LGB train power problems

[Anonymous]

have an older LGB probably 15-20 years old, just took it out of shed and tried to hook it up for first time in 5 or so years. the power adapter is a tech II railpower 1400 and the green light goes on just fine when it is not hooked up to the tracks, when i hook it up the tracks the green light wont go on and the train doesnt move. but as soon as i unhook it from the track it lites up fine.

help! my 2 year old loves trains and is very sad that daddys train wont work.

thanks

[Buckeye Riveter]

I would head to Radio Shack and purchase a small electric meter and make sure you have current in the track. A better idea is to take the Tech II to the trainstore and have them test it. If the power tests okay then:

Send the engine to LGB in San Diego. The LGB web site has all the information. For a minimum charge of $50 they can do a lot to make that engine like new. My LGB engine has a new motor and runs pefect after they did a rehab.

I don't want you to think you are not welcome here at the CTT forum, but there is another forum sponsored by TRAINS.com named Garden Railroading and they deal with the LGB models much more than here. I post over there when I have a G scale question and they have been very helpful this past year.

Good luck

[daan]

Hi Jason, Is the power module an original LGB one? Unlike the 0 gauge trains, LGB runs only on DC, 22 volts.
Try to hook your transformer to the track without a train or engine on it and see if the light on your powerpack goes off. Be sure not to have any returnloops in your trackwork. Only an oval will not shortcirquit your transformer.
If everything works well on an empty track, put your cars one by one on the track and see after each car if the green light is still on.
If everything is still ok when you have all your cars on the track, put your locomotive on. If that dimms the green light you know there's something wrong with your locomotive. If the light dimms when putting one of the cars on, you know it's the car you last put on which is faulty.
Try to eliminate as many as possible causes by trying it one by one. If the transformer quits when only hooked up to one piece of track only, you need a new transformer, if it quits when hooked on empty layout, see if there are no return loops or triangles in it and try with an oval without any switches. If it still quits, the transformer is faulty too.
If one of the added cars quits the transformer, fix that car. If the locomotive makes the trafo quit, let it service.
It needs some time to figure out, but it should get clear what causes the problem.

[lionelsoni]

A little electrical clarification, if I may: As Daan says, LGB runs on DC, which means that the power supply that you have is more than a transformer; so he is speaking loosely when he calls it that. And "trafo" is European for "transformer".

[Anonymous]

If the LGB engine has a smoke unit be sure the on/off lever for the smoke unit (underneath the loco) is sitting on just the ball at the bottom of the stack that goes thru a nut. If the stack is not screwed all the way down the on/off lever sometimes comes in contact with the side of the smoke unit and causes a short.
John in Hawaii