# LGB engine pick-up



## 556789 (Apr 25, 2008)

Recently, I purchased one of the new LGB SP Moguls (LGB #22194). Despite my best efforts, I cannot get this engine to run smoothly. Having tested my other moguls, it is clearly that a lack of pick-up is responsible for this engine's halting performance. 

Has anyone a suggestion what I might be able to do to locate the source of this issue and, if possible, fix it? 

Thanks, Jim


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## Michael Benke (Jan 8, 2008)

It may be your tender. The tender wheels supply power which is picked up by the electrical pig tail from the engine. One thing to try is to put the tender on a powered track to check to see if power is being provided to the pins that connect to the pig tail from the engine. If you have power, it could be the pickups on the tender wheels. Just some thoughts.


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## steam5 (Jun 22, 2008)

Seems odd a brand new loco is having these issues, especially with all the pick ups on the mogul. 

Are you sure it is a pick up problem? Does the headlight flicker? 

Mine are to well pack up right now (unfortunately) but I seem to think the loco will run with out the tender. And the pickups on the loco should be sufficient for it to run well. 

I would try placing power directly to the pick up shoes on the loco buy using some alligator clips (or similar). 

Hold the loco up and giver her gun, it runs smooth then it would suggest a pickup problem. If it still runs the same like it does on the track it could still be a pick up problem, but internal to the loco or a mechanical fault. 

How did you get on?


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## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

That's odd for an LGB loco. Mine all run like silk. Still, I backfeed the loco with power picked up from the ball bearing wheels of my rolling 

stock. If the track isn't as clean as it should be, then the extra pick ups help immensly.


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

I had a power pickup issue with my mogul and found the engine had a bad contact in the gear case. 

LGB just uses a ling wire to make contact on several points in the gear case. I added conductive paste to the contact points and now have no more issues with this engine. 
The engine was running off the tender power pickups and stalling on switches.


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## 556789 (Apr 25, 2008)

Thanks, Michael: This particular mogul model (SP with Vanderbilt tender) doesn't have pick-up capability. This is a great idea but I haven't been able to find any arch-bar trucks for sale which can be used to add pick-up. Thanks again for the help. 
Jim


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

All that is needed for picking up power in the tender is the add-on pickups that have carbon brushes touching the backside of the wheels. 
Even though LGB parts are hard to get, USA makes the same unit. 

I have added these to many engines and cars that have a small tab on the truck opposite the coupler. I even modified one and fit it to the 69232 tender (the one that comes with the 2-4-0).


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## 556789 (Apr 25, 2008)

Hi Michael: 
The tender for this mogul is the SP Vanerbilt )which I'd only seen in LGB ads prior to ordering it) looks like something LGB manufactired to put with one of their 2-4-0 sets, thus no pick-ups for the tender. To be frank, I was totallyu disappointed with the tender when unpacking the mogul .. it is disproportionately small in size to my other mogul tenders and really doesn't even look like they belong together. 

Since reading a couple of the suggestions (yours included), I've ordered a set of US Trains archbar trucks with pick-ups in the hope that this might be the solution to my problem. 
Thank you for the suggestion. 
Jim


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## 556789 (Apr 25, 2008)

Hi Dan: 
Thanks for the advice - I just ordered trucks and pick-ups from USTrains. The trucks on this LGB tender are not the archbar ones on other LGB tenders and they don't have capacity for pick-ups. This tender looks like something LGB sells with its starter sets or 2-4-0 moguls. 
Thanks again 
Jim


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## 556789 (Apr 25, 2008)

Hi Steam5: 
Yup, I sure was disappointed when I placed this engine on the track and found that it wouldn't run without starting and stopping. As it can't run through a turn-out without stalling, I've tested the shoe and wheels, only to find that the shoes are the only reliable pickup, suggesting that it is a defective engine. 
Thank you for the advice ..... I'll pursue this issue and, in the meantime add pick-ups to the tender. 
Jim


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## steam5 (Jun 22, 2008)

Jim, you’re on the right track have a look into it 

At the end of a day a new loco, on nice track should just work, no excuse. 

I don’t expect much


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

I have 3 of those tenders from the 2-4-0 (69232) and I added a single power pickup to the rear truck. Front truck has the reed switches. 
I did have to modify the power pickup to fit on the truck. 
The wheels on this tender are a different size and are bigger than FRR wheels and smaller than the ball bearing LGB wheels.


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## jebouck (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By 556789 on 07/14/2008 6:05 PM
Hi Dan: 
Thanks for the advice - I just ordered trucks and pick-ups from USTrains. The trucks on this LGB tender are not the archbar ones on other LGB tenders and they don't have capacity for pick-ups. This tender looks like something LGB sells with its starter sets or 2-4-0 moguls. 
Thanks again 
Jim




I replaced the trucks on mine with LGB archbars. They are not an exact fit, some mods were needed. If you are ready to do a little kitbashing, you'll be fine. 
Pick-ups were not a concern for me: I run Bat/RC. But I didn't like the looks of those vandy tender trucks. 
jb


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