# LGB Rugen on curves



## Vancer (Jan 15, 2010)

Recently bought a LGB Rugen which to me is one nice looking engine. Only issue i have with it is it appears to slow down excessively on my 5 foot Dia. curves. Anyone else experience this?


----------



## LebenswichtigeGartenBahn (Oct 23, 2010)

Posted By Vancer on 25 Oct 2010 07:59 PM 
Recently bought a LGB Rugen which to me is one nice looking engine. Only issue i have with it is it appears to slow down excessively on my 5 foot Dia. curves. Anyone else experience this? Vancer, I have a 28002. I only just got it and I have been busy revamping my track connections for the new 31 amp Mean Well power supply, so I haven't run it outdoors yet.

My outdoor layout has 5ft rad curves as well as 4ft. If I get a chance this weekend to run it, I'll be happy to report my findings for you.

What rolling stock were you pulling so I can try to recreate your conditions?
I assume your railheads were clean and dry?
Are you indoors or outdoors?
Were you getting wheelspin, motor slow-down, or binding in the 5ft curves that you observed?

-L.G.B.


----------



## Vancer (Jan 15, 2010)

Actually I just put the loco on my outdoor railway alone to observe how it rounded the 5 ft Dia track. I appears to bind a bit on these tight radius curves. The engine keeps moving of course but there is a noticeable slowing of the motor as it rounds curves. I took engine back inside and set some track up on the floor to observe it closer and even there on the R2 track there is some slowing due, in my opinion, to the resistance of the long non-articulated wheel base of the drivers. It is a shame as it is sure a nice looking Lok.


----------



## Toney (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Vancer,

your "problem" is well known in the LGB-community, readable in an test-resume of 99 4633 made 1997 by Miba. Use smoother curves and forget the slowing of this engine.
Here's the link: http://www.miba.de/testen/lgb_99.htm (only in German language)

Have fun

Toney


----------



## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

Yes, 8-foot diameter curves would be much better as far as running this particular engine is concerned - looks much more realistic as well, but some people don't have the room.
On 4 and 5-ft diameter curves the engine struggles a bit.

Thanks for the MIBA link, Toney - I always love to read what MIBA has to say about Large Scale equipment; unfortunately MIBA Hasn't published very many articles testing LGB or other Large Scale products.


Knut


----------



## Cougar Rock Rail (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm assuming you are running track power, regular DC: one option you might want to look at is putting a DCC decoder in it with BEMF. Massoth decoders (am I'm sure a few others) have the option of running BEMF even in analog mode, which would keep it at a constant speed for you around those tight corners. If it already has an LGB onboard decoder in it, you should be able to turn on the BEMF for analog mode as well. 

Keith


----------



## Vancer (Jan 15, 2010)

Did a Google translate of some of the German text and this is one phrase that answers the question- "that the locomotive is much slower. As model-driven LGB driver you will certainly prefer the larger radii, there do not exhibit this problem"


----------



## gtrainman (Jan 5, 2008)

I have the LGB Rugen also and yes it does slow a little in the curves, perhaps as much as my LGB Moguls do.


----------

