# LGB mogul DCC conversion



## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

This morning, I was going to install a basic NCE decoder (no sound; model D408SR, 4 amp) in an old LGB mogul I bought at an auction. Mainly I need to get a second loco DCC-operating for track debugging operations, since my DCC-enabled Hartland 4-4-0 seems a little suspect. Long story.

Anyway, this mogul had an bulky and complicated Massoth sound card in it. I ran it ok though on DC, and the sound seemed OK for now. I'd like to keep the sound, but that seems too involved a project at this point. 

So I opened up another (used) LGB mogul, and couldn't figure out how to isolate the motor from the pickups. Been looking for an article or something, but no joy, except for this article which has a completely different wiring scheme than my mogul #2: http://www.wiringfordcc.com/lgb_c_and_s_mogul.htm . And this one for install of a sound board, http://www.turvill.com/t2/train_stu...nstall.pdf , but again it had different wiring (e.g, the extra yellow wire for rail pickup, separate from the motor lead). 

Here's a pic of #2 on the operating table:











Those vertical pins to the right of the motor are the connection points for the leads to the board. Lowest is track AND motor left; middle is track right; upper is motor right. 

Also, I noticed that this has rubber traction tires on the rear drivers, and that one of 'em is missing... beside the point though.

Anyone have a link to an instruction page for this sort of DCC conversion? Or is it just not possible / worth it? Maybe I should revert to mogul #1, perhaps it's easier to convert... probably have to trash the massoth-lgb (analog) sound card though, right? 

Thanks,
===>Cliffy


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

I drill a hole in the motor block in the corner near the common lead. 
Then I cut the motor lead in half on the side that needs isolation, and then add/solder a wire to this lead.


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

By "motor lead," you're talking about the flat tab from the motor that touches the vertical pin, if I'm understanding right. So you're cutting that tab in half, so it can't touch the pin, and soldering to that. 

I think I get it. 
Thanks Dan! 


BTW, both of the links I cited above have a comma or period at their tail end; delete those and they should work.


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Thinking about the 3-wire LGB motor block, and looking at the 1st article I cited, I'm more confused. That common lead goes to a common point on the circuit board, and that article talks about cutting a trace at that point on the board, etc. 

So maybe it would be easier hacking this "industrial" mogul from B'mann:










It has separate motor wires -- but now too many. And I suppose the sound board won't work with DCC. 

Anyone have a link for converting this, or a 3-wire-motor-block LGB, to DCC? Any way to utilize the sound system?

This is about the eighth loco I've opened up, and each has its issues. This one seems to have the least: isolated motor, flanges gauge ok, and it runs OK on DC.

Thanks for any further help....


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

After further digging...











The lights are LED. That extra (white) wire to the motor is grounded to its can (not sure why), the blue and green are + and -.

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-...ECTION.pdf

So, I guess the brute force method might be to... 
- chop out everything but the leads to the lights, chuff sensor, motor, pickups
- add resistors (not sure what ohms) to one of each led lead pair (not sure which one yet)
- tie off the chuff sensor wires for a future sound card
- tie off the speaker leads
- pitch the two PC boards (??) 
- and wire the new NCE DCC board into the remaining leads

Wish there was a way to salvage the sound system though. 


===>Cliffy


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

When adding a decoder to the older LGB engines, I always remove the LGB electronics and drive motor, lights, smoke directly from the decoder. 
I also add a cabin light for the engineer. This has the benefit of the decoder replacing the LGB electronics in the Mogul where space is tight. 
I rewire the 6 pin connector to the tender with 2 wires for track power, 2 wires for the light, and 2 wires for a speaker and I use the Visiton FRS8 in the tender.


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Thanks Dan, that helps a lot.


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

The conversion went fairly well (of the Bachmann mogul). So thanks Dan for your encouragement!


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

As I've mentioned elsewhere, the Bachmann mogul is off for repair, and now I need to go back to square one: needing the LGB mogul conversion. Because my Hartland 4-4-0's drivers need replacement, and I need to transfer its DCC card to something more reliable and in-gauge and...


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Well, there was quite a story behind the Bachmann mogul: the discovery that (_after_ the DCC conversion) a main gear was partially stripped, and then finding solution to the problem:

http://www.mylargescale.com/Communi...fault.aspx

In short, the Bachmann mogul was replaced with a new one, and it now seems too nice for the board I'm dealing with here. 

So I went back to an LGB, this one a slightly newer "DSP&P" model. I don't like the Christmas colors, so I see some Krylon in its future. The first thing I did was check the gearing, and it looked practically unused, teeth crisp, clean, all still greased. Worked just fine on 12V.

Originally, I'd run into the puzzle of 3-wires out of the motor block, but thanks to Dan's ideas and encouragement, it all seemed quite doable. Here's how I ended up doing the motor isolation:










Need to get a better camera. Anyway, I bent the (left) motor contact over, clipped it in half; drilled a hole in the top plate, ran a wire from a JST connector and soldered it to the bent tab.

Piece of cake! All went well (including the conversion to LED in the headlight), and it now runs great on DCC. Thanks again Dan! 

The only other main problem was that the plastic screw stand-off going down from the smokebox was broken off at the smokebox. One of the other two side tabs, between chassis and boiler, was also broken, making a fix to the smokebox screw fairly important. Basically, I needed a #6 x 1-3/4 sheet metal screw, but my local store didn't have it. They did have a #8 x 2", so I drilled out for clearance in the chassis (and re-piloting in the smokebox), and ran that baby home. Rock solid now.

Next stop, gettin' her out on the layout and continuing with track / switch debugging. 

===>Cliffy


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

When the long piece of plastic breaks off the smoke box, I drill it out and I then use a long sheet rock screw to come up from the bottom of the engine to get secured in the boiler. 
You could even use a long drilling screw to allow the screw to get secured in the metal weight. 

This screw is very important in the mogul as it makes the motor/idler/axle gear fullly mesh and keep the drivers in quarter. 
Failure to do this will eventually allow the idler/s to strip and possibly break the side rod/s. 

Train-Li has these parts, but for the cost of 1 screw and 10 minutes time, why take a chance on the possible damage I just mentioned.


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Didn't think about sheet rock screws Dan, but otherwise I did exactly what you said. Thanks for the further reasons on why to fix that. I think I have one or 2 more locos with this same issue, but their restoration day is a ways off.


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## Ryman (Jan 16, 2014)

I've done several of the LGB 3 pin conversions. They are a little intimidating at first but with some careful dremel work its not so bad. After pulling the motor out of the box I open the area the tab that is shared with the track with the dremel. From there I will shorten or bend the motor tab and solder a wire on to it, drill a hole for the wire in the top of the box and put it back together. Now its a 4 pin block. There are other ways to isolate the motor but this is how i've done it and they have all worked well. I'm about to do 2 more in the near future.


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

I drill the hole before taking the block apart. Makes it easier for using the dremel to allow for the wire next to the cut motor lead. 
I make this hole in the corner where the single track lead is located.


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