# LGB Locomotive pulling power?



## BodsRailRoad (Jul 26, 2008)

I have recently acquired a RHB UNESCO and a RHB Berbina Express LGB Locomotives and was wondering how many of the LGB panarama cars they can pull comfortably without undo stress on them? 

I am planning on 5 car consists and my layout is zero grade ATM.

Thanks, Ron


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

I do not have these specific engines, but I have several other LGB RhB dual motor locomotives. They will easily pull 4 or 5 4 axle cars. I have pulled 8 without any problems and that was all I had.

You can add cars until the wheels start to slip then take off the last two. 

Your curves may have more of a factor than the grade. This applies to less than 10' diameter. 

Chuck


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

With the LGB RhB Ge 4/4 II or a Ge 4/4 III engine I had no trouble pulling 12 of the large LGB RhB passenger cars - they were a mix of cars with ball-bearing pick-ups (which practically move by themselves) and some cars with the older brush power pick-ups with quite a bit of drag. 
The layout included a 3% grade which the engine managed, but I couldn't start the train on the grade - the wheels would slip. 
All of the long LGB RhB cars manufactured after 2000 have ball-bearing pick-ups, so that's all you would have and if you don't have any grade you should be able to pull more than 12 cars with either of those engines. 
Don't worry about "stress" on the engines - these LGB locos are designed so that the wheels slip before any damage can happen to the gears - people actually routinely add weights to the equivalent of about 3 pounds per axle to increase their pulling power - I never found that necessary with those engines. 
You do want to make sure your power pack can deliver at least 3 amps, that's the maximum I measured going up hill and all cars except one with the lights on. I used a Meanwell regulated supply and the Aristo analog TE. 

Knut


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## BodsRailRoad (Jul 26, 2008)

Thanks for the heads up. 
I will be runnging them in DCC with a 10 amp regulated power supply.
Ron


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## Chip (Feb 11, 2008)

There is a forum on the RhB at http://rhb-grischun.ca/phpBB2/index.php


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## BodsRailRoad (Jul 26, 2008)

Nice thanks a lot.


I like these a lot but they are very expensive I'm debating on whether to keep them or sell them.
I received my first three LGB panorama cars last month, 2 first class and the GEx dinner, and was a little disappointed in the detail of them for a $600 car.
I had thought for some reason that they were metal and had ball bearing axles, turns out I was miss informed, made from plastic no bearings.


Is the high cost due to a licensing fee with RHB or something?


I guess I'll see how they grow on me, they are all still new in the box and if I decide to sell them I know I'll get what I paid for them.

Ron


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## BodsRailRoad (Jul 26, 2008)

Posted By Chip on 18 Jul 2011 09:50 AM 
There is a forum on the RhB at http://rhb-grischun.ca/phpBB2/index.php 

Hmm won't let me in to see anything, and am unabled to register because it has been dissabled, are they going through site maintenance?

Ron


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

Posted By BodsRailRoad on 18 Jul 2011 09:40 AM 
Thanks for the heads up. 
I will be runnging them in DCC with a 10 amp regulated power supply.
Ron

Perfect!


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

Posted By BodsRailRoad on 18 Jul 2011 10:06 AM 
Posted By Chip on 18 Jul 2011 09:50 AM 
Hmm won't let me in to see anything, and am unabled to register because it has been dissabled, are they going through site maintenance? 
It's been like that for ages.

I was told that they don't accept any new members

H-J Mueller who runs that forum was banned from mls.
But he still posts on LSC - you could contact him there if you want to see if you are allowed to join.


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

Posted By BodsRailRoad on 18 Jul 2011 10:02 AM 


Nice thanks a lot.


I like these a lot but they are very expensive I'm debating on whether to keep them or sell them.
I received my first three LGB panorama cars last month, 2 first class and the GEx dinner, and was a little disappointed in the detail of them for a $600 car.
I had thought for some reason that they were metal and had ball bearing axles, turns out I was miss informed, made from plastic no bearings.


Is the high cost due to a licensing fee with RHB or something?


I guess I'll see how they grow on me, they are all still new in the box and if I decide to sell them I know I'll get what I paid for them.

Ron

Hi Ron,

The LGB RhB Panorama cars are made of plastic but they all have ball-bearing metal wheel sets (one on each bogie) and interior lighting.

I assume you mean these cars:
http://www.gbdb.info/details.php?image_id=1605

LGB never made any metal RhB cars like that - the only ones I know of were made by Scheba but those are a different style of Panorama car:
http://www.gbdb.info/details.php?image_id=1005

And Lebu also offered metal RhB passenger cars, but the normal types:
http://www.gbdb.info/details.php?image_id=1107

And finally, Kiss is in the process of manufacturing plastic panorama cars of the type that Scheba had sold (in metal)
Those are not yet in the database since they don't exist yet.

I have a few of those made out of plastic but these were hand built:
http://www.gbdb.info/details.php?image_id=2368


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## BodsRailRoad (Jul 26, 2008)

OK thanks knut I was looking for the bearings on the truck not the wheelset . 
I have a set of the Rhb Bernina kiss cars on order from Axel. They look very nice and much more reasonably priced. The kiss Berninas are also the correr prototype vs the LGB berninas which are Glacier repaints. 
I'll post some pics when they arrive. 

Ron


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