make molds for such details. To expedite form making, preparation for serial production, actual production and distribution those details were ditched. By the end of 1984 the Mogul 2018D was delivered to dealers/stores. Immediately complaints started raining in, piling up on Guenter Ruhland's desk.

Courtesy of Trainz.com

The complaints included: the engine derailed at any given occasion without obvious reason. Often enough the engine fell to her side and the smoke stack would break off. Klaus had already been in close contact with LGB and had taken over the task of resolving these issues. After days of testing and observing Klaus concluded what had to be addressed: the reconstruction of the pilot wheel and change of center of gravity. So he went to work. He designed extra lead weights to be added into the motor block. He also redesigned the pilot wheel mount securing the pilot wheel will not derail when hitting an obstruction nor cutting a switch open.
Guenter Ruhland was instrumental in implementing Klaus designs into manufacturing and the improved Mogul then became one of the best selling locos LGB ever made.

This first Mogul  2018 D  was built until 1987, in a red (boiler)/green (cabin) color scheme. It is the wood burning edition of a Mogul.There is no proof that the color scheme was a counter response to Walt Disney's 4-6-0-3 in the Magic Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista/FL.

In 1988 the 2019 S, a coal burning

Courtesy of Only Trains

type of a Mogul  was added to the program and featured a smoke generator plus a lot of the details that were skipped previously  on the 2018D.
The 2019 S came in a grey/silver and black color scheme. It became 20192 in 1993. And with more than 9,000 #2019/20192 Moguls built and sold this was by far the most successful Mogul in LGB history.

In addition to these two Moguls LGB 'manufactured' 28 (!) other versions of the Mogul until 2006, the year they went into bankruptcy.  All in all more than 40,000 moguls were manufactured and sold.

Below find the LGB #s and the year this Mogul was first presented in a catalog:

LGB#		Year
.	2018 d 1985 2028 d 1987 2019 s 1988 2119 1989 2219 s 1990 2219 dg 1992 2319 s 1992 21181 1993 2419 dg 1993 22182 1996 23182 1996 24182 1996 25192 1997 26192 1997 27192 1998 28192 1999 25182 2000 26182 2000 23191 2001 23191.8 2001 23194 2002 24194 2002 29192 2002 26194 2003 22184 2004 25194 2004 27182 2004 21192 2005 22185 2006 22194 2006

 The next two blogs will give detailed information about each Mogul listed and an image as available+++++++++++++++++++++++++to be continued...

EDITOR'S NOTE: Check your loco's for repair need. Christmas will be upon you right after Labor Day....Call Klaus for appointment/repair needs.

BIG NEWS --- Klaus 101

For the first time - Live, Work and Dine with Klaus 101

Go to Klaus 101 for detailed information

Get the full 101 on this fabulous opportunity to experience Klaus at home, at work on your own engine. Enjoy the camaraderie and immerse yourself in the Old, Original LGB world with one of the last icons of the Old LGB. Your wife/partner will have a great time enjoying the world renowned Sandestin Resort, basking on the sugar white beaches, shop-til-she-drop(s) and all the girl-fun the Resort provides. Or wants to just relax at Klaus most beautiful Florida home.

GO TO Klaus 101

for full and detailed information of this opportunity of a lifetime!

Installing the New ESU XL 5.0 sound decoder -- Part 2

Live from the workshop -- Part 2

By now, Klaus is about to program and edit the new sound into the blank ESU decoder. Using the ESU Lok programmer and his laptop he can easily select a sound file of a locomotive which comes close to the project he is looking for. ESU provides more than 100 recorded sound files of locomotives from all over the world . These you can find on their web page, free of charge.

Within this loco sound file Klaus first defines the driving characteristics by selecting the correct motor (Buehler) and driving curve (e.g.linear or exponential). The acceleration and stop characteristics are chosen next.
The next task is defining the function mapping. According to his standard based on the LGB MTS standard the functions have to be available basically on the same function key. So we have horns and whistles on functions #1 and #2. Function #3 is regularly the bell. Function #6 switches on the sound and function #7 is the smoker. The function keys then must be linked to AUX outputs if necessary. For example, if you have coal shoveling on function #4 the firebox light must be triggered on an output linked to function #4. Thus you have the firebox light come on whenever coal shoveling sound is played.

The next step is to define the function outputs (e.g. light effect and output voltage). In case Klaus is not satisfied with a certain sound he may choose a different sound from a huge sound library. This way he changes for instance the whistle or the air pump to better match it with the type of loco he is working on. He may even add a self produced sound to the library as long as it is a .wav file.

Due to the fact that generally the sound varies with the chosen loudspeaker some sounds need to be raised in volume to fit into the sound scheme.Unfortunately one is limited in the size of the loudspeaker because of the engine body/housing at hand. So the choice of the loudspeaker is critical. Klaus preferred choice are VISATON loudspeakers. For certain locos he has to dig into his vast selection of specialty loudspeakers.

Once programming is done Klaus puts the sound file onto the blank decoder via the Lok programmer. This procedure may take up to 30 minutes depending on the file size.

Now it's time to install the programmed decoder into the locomotive and do the final wiring. Then he reassembles the locomotive. Test driving may show the necessity for slight changes which can always be done by reconnecting the locomotive to the Lok programmer and changing the file accordingly.

ESU Loksound decoders prove to be the most versatile and effective decoder on the market in regard to motor control and sound quality paired with output. Various implemented safety features guard the function outputs and motor control making it not only safer but also more fun programming and editing the ESU 5.0 XL sound decoder.

Klaus is well stocked with ESU decoders. Give him a call or email him. Klaus is always happy to help!

Installing the new ESU XL 5.0 sound decoder

                       

Live From The Workshop - Part 1

Reporting live from   "Famous Klaus Workshop" : preparing and installing the XL 5.0 ESU sound decoder into ( today) the LGB# 4067 cleaning loco.

Installing a digital ESU sound decoder into an LGB loco in 5 steps steps:

• check and prepare for loudspeaker mounting and installation
• check and prepare for decoder board mounting and installation
• programming and editing of ESU XL 5.0 sound decoder
• installation of decoder, hall sensor set (when needed), and connecting loudspeakers
• re-assembly of loco parts and test driving the new decoder w/fine tuning

Please note that these steps are in Klaus' procedure no matter what type of digital decoder he installs. Can you do it any other way? YES -- which in Klaus' view  means mangling an otherwise very fine engine of  very fine provenance... Therefore:

ventilation grille painted on loco housing

Check and prepare for loudspeaker mounting:
It's hard to say what takes the longest in prepping an LGB engine for sound decoder installation. Klaus being Klaus he stands for Old Original LGB standards where a loco is the better the more she looks like her Original.
Installing sound therefore means to provide space for the loudspeakers and create openings for the sound not by merely drilling holes somewhere ( urrrghh--- you can hear Klaus say, even from your spot!) But to provide meaningful openings where the sound would come from in reality. In the case of the 2067 Cleaning engine this is clearly the front side of the engine where the

ventilation grille cut out

grills are painted with black lines to visualize the ventilation grille for the diesel engine(s). On the pics to the right: the upper engine shows the painted ventilation grilles where the lower pic shows cutouts have been made. Note: the LGB 2060 and 2067 share these same housing parts.

Klaus starts by dismantling the 2067 engine housing to extract the housing part. Klaus uses his 3-D milling machine - programmed accordingly- to cut out the "ventilation grille" part of the housing.

3-D milling in action

Detail cleaning the new opening by hand  is the next step.






Klaus will need mounting support for the loudspeakers so he cuts supporting blocks from hard-PVC plate (1/2 " thick). They guarantee non-deforming support in hot and cold environments. The loudspeaker mounting gets glued into place  in the respective housing part.
Klaus uses a specialty glue that slightly 'melts' the surface of the engine housing so the hard PVC piece will 'combine' with the housing plastic. Then the loudspeaker is wired and mounted. In the photo left notice the little piece of rectangular plastic below Klaus' wrist; that is the first mounting piece. He will need two in this case.






 Trying to mount the loudspeaker Klaus notices a need for space currently held by the lead weight. Each LGB engine sports a lead weight to ensure optimum driving characteristics. In the case of the LGB 2067 the lead weight is elongated and needs to be adjusted to give Klaus enough room to install the loudspeaker. Klaus utilizes his 3-D mill again, programmed, to refit the lead weight.

Now the loudspeaker is connected to the deoder board and mounted into the engine housing.

And the cutouts made previously are getting a mesh for looks

Follow Klaus in his workshop with the next steps, programming, editing and installing the sound decoder.++++ to be continued

LGB 2040 -- The Crocodile

The first LGB crocodile electric locomotive Ge 6/6 I was presented by LGB in 1978. It was modeled after the Electric locomotive Ge 6/6 I of the RhB (Swiss Rhaetian Railway). The 6-axle loco has 2 powered pivoted bogies with a C'C' wheel arrangement. C'C' wheel arrangement is (standard European code)  for  the number of coupled  or jointly powered axles in a truck, following the alphabet (A=1,B=2,C=3) with the ' standing for pivoted axles. Quoting Wikipedia:"The class is so named because it was the first class of locomotives of the Swiss locomotive and railcar classification type Ge 6/6 to be acquired by the Rhaetian Railway. According to that classification system, Ge 6/6 denotes a narrow gauge electric adhesion locomotive with a total of six axles, all of which are drive axles." Quote end.

Your Famous Klaus has had quite a few LGB crocodiles in his workshop over the years. Their owners love their engines wanting to have high quality sound and a good digital system in their Crocodiles.

The first LGB crocodile had the number 2040 which was earlier used by LGB for a 2-axle tender locomotive (see future LGB Yarner blog for more details). Details for the LGB 2040-1 are:

This 2040 hand model is from the 1979/80 catalog, page 32

The LGB 2040 Crocodile chassis (body), rail-guard, headlights, handrails are in black. Locomotive body in medium brown. Roof and running board in medium grey, wheels red  (Y.T. The Kompendium might err here, YT never saw a Crocodile with red wheels anywhere in any publishing. Then again, some dealers got hold of early hand models in 1980 and it is not known what they might have had). Multi purpose pantographs (LGB# 2030/3, later 2040/3) nickel plated with one contact strip. (Pantographs came also silver colored).Insulators  in brown color. Labeled "413" and "RhB" elevated and golden colored. (The Kompendium lists an "LGB" plate which is incorrect since already the hand models show the RhB letters). 2 motors.  With Swiss headlight change as in the original. Mode switch for track power to overhead power. Connecting rods in chromed/black. Jack shaft with grey background color. Loco wheels (full, no spokes) in black.

This very first LGB crocodile # 2040 was announced as new item late 1978. But Gunter Ruhland, head mold master at LGB had his problems with the molds. To make a hand model for the catalog is one thing. To get the molds ready for serial production quite another.  Mr. Ruhland had to figure out how to built the front and rear end hood mold without showing any division lines in the manufactured product. The finished mold was a masterpiece in molding technology in those days. It took about a year to come up with a satisfying solution that Wolfgang and Eberhard Richter found acceptable. Therefor the LGB fan and customer saw 1979 approaching and ending with just another announcement in the 1979/80 catalog for the  LGB Crocodile to come into dealers stores. Then eventually in 1980 the wait was over and the new LGB crocodile was delivered to dealers and costumers alike.

It will be hard to find a 1978 LGB crocodile here in the USA. The US market was not exactly established yet and only very few German LGB locos made the transatlantic trip. Most crocodiles came over after 1989 when the San Diego LGB office was fully established and a growing number of USA LGB clubs began operating promoting the product with the hobby. By then, even in (Western) Germany the 1978 model was mostly not available anymore.

Color changes for the next 'models' were plenty and in short order. Starting with # 2040-2 Running rails changed to grey, isolators came in red, then grey or red and later, after 1993 in green, the jack shafts got stickers, the locomotive body was medium brown , then brown, then darker brown. handrails turned to yellow and head lights got golden rings.The numbers indicated color changes in these details, from 2040-2 to 2040-5 and then from 1993 on 20400-1, -2 and 20400-8 in 2001 with digital decoder. According to the Kompendium the first sales price was in Deutsche Mark 495.00 (in 1980) and the LGB Kompendium lists the 20400-2 for Euro 450.00 (US$ 500.00 in 1994). However Klaus got his first Crocodile in mid 1980 and paid DM 740.00 for her. The equivalent in todays $-value being a stunning  $ 3500.00.

In 1990 LGB edited a specialty series crocodile in green, LGB # 2140, for DM 895.00 (US$ equivalent in 1990 was $ 300.00 or US$ 585.00 today).

In 1993/94 a red crocodile followed with LGB# 22400 and a rather small edition of 2500.

LGB # 24402 was a blue crocodile offered in the 2001/2002 catalog as a specialty limited edition series of  1,000 titled 'collectors edition'. The price had been upped to DM 1695.00 or roughly US$ 850.00.  LGB 24402.8 had the added digital decoder.

In 2003-2004 a dark brown Crocodile followed with # LGB 25402 with yellow handrails and silver colored pantographs and green isolators. It was offered under the eXtra program which offered dealers a somewhat clumsy alternative to the regular ordering with a pretty high price range for actually not-so-special LGB stock. List price was Euro 999.00 or US$ 1,250.00.

The last crocodile - again in blue - under the old original LGB was the LGB# 27402 "Glacier express/ 75/ 1930-2005/ St.Moritz/Davos-Zermatt" from 2005 to 2007. The price was a dizzying Euro 1,034.00 or US$ 1,350.00 ( today about $1,700.00)) with the closing of the LGB factory right around the corner.

In 1999/2000 LGB issued the  # 70640 ; the collector's edition set "Alpine Classic RhB" with a classic brown loco and 2 long passenger cars # 34650 in a pretty blue - beige coloring. The edition was limited at 1,500 for a price of  DM 2,698.00 or about US$ 1450.00 (present day $ 2,220). A value that the current market does not accept. The pre-owned market of Spring 2019 ranges from $ 750.00 to $ 1,700.00 for the set with little demand for it on the eBay platform. However, pre-owned LGB stock dealers show their crocodiles moving fast,

The new LGB under Maerklin issued two more crocodiles until 2010 (YT didn't follow the  product lineage of new LGB after 2009) with #s: 20405 and 22405.

Permanent Operation Management with POM

Klaus' Plea: I want to keep you informed and entertained with our blogs without ads or the need for subscription.It takes great effort and time  to entertain the blog sites. Please support us in our endeavor of keeping the blogs ads-free, the LGB history alive and promoting this delightful avocation by donating any amount you feel comfortable with. Send me a check or go to our Go-Fund-Me page https://www.gofundme.com/f/keep-the-lgb-traincraft-blogs-alive  .
THANK YOU for keeping the LGB hobby alive!! And God Bless!
Your donation will help in our efforts to have a new blog at least every week!

Permanent Operation
LGB Trains were designed to run in outdoor garden layouts. Turns out, the plastic chosen by the Richter brothers Wolfgang and Eberhard for their engines, cars and tracks has shown  to be holding out pretty well under straining  operating conditions. BUT--- when you are running your train almost 24/7 then you reach the limit even of an LGB train. And there are quite a few non-stop operation train layouts out there. From Botanical Gardens to Dental Practices, Restaurants, to Furniture Stores, Hospitals and Exhibitions, to name a few.
The wear and tear these trains endure is enormous. Even more so when those trains are operated at high or highest speed. A 'need' that is often highlighted by Klaus' customers when their customer base includes a lot of children like Botanical Gardens, family restaurants etc.

What happens under 24/7 running conditions is this:
over time the axles work themselves into the side walls of the motor block which are functioning as axle bearings. Once this happens, the wheel axle starts to wobble. Eventually this is going to damage the gear wheels and the loco tends to derail. The extreme wobbling of the axle is increasing the load on the motor ever more with the peril of the motor eventually starting to burn out or burn up in a worst case scenario.
The motor experiences the biggest strain while the train operates through curves. And the narrower the curve the more vigorous the impact on the interaction between axle and its bearing. Playing into this is the fact that almost no layout has an even number of left and right turn curves thus exerting a one-sided uber-workload to the motor block. Hence the fact of bearings being worn out unevenly.

Ball bearings and pin bearings stand the test only if and when they are sealed. Then they need no greasing. Unsealed bearings will not do the job since they collect dirt which leads to their demise.

This is Klaus' solution: As a bearing POM proves to be very succesful. POM is Polyoxymethylene (POM), also known as acetal, polyacetal, and polyformaldehyde, is an engineering thermoplastic used in precision parts requiring high stiffness, low friction, and excellent dimensional stability (quoted from Wikipedia). POM plastic doesn't require greasing and hence has stood the test of time as a bearing. Klaus' bearing inserts are installed into the motor block and are about 4 times the thickness of the motor block wall. This reduces the pressure on the POM plastic bearing massively. Also, the contact area of the axle bearing has increased by 4 fold as well. Because of these POM bearing inserts the axle guidance is more precise and can much better withstand strains from bigger loads in curves.





Klaus utilizes his precision CNC mill to create these bearing inserts as well as the cutouts for the inserts in the motor blocks. Once the new bearings are inserted, you can still pull out the axle from underneath the motor block because the new bearing inserts are U-shaped.

Another problem from permanent operation is the huge wear and tear on the chrome-plated loco wheels. The chrome plating wears off. This leads to the rash consumption of the wheel(s). A beneficial solution to this is the replacement with stainless steel loco wheels which have an enormous durability. They just need some cleaning from time to time. Klaus sources these stainless steel loco wheels from Germany.

So, go call Klaus and make an appointment for your overhaul of your 24/7 operated LGB trains. You will be merrily surprised how much money you can save with the POM procedure. And ask him about the many happy commercial customers he has. He will gladly give you their contacts for your own inquiries.


Klaus' Plea: I want to keep you informed and entertained with our blogs without ads or the need for subscription.It takes great effort and time  to entertain the blog sites. Please support us in our endeavor of keeping the blogs ads-free, the LGB history alive and promoting this delightful avocation by donating any amount you feel comfortable with. Send me a check or go to our Go-Fund-Me page at .https://www.gofundme.com/f/keep-the-lgb-traincraft-blogs-alive
THANK YOU for keeping the LGB hobby alive!! And God Bless!
Your donation will help in our efforts to have a new blog at least every week!

Breaking News --- KLAUS is OPEN for BUSINESS !!

YES - that's right. Klaus, your Famous Klaus is open for business - again - to restore and install LGB trains, engines, cars and LGB antiques. Life happens. Sometimes  decisions need to be made.  And the  winner is : YOU!

This mid-March Klaus is again open for  LGB model train  installations, restorations and repair. Klaus will try to fulfill parts needs but may refer you  when appropriate.

You will see this blog as well as our other blogs regularly with information about old and sometimes new LGB matters. This blog will showcase  LGB restoration projects, and general old generation (1968-2006) LGB train,engine, and car history and new developments in ESU decoders. On LGB Yarner you will - again - find biographical stories  about LGB 'players, gamers and owners'. And the rather new blog Traincraft Trove  will furthermore contain offers from Klaus' personal collection.

Your Famous Klaus has installed ESU sound decoder (generation) V 4.0 since 2012. To quote him:" driving characteristics in speed steps 1-3 are unsurpassed by any other sound decoder out there" (YT: see You Tube ESU in F 7 video slowest F 7   which at one time was the least watched video on You Tube). But there is more: the enormous amount of light functions like Mars light, firebox light, dimmable headlights with fade-in/fade-out function and many more. All in all 18 light functions are available.

Klaus also really likes the fact that ESU has the biggest library of loco sounds. Just look at the
extreme variety of locos Klaus installed the ESU decoder in: ( all LGB) Mogul, Crocodile, F7, Streetcar, 2055, 2056, 2043, 2020, 2021, 2070, Forney, Mallet, Mikado, Uintah, 2099, 2095, Glacier Express, Ruegen, Ballenberg-- and also, into Shay, USA GP, USA S4, Aristocraft, Aster, MTH GG (YT: A non-LGB loco might require extra work and higher installation costs). And since Klaus is also a knowledgeable sound mixer he custom-designs sounds from that library as well.

Klaus utilizes the ESU decoder for digital operation but it can also be operated in analogue mode. However in analogue mode there is no power buffer once the loco is parked. To solve this special problem Klaus installs the Phoenix sound decoder which also operates digitally but has no driving functions ( sound decoder only ) whereas the ESU V 4.0 and V 50 are a combined sound and driving decoder.

At this year's International Toy Fair ESU introduced their new next generation ESU V 5.0 sound decoders.
As before the programming is an easy task via the Lok Programmer. A wide variety of pre-programmed motor settings is again supporting the smooth functioning of the loco in drive and sound move. The unique auto-tune function allows the automatic decompression of the decoder to the motor. New design contents are: it can play up to 10 sounds simultaneously without them interfering each other. So i.e. whistle, bell, braking noise, air pump and more are played at the same time clearly. Each channel can be resolved with up to 16 bit forward/31250kHz and by that finally offers hi-fi quality for your engine. There is virtually no difference to the original. A dual class D amplifier with up to 2-times 6 Watt output powers the speakers. It is equipped with 12 amplified function outputs which thereby allows you to control lights, servos, smokers etc - up to 12 of them.

The new V 5.0 generation sound decoder will be available by April.

Klaus contact data is the same --- call or email. Thank You for Your Support!!