# LGB Stainz Loco Sudden Issue



## LGBFanatic (Mar 31, 2011)

I was running my Christmas Stainz LGB locomotive earlier today with a sound car. Everything was working great. I later plugged in my passenger car with lights, turned on the transformer and the loco does not move. The lights came on the loco and in the car, but that's it. I plugged the sound car in again and same thing, music played, but the loco did not move. I tried running on its own too with no success. Did I short something out in the loco? I was wondering if someone could lead me in the right direction to diagnosing the issue. Thanks!


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Try turning the wheels on the loco by hand. On that engine they should turn easily. It is possible that the gears have jammed.

Chuck


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## LGBFanatic (Mar 31, 2011)

Thanks for the tip Chuck. I was able to turn the wheels by hand and when I got it back on the track I got inch by inch jerking movements than nothing again. When I was looking at the bottom of the loco, there is a distinct smell from what I assume the motor working hard to turn the wheels. This is all perplexing because I have never had issues at all with this loco, even when I ran it earlier today.


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

It sounds like a bad motor.

What is the model number of the engine, look for a sticker on the bottom of the engine and the first digit will be a 2.
Older engines had 4 digits, newer engines had a 5 digit number.

If this is a split case, then changing out the motor is not easy and when done, the axles must be aligned properly(quartered) or the side rods will jam.

This engine takes the LGB 62201 short shaft motor and is available from a sponsor here where I assist in repairs Train-Li.


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## LGBFanatic (Mar 31, 2011)

It is a newer engine with smoke, 25171. Can a motor suddenly go bad from one use to the next with no signs leading up to it?


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## BigRedOne (Dec 13, 2012)

I've never had a failure in LGB models, but I've had sudden failures in Marklin HO. 

I would dissemble sufficiently to determine the motor is at fault. 

Is the model new enough to be under warranty?


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## LGBFanatic (Mar 31, 2011)

The engine is from 1995 and has been sparingly been used during Christmas. I guess the motor is bad? I don't get how it worked well in the morning and in the afternoon, nothing.


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## BigRedOne (Dec 13, 2012)

In my HO locomotives, I couldn't figure out the exact cause. I looked for a visible bad spot on the commutator, debris between the brushes and commutator, or debris in the geartrain, but couldn't find any obvious problem. 

Also, there was a high current draw. When I selected movement using the control (Marklin's DCC system), the locomotives lights would dim, but no movement.


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Just a thought or 2 
Are there any electrical pickups on the cars????? Does the locomotive run if nothing is plugged into +/- on the back of the engine???? If it does, there may be a "polarity" issue between the cars and and the locomotive..


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

One other possibility is that your pickups are dirty. Do you have a multimeter? Check the resistance across all electrical pickups. There should be very low resistance between the wheels and sliders on a side. Multimeters are not that expensive. You can get a good one at RADIO SHACK for less than $30. If you are going to enjoy this LARGE SCALE hobby for a long time, it is a very helpful tool to have in your box.


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## LGBFanatic (Mar 31, 2011)

There were no pick-ups on the cars. The commutator brushes on the rear wheels were a little greasy from the motor grease, so I cleaned them off, but still nothing. Also the smoke does work, not sure if it gets power from the pick-up shoes or wheels. 

I do have a craftsman multimeter, but I am real novice to electronics.


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

If the smoke works, it's not a power problem. It is probably your motor.
Chuck PS I know next to nothing about the movement of electrons, but playing around with the meter is helpful. Practice measuring voltage and resistance. It will come in handy.


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

The original post states the engine lights work, therefore there is no short nor is there a power pickup issue. 
After turning the wheels it was stated the engine tried to move real slow. 
This is usually a bad motor issue and I have seen these motors do this several times, and most had grease or oil on the commutator.


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## LGBFanatic (Mar 31, 2011)

Looks like I have the answer, thanks everyone for the help! It's disappointing as this loco was not even used very much, I guess there could always be a bad apple out there. Next step, getting a new motor and installing it.


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