Zerogee
Clencher's Bogleman
Just finished off a very lengthy job, started yesterday, of dismantling my green Rugen 0-8-0 (LGB 28002) to replace its ageing factory-installed decoder with a new Massoth L, and then reassembling it all.
If you ever think about taking one of these apart, my advice would be DON'T unless you absolutely have to - I've never had an LGB loco that was so difficult to get into and then get back together again! Being a well-tank, the boiler is a one piece tube with a huge weight slid into it, the factory-installed sound board sitting on top of this with the MTS decoder directly plugged into it piggy-back style (like all LGB locos with a "direct decoder" sticker). The tricky bits are all the various plugs and leads that have to be connected to the sound board at both smokebox and firebox ends, and then all the mass of boiler external gubbins and pipework that looks so lovely but is an absolute b*gger to relocate as you try to slide the cab back into place! Finally managed it all accompanied by much swearing, but I really don't know how the LGB workers managed to assemble these things on the production line, since some operations seem to need at least five child-sized hands simultaneously (maybe LGB had cornered the market in 5-armed mutant child labour.....).
Anyway, all done now and it's running nicely again (thank the Gods), but it's not a job I'd want to do again in a hurry, or recommend that anyone else does if they could avoid it!
Jon.
If you ever think about taking one of these apart, my advice would be DON'T unless you absolutely have to - I've never had an LGB loco that was so difficult to get into and then get back together again! Being a well-tank, the boiler is a one piece tube with a huge weight slid into it, the factory-installed sound board sitting on top of this with the MTS decoder directly plugged into it piggy-back style (like all LGB locos with a "direct decoder" sticker). The tricky bits are all the various plugs and leads that have to be connected to the sound board at both smokebox and firebox ends, and then all the mass of boiler external gubbins and pipework that looks so lovely but is an absolute b*gger to relocate as you try to slide the cab back into place! Finally managed it all accompanied by much swearing, but I really don't know how the LGB workers managed to assemble these things on the production line, since some operations seem to need at least five child-sized hands simultaneously (maybe LGB had cornered the market in 5-armed mutant child labour.....).
Anyway, all done now and it's running nicely again (thank the Gods), but it's not a job I'd want to do again in a hurry, or recommend that anyone else does if they could avoid it!
Jon.
