# Question on adding power plugs to LGB Stainz locomotive



## zoro (Feb 8, 2010)

I've got an LGB Stainz locomotive that came with a starter kit. I'm looking to ad the power plugs to the locomotive so that I can connect and use lighted cars. Is there a kit I can buy and install on the locomotive or do I need to find a locomotive that came that way from the factory.

I'm also wondering what it would take to enable an LGB car to pick up track power from the rails to run the lights without having to wire up to the engine. 


I've done a lot of searching online but haven't really found the answers I'm looking for.

Thanks for the help!


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Zoro......... There are 2 power jacks on the floor of the Stainz cab marked + and -. They can be used for power input or power out.

They're available here LGB Plugs


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## zoro (Feb 8, 2010)

Posted By Stan Cedarleaf on 29 Dec 2011 09:46 AM 
Hi Zoro......... There are 2 power jacks on the floor of the Stainz cab marked + and -. They can be used for power input or power out.

They're available here LGB Plugs

I'll take another good look at my locomotive, looked this morning but didn't see them. Anywhere in particular on the floor of the cab? The cab on my locomotive is closed in the rear unlike others I've seen.


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## kormsen (Oct 27, 2009)

if you want to go the other way - there are cars from LGB, that got power pickup and plugs. the green two aixled "Post" van comes to mind.


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## zoro (Feb 8, 2010)

Definitely no plugs on my locomotive. 

Is this the postal van you're referring to? 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LGB-3019-LI...732389?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item3cbfab9b25 

Seems like a good idea if I can 'steal' power off of it for other cars.


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

My Stainz, from a starter set from about 1980 with a motor block #2010, has two female sockets in the back wall of the cab behind the engine. They just look like small holes. If you look in through the engineers window you can see there are wires leading to the holes. These work with the small LGB banana plugs. I can't get to some more recent starter sets right now to check on whether or not they have sockets.

Chuck 


That is the car. If you look carefully at the EBAY picture you will see two small holes just under the roof at the top of the back wall. Those are the sockets.


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## mbendebba (Jan 22, 2011)

Zoro: 
Is this a #3 stainz, without a power switch in the cab? if so, they were delivered without a power plug. 

There are 2 ways to power cars for lights and both require metal wheels. You can either use the standard LGB metal wheels with the LGB 63193 contact parts for metal wheels, or you can use LGB ball bearing wheels and connect the lights directly to the pins on the wheels. I personally prefer the ball bearing wheels. The cost is about the same for both options. 

LGB makes light boards with holes spaced to fit exactly over the mounting holes in the ceiling of LGB cars. Each LGB board has one 24V plug-in bulb. The lighting is dim at low speed and get brighter as you increase speed. Massoth makes light boards that also fit, but they each have two 5V plug-in bulbs and an integrated voltage stabilization circuit, the lighting is bright at all speed. the Massoth boards cost around $3.00 more than the LGB boards. 

Mohammed 
http://www.allaboutlgb.com


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## zoro (Feb 8, 2010)

Yes, this is a #3 Stainz. There is a black square plug at the rear of the cab where I'm assuming the power plug would be if it had them. I'll see if I can get a picture.

I think I'm going to look for one of the postal cars or convert one of my other cars to be a 'power pick up' car.

Thanks so much for all the help!


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## Trains West (Oct 4, 2008)

did you pull the cap off ? when they went to the square plug it had a mu cap over it


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## mbendebba (Jan 22, 2011)

zoro: 

it is probably cheaper to convert one of the cars to a power pick car than it is to get a postal car; passing current from one car to next is also easier with the lighting boards I already mentioned. 

Mohammed


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## kormsen (Oct 27, 2009)

Posted By zoro on 29 Dec 2011 02:46 PM 
Definitely no plugs on my locomotive. 

Is this the postal van you're referring to? 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LGB-3019-LI...732389?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item3cbfab9b25 

Seems like a good idea if I can 'steal' power off of it for other cars. 

yes, that is the one.


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## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

Get one of the postal cars, by the time one gets BB wheels or the older style wheels and brushes (increased drag), wiring, etc, one is well past the price of a used (and sometimes new) postal car. 

Of the six or so I have, they ranged in price from free to $70 for a rare-ish 31190 DR marked brown one....most all but the freebie are mint in condtion include a brand new 32190 with the modern sockets and BBs wheels I bought from a hobby shop for $55. 

THe one in the link above is way way way way overpriced and is about a 25 year old used one, and a common version of a 3190 at that so no need to pay that much. 

They are actually kind of a fun car with the red lights, mail sorting room and baggage area. I add a light to the bagage area on all of mine.


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

The #3 Stainz from starter sets most definately does not have power plugs on the rear!!! 

I have the #3 Stainz from a starter set and I added the socket to the rear by using the pins from a PC mother board I scrapped (you can buy these they are .100 mil spacing). 
Also, the cables from a PC are the correct type to mate with LGB's rectangular sockets. 

I always run my small engines with either a tender (steam engines) or car with power pickups tied between the 2. 

Great improvement esp with switches and plastic frogs.


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## Paulus (May 31, 2008)

The #3 Stainz from starter sets most definately does not have power plugs on the rear!!! 

Depends on the starterset. My #3 Stainz from the 70302 starterset for instance has the square powerplug under the black cap on the rear. Like Scott mentioned. 
I think the sets that have sound (and smoke) also supply the Stainz with those type powerplugs. They are not the standard round plugs but LGB has an adapter cable for it.


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## Batsco (Mar 30, 2011)

Thinking outside the box a bit here but have you considered using a battery pack in one of the cars and connected to the others normally the lights will be on all the time and not varying with the track voltage? 
I used this method with my HO passrenger trains. 
Another suggestion is removing any incandescent lamps and replacing them with white LEDs, to get a warm yellow glow just dip the LED in yellow nail polish.


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## Paul Norton (Jan 8, 2008)

If there is a square cover on the back, there is a 2-pin header underneath. The cover is hard to remove. I lightly sanded mine and installed it with the hinge up so my fingernail had something to grab.



On this locomotive, all I had to do to prepare it for battery power and radio control was remove the track-power pickups.



There is an article about how this was done for this LGB 21780 steam locomotive on our club web site.


The power car is an LGB boxcar with an Aristo-Craft, lithium-ion battery pack and Revolution receiver in a Plug and Play Board.



The MU connector is simply an All Electronics, female, 2-wire connector (CON-240) with the wings removed. It fits perfectly.










There is an article on our club web site showing how the LGB Power Boxcar was assembled, although it’s not hard to figure out just by looking at the picture.


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## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

Oy, no wonder I don't post here much anymore...


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## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

The simplest method of installing power jacks to your Stainz, if I may say, is the method I have used for many years. Simply remove the bottom motor cover. Take two pieces of 26 gauge or something similar. Strip the insulation off of one end of each piece and insert the stripped ends under the silver rods that make contact with the brass plates. Now carefully run the two wires toward the rear of the loco. Shape them so as not to let them interfere with the gears. Before replacing the motor cover, carve two small half moons in the thin edge at the rear of the cover. You will notice that there is already a small half moon on one side. Make this one slightly larger and copy it on the opposite side. Route the wires around the rear "cowcatcher" and run them down along the underside of the floor of the cab. 


Now, drill two 9/64" holes in the red rear beam. Strip the ends of the wires about 1/4". Insert them into LGB round female banana sockets. Insert the sockets into the two 9/64" holes you drilled in the rear beam. Hot glue everything in place. You now have power for your lighted cars. You can also back feed power to the loco through these sockets. Since I converted to battery power, they work perfectly for transferring power from the battery car to the loco.

This may sound complicated, but it isn't. If you need a photo, please let me know and I will post one tomorrow night.


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## Paul Norton (Jan 8, 2008)

Ooops! On rereading this thread I realized that the gentleman who originally started this thread wanted information on track power. I wanted to delete my references to battery power and leave only the pictures and text pertinent to his question in my original post, but unfortunately I am unable to edit it. I will have to be a little more careful when posting after midnight EST.

I’ll be sitting in the corner for the rest of the class.


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## Paulus (May 31, 2008)

Posted By Paulus on 31 Dec 2011 10:00 AM 
The #3 Stainz from starter sets most definately does not have power plugs on the rear!!! 

Depends on the starterset. My #3 Stainz from the 70302 starterset for instance has the square powerplug under the black cap on the rear. Like Scott mentioned. 
I think the sets that have sound (and smoke) also supply the Stainz with those type powerplugs. They are not the standard round plugs but LGB has an adapter cable for it. 


RECTIFICATION: I just see the Stainz in the set is a 20212 and that's a Stainz 2. And I was sure it was a 3...
Thanks Dan!


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

The part number on the bottom of my #3 stainz is 20211. No print readily available and the 21211 does show a power connection and smoke unit that the 20211 #3 does not have. 
This engine came from the 30th anniversary set with the 4 logging type cars carrying 6 pieces of track. set #73968.


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