# Repair LGB Chloe



## KeithRB (Sep 25, 2015)

My son has an LGB Chloe:





Grizzly Flats CHLOE Steam Locomotive | Märklin


This locomotive was built by Baldwin and used until the 1940s for sugar cane transport on Hawaii. Then, it came to the Grizzly Flats Railroad, Ward Kimball




www.lgb.com





I was using it to pull my Aristo Track cleaning car, and I guess it was too much and it stripped some gears. The meter spins, but the wheels don't turn.

Anyway, I took out all the obvious screws but could not get the bottom cover off. What is the secret?

And would it be better to replace the whole motive unit or just whatever is stripped? (Probably just the cone gears).


----------



## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

The motor only drives the rear axle. On the older models there is a serpentine belt drive, newer model has a drive shaft. Wheel alignment is very important when reassembling and the belt version is a royal pain, drive shaft is easy. Note the 2 versions have different motors!


----------



## KeithRB (Sep 25, 2015)

Any hints as to how to get it apart?


----------



## Girotek (Dec 27, 2007)

I do have the gears in stock.


----------



## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

Note that the chloe only pulls 2 to 3 small FRR cars (2 axle). I have one over 20 years old and works great, but I do not use it very often. Never been relubed either.


----------



## KeithRB (Sep 25, 2015)

Girotek said:


> I do have the gears in stock.


Great, I can't seem to find the wheels anywhere.


----------



## KeithRB (Sep 25, 2015)

Dan Pierce said:


> Note that the chloe only pulls 2 to 3 small FRR cars (2 axle). I have one over 20 years old and works great, but I do not use it very often. Never been relubed either.


Yeah usually we just pull the two excursion cars.


----------



## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

KeithRB said:


> Great, I can't seem to find the wheels anywhere.


Trainli.com has them LGB-20130-994 for a pair of axles with wheels and gears.


----------



## KeithRB (Sep 25, 2015)

I still have not figured out how to get it apart. LGB's exploded part drawing was no help. Any clues?


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

google is your friend:

"how to disassemble an lgb chloe"

try that search phrase, lots of hits


----------



## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

The Trainli axle set is for the serpentine belt, NOT the drive shaft Marklin version. Marklin did make both versions, LGB only made the serpentine version.


----------



## KeithRB (Sep 25, 2015)

I guess I have a different internet than you do, Greg, since there while there were a lot of hits (This discussion was about the third hit), none were specific to the taking apart of the Chloe.

Anyway, by being a little more forceful, I got it apart as shown below. It looks to me like a manufacturing defect, the gear on the axle looks pristine. I guess I just shove it back, right?


----------



## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

I would add a drop of glue to help keep the gear in place after moving it back in place.


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Strictly speaking that is not a serpentine belt, which is ANY belt that has a serpent-like path... which necessitates at least 3 points of contact:










More importantly, this is a "toothed belt" which has less slippage than a smooth belt or O ring.

But anyway... 

I went back and looked up the hits, you are right, lots of talk, but only Tom White (who posts here) had mentioned a recent install.

But it seems that you merely had to remove the bottom motor block cover, it must have been tight and concerned you.

Dan, what glue? If that is nylon, will CA work, or perhaps a more traditional glue?

Greg


----------



## KeithRB (Sep 25, 2015)

I tend to think that a serpentine belt also makes contact on the inside and the outside.
Yeah, It was hard to see the seam and it was pretty tight after I had the screws out.

Anyway, all good now. Thanks everyone. I just put a few drops of my hobby plastic glue on it. It was a pretty tight fit, so it probably wasn't needed


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Yes, for it to change direction, there must be at least one roller/pulley on the back side, from a geometric point of view, otherwise not needed if no change in direction, i.e. NOT serpentine.


----------



## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

Greg, I never had the Chloe type of gear slip out of place, I only suggested it be glued as this one did slip out of alignment and it could occur again.


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I completely agree, was asking what type of glue would you recommend, you being (way) more familiar than most of use with LGB.

Greg


----------



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

KeithRB said:


>


I do like the plug-in board on the right, which connects the wheel and skate pickups to the motor. Pretty easy to disconnect the 2 if you are going deadrail.


----------

