# I need purchase advice - LGB French Mikado



## Merlin83 (Sep 23, 2011)

I am looking at purchasing one of the LGB French Mikados - and I have read in other forums that some of the 'Mikes' have problems with a particular drive piece which strips easily, and I recall someone stating that some 'Mikes' end up being nice static display models. 

I have no intention of doing that, I run my trains a lot. So could someone please advise on if this is wise to purchas or not? 

It is the LGB 22782 - it's on eBay and I dunno it seems like a high price, if I proceed with this I will try to negotiate a better price or free shipping. 

Thank you, 
Brett


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## Sampug394 (Dec 30, 2010)

This sort of worry is why somebody needs to make metal drive gears for LGB locomotives... The moguls in particular end up killing theirs after a while because there's a tendency to make them haul long and heavy trains when they can't always handle it.


I personally would look into getting replacement drive gears if you go ahead and buy the locomotive. Assuming that's the problem with the 2-8-2s, its never bad to have a few spares...


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## Treeman (Jan 6, 2008)

Parts for the Moguls are not a problem. Different story for the Mike's. They don't share common parts with other LGB motor blocks.


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## Jim Agnew (Jan 2, 2008)

The tendency for the articulated motor blocks to remain skewed after existing a curve will cause the drivers to eat the rail head, especially bad if your using 8' diameter curves or less.


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## gtrainman (Jan 5, 2008)

Posted By Jim Agnew on 07 Oct 2012 01:16 PM 
The tendency for the articulated motor blocks to remain skewed after existing a curve will cause the drivers to eat the rail head, especially bad if your using 8' diameter curves or less. 

Huh?

I never heard that one before.

I've run my LGB Mikes for years on layouts at my home that use LGB 1500 curves with no track problems.


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## Jim Agnew (Jan 2, 2008)

It may not be noticable depending on runtime. My experience was with one that seen a great deal of time running on a hospital layout where the engine ran for hours on end.


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## TheRoundHouseRnR (Jul 15, 2012)

This topic gets a bit hairy for sure. However i have read lots of threads and started one of my own not to long ago about the Mikado, Since i am looking for one myself. Theres tons of pictures and advice about this all over the place. To shorten all that reading into a few sentences i would say... 

The old drives had a coupling between the drive shaft that caused two problems.. 
1- couplings where pressed onto the shaft in hopes friction would not let them slip.....fail 
2- couplings used a star shaped drive that would strip out. 

The new drives 
1- the couplings are still a press fit but the drive shafts are square at the ends. The hole that accepts the shaft in the coupling is square also. So square shaft in a square hole can't spin... 
2 - Changed the star shape coupling to a lug type style. I dont know the proper word for it... They only changed one of the couplings ,the other two are still the star shape. Yet to be determind if thats a problem.. 


However all this means. The new drives hold up nicely if not abused and put under heavy loads. Some people claim that the wheels spin on the axels causing them to go out of quarter. Again i think you REALLY have to be working this engine for that to happen. 

As mentioned earlier, they have a hard time straighting out after they go through a curve. Drives some people nuts. 

The french Mikado has the new drive so dont worry. You should be fine. It was only the early runs that had the old drive and problems. Im still waiting on the right one for me ... has not came along yet. The Roundhouse RnR


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## du-bousquetaire (Feb 14, 2011)

The LGB French mikado, one must know is a craziest design LGB ever put out? it is all wrong for a model of the SNCF liberation mikado prototype; wrong scale gauge ratio and although the Liberation mikados were developed from USRA light mikado drawings, they differed in quite a few points from it. Including some diferences in french railroading practices. The LGB mikado is totally wrong in proportions (the boiler taper comes down too fast, the firebox is quite diferent etc. LGB it is well known by serious railfan takes a good deal of liberties with proportions on it's models (and this has resulted in the G gauge scale mess we have to live with today) But this one has to be the worst. It is at least as wrong as their GG1 which is proportioned after the lionel o gauge model rather than the prototype. Be informed: I modeled the SNCF for more than fifty years, I know what I am talking about. If you want to model the 141 R in gauge one get an Aster or it's photo, it's correct in its main proportions and compare first.


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## Ltotis (Jan 3, 2008)

There is that difference in price between a plastic LGB Mikado and a Brass Aster Mikado. A very significant difference in price. I had the SNCF and Pennsy LGB Mikados. I sold both. Dan Pierce at Train-Li fixes many of the units with bad gear trains. 
Regards, 
LAO


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## stevedenver (Jan 6, 2008)

old topic i guess but i felt compelled to say 
regardless of whether such and such had something
and how wrong this model is, etc 

the lgb mikes are really a treat to run and to watch, IMHO
doesnt matter to me that its not quite SNCF, that SP never did one in Daylight, or that Southern Crescent livery is entirley wrong, etc etc -the tender is too short, ad nauseum 

as noted, its either a very pricey scale model as an alternative, which, as we know, doesnt always insure one that actually run as well or as long, 
or 
you can simply enjoy it for what it is , not whats wrong with them 
id love to have the SNCF mike model with several not-correct golden arrow wanna be's too 
they would still look impressive and be a hoot to run 


and im not familiar with anything else -other than the not so easy to get Asters that might fit the bill, and certainly will require different running parameters , different rolling stock etc
nor an AMtrac Genesis, i just have to make do with all its imperfections too-otoh, doubt id ever find another for its initial street price of about $250.00, or its current $350 + price either


and as far as LGB's craziest design, i doubt it-the little 2015/2017 still is up there for me in terms of not seeing a prototype ever-maybe the Forney?, maybe the old style KoF with drive rods? 
but ...i still like LGB.....they work and they are reliable and sturdy-not as a perfect model, (although imho some are) but simply as a locomotive and rolling stock i can use without fear 
but i for one am always glad they have attempted to offer such a wide variety of locomotives, be them an approximation or really close to the prototype 
siouth african garrett, hawaian Olomano, swiss HE 2/2 rack, US F7, Auatrian Stainz, french corpet-US Mogul-etc 

right or wrong, i have learned to see past the imperfections (took me a few years) and simply run them
if i want scale and correct- i have a railroad in another scale, where i can pay g scale prices+ for "correct stuff" in brass, etc


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