LGB rear power connector

T

tomfilery

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Hi,
Can someone please tell me whether the power socket on the rear of an LGB locomotive puts out a steady DC voltage, or does it vary and reverse polarity depending upon the speed of the loco and direction of travel? I'd test a loco myself, but don't have an unmodified one to hand.
Thanks
Tom
 
Steady DC for lighting. Doesn't change polarity when reversing....
 
Gizzy said:
Steady DC for lighting. Doesn't change polarity when reversing....
Click to expand...
That *may* be true for a DCC installation, but for analogue loco's it is track-power. - With no power on your track, or pickups removed, you can 'fast and dirty' control a loco with battery radio control from a trailing car with this socket.

PhilP
 
Both, thank you.
I have just removed the pc board from a loco (non DCC) and noticed that a box car I have (from the same source as the loco) had a sound card fitted and had a trailing connection for the loco rear socket. However, it also had wheel pickups for powering the card, so I'd wondered if the trailing connection was for something clever?
Regards Tom
 
It depends on which socket, the 2 X 4mm banana sockets are 5 volts constant, however the rectangular socket will depend on the model and where it is connected, some are track power, and as such the voltage will vary according to the track power.
 
tomfilery said:
Both, thank you.
I have just removed the pc board from a loco (non DCC) and noticed that a box car I have (from the same source as the loco) had a sound card fitted and had a trailing connection for the loco rear socket. However, it also had wheel pickups for powering the card, so I'd wondered if the trailing connection was for something clever?
Regards Tom
Click to expand...
Two thoughts come to mind:

Additional pickups are always useful on short wheelbase loco's. - So it could just be a way to parallel up the pickups on both vehicles.

It could have been something 'clever'. - Connection from soundcard to speaker in the loco, or connections from the decoder to trigger sounds on the card?

Without knowing the card, and what it provided, can't be more specific.

PhilP
 
Jimmy B & PhilP,
Thank you. I reconnected the loco bits (but not to the boxcar) and the rectangular socket appears to just mirror the track voltage (there aren't the banana-plug connections on this loco). As there isn't a decoder fitted, I can't see it being for triggering sounds (though I did wonder if that might be the case) and there was no speaker in the loco. Of course, I could be completely wrong in assuming that the 2 bits of rolling stock were once used together - as they came from a deceased person's estate, I can't ask further.
I'll look into the sound card details at some later date.
Many thanks for your input.
Regards Tom
 
Interesting thread. I run battery power and have for the last dozen years. Most of my locos use a trailing vehicle to house the battery and Railboss receiver. All of my locos have the female banana sockets, so I equip the trailing car with male banana plugs. I have never had an issue with power being supplied to the locos via the banana sockets.

I do remove the pick-up skates and carbon brushes from the locomotives, even though the track is as dead as a door nail. Just want to be on the safe side if any sort of electrical static or whatever could be in the rails.
 
most of my locos i bought in prehistoric times. (not B.C., but "B.DCC".)
as i have not yet opened most of them, i still have to find the first card of any type in one of them.
so i am using the banana plugs to connect and synchronize the locos with the powered tenders.
when i connect the lighted Post-van via banana plugs to a loco, the light get lighter with increasing speed.
so i believe, that these banana plugs - in pre 1980 locos at least - are directly connected to track-power.
 
JimmyB said:
I have a LGB porter, and the banana sockets come of a board and are a constant 5 volts (once the track power reaches that), though I think my steeple cab is track voltage.
Click to expand...
I think the clue here, is the extra 'board'?

PhilP
 
Software Tools said:
No, they are directly connected the track power pickup points, so directly reflect what voltage/polarity is on the track.
Click to expand...

PhilP said:
I think the clue here, is the extra 'board'?

PhilP
Click to expand...
The two attachment are for Rosie and Anna, you will see that Rosie has a 5 volt lights, and smoke, also a 5 volt output, Anna has banana connectors but in this case straight from the motor.
 

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Madman said:
Interesting thread. I run battery power and have for the last dozen years. Most of my locos use a trailing vehicle to house the battery and Railboss receiver. All of my locos have the female banana sockets, so I equip the trailing car with male banana plugs. I have never had an issue with power being supplied to the locos via the banana sockets.

I do remove the pick-up skates and carbon brushes from the locomotives, even though the track is as dead as a door nail. Just want to be on the safe side if any sort of electrical static or whatever could be in the rails.
Click to expand...
Dan, I've always considered this, but I've been worried about the wires being too rigid for the train on curves. What do you use for jumping connections between cars?
 
BakerJohn said:
Dan, I've always considered this, but I've been worried about the wires being too rigid for the train on curves. What do you use for jumping connections between cars?
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John, use silicon insulated wires..

They are very flexible (like meter test leads, but less bulky).
Also, make sure there is enough slack (but not too much). You don't want them to pull out, but not long enough to snag on anything.

PhilP
 
BakerJohn said:
Dan, I've always considered this, but I've been worried about the wires being too rigid for the train on curves. What do you use for jumping connections between cars?
Click to expand...

I have found this wire to be excellent and extremely flexible.

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