LGB Track cleaning loco; how good actually are they!?

[Topogardenmike]

Wouldnt be without mine. I have some fairly inaccessible sections, caused by limited space not poor design and the track cleaner makes it oh so easy.

Mike

 

[ge_rik]

I've changed the leads to the grinding motor so it pulls with the direction of the loco, as others have done here too. This is very easy to do and cures some of the bouncing, but they all do this anyway. Don't put it near wet or damp track, it makes a lovely brown paste that gunges the grinding wheels and cakes the drive wheels and skates.

Can I just clarify - does this only work with DCC? I imagine under DC, if the leads were reversed then surely the grinding wheels would rotate at the same speed and in the same direction as the traction wheels and hence not do any grinding - or am I missing something?

I have one of these but haven't chipped it as it seems to be a waste of a chip as it never runs when the other stock is out. Would chipping (and reversing the leads) improve its performance? I've heard the grinding motor goes at full pelt when under DCC - is that right?


Rik

 

[beavercreek]

I've changed the leads to the grinding motor so it pulls with the direction of the loco, as others have done here too. This is very easy to do and cures some of the bouncing, but they all do this anyway. Don't put it near wet or damp track, it makes a lovely brown paste that gunges the grinding wheels and cakes the drive wheels and skates.

Can I just clarify - does this only work with DCC? I imagine under DC, if the leads were reversed then surely the grinding wheels would rotate at the same speed and in the same direction as the traction wheels and hence not do any grinding - or am I missing something?

I have one of these but haven't chipped it as it seems to be a waste of a chip as it never runs when the other stock is out. Would chipping (and reversing the leads) improve its performance? I've heard the grinding motor goes at full pelt when under DCC - is that right?


Rik

It is already 'chipped' with an mts decoder.

 

[Bredebahn]

The best cleaning tool I've seen was a scouring pad fitted to a pivoting block attached to a broom pole. The owner could walk it around the track quite quickly without getting a sore back, it works on wet track too and if it is grungy you just rinse it out from time to time.

I don't like the idea of any grinding track cleaner like the LGB loco as they leave marks on the tracks to trap more dirt.

The Track Cleaner is - strange to say - not abrasive, never mind "grinding". Or, more correctly, no more abrasive than a scouring pad. If you want to go down the scouring pad on a handle route, then Screwfix do a nifty tool designed for sanding but easily adapted I would imagine http://www.screwfix.com/prods/33586/Decorating-Sundries/Decorating-Sundries/Pole-Sander . But this won't clean track you can't get to, nor is it any good in tunnels! I would imagine that it would be excellent for inverted railways crossing your ceiling though.........

 

[mike]

the lgb track cleaner dose NOT damage the track.. its cleaning atchements/wheels are sepically designed to be harder than the muck/crud on the track but softer than the track/plastic ...

 

[ge_rik]

It is already 'chipped' with an mts decoder.

Mine isn't. It's an earlier version with a 'Direct Decoder' sticker.

I suppose this answers my question, though.

Rik

 

[steve parberry]

The worst much seems to be sap from trees and if you have this problem so need to wash it off.

The best solution for tree sap Petrol powered pruner (aka Chainsaw)

 

[littletone]

Mine is (was) one of the new red ones with on-board mts, great bit of kit.
But it too would bounce about the track, as the cleaning wheel are at full speed on mts and it did'nt like going up gradients. So i now only run it, double headed with the Alco.

 

[Gizzy]

Mine is (was) one of the new red ones with on-board mts, great bit of kit.
But it too would bounce about the track, as the cleaning wheel are at full speed on mts and it did'nt like going up gradients. So i now only run it, double headed with the Alco.

That's an interesting 'Americanisation' of the TCL cab Tony?

Tell us more....

 

[minimans]

when I first got mine I was very dissapointed it would not clean hardly at all and jumped around all over the place, as has been said earlier it was all caused by lack of power but in my case through the pickups and wheels after a good clean of the wheels it was a huge improvement, but to make it even better I now have a shoema diesel as a pusher whch has power leads going to a plug I fitted to the back of the cleaning Loco. and hey presto it really is the dog's whatsit's now with no stalls and a nice stable clean. mind you it still don't like that one point thats uphill and tilts to the right!! .............................

 

[nicebutdim]

I've changed the leads to the grinding motor so it pulls with the direction of the loco, as others have done here too. This is very easy to do and cures some of the bouncing, but they all do this anyway. Don't put it near wet or damp track, it makes a lovely brown paste that gunges the grinding wheels and cakes the drive wheels and skates.

Can I just clarify - does this only work with DCC? I imagine under DC, if the leads were reversed then surely the grinding wheels would rotate at the same speed and in the same direction as the traction wheels and hence not do any grinding - or am I missing something?

I have one of these but haven't chipped it as it seems to be a waste of a chip as it never runs when the other stock is out. Would chipping (and reversing the leads) improve its performance? I've heard the grinding motor goes at full pelt when under DCC - is that right?


Rik

I don't know what difference it would make with dcc, I'm dc only too (really can't afford dcc). You still have full control of the speed of the loco from the knob on the roof, the grinding wheels are connected to the track voltage, whereas the loco's speed is governed by the speed control on the roof. I think mine is probably running with the cleaning wheels at twice loco speed, if that makes sense!
I have also heard about the cleaners running full whack under dcc, but I think (?) that is changable through cv settings, but there are others here who will be able to help more with that.
I much more prefer the cleaner now the cleaning wheels go the same way as the loco, allows it to pull a works train at the same time as cleaning too!

 

[stevedenver]

I've changed the leads to the grinding motor so it pulls with the direction of the loco, as others have done here too. This is very easy to do and cures some of the bouncing, but they all do this anyway. Don't put it near wet or damp track, it makes a lovely brown paste that gunges the grinding wheels and cakes the drive wheels and skates.

Can I just clarify - does this only work with DCC? I imagine under DC, if the leads were reversed then surely the grinding wheels would rotate at the same speed and in the same direction as the traction wheels and hence not do any grinding - or am I missing something?

I have one of these but haven't chipped it as it seems to be a waste of a chip as it never runs when the other stock is out. Would chipping (and reversing the leads) improve its performance? I've heard the grinding motor goes at full pelt when under DCC - is that right?


Rik

mine is dcc ready-but i run analog (dc)
none of my power sources is less than 5 amps
most are 10-15 amps

never really thought about it until this thread,  but having ample oompf is helpful-probably essential

to answer the query

The polishing wheels (when reversed as i mentioned)  turn faster than the drive wheels-virtually at any speed  (however , this IS directly controlled under DC-if you have too little juice to the tracks the cleaning wheels may indeed not turn faster, as in DC they get juice seemingly directly from the track voltage)

but you can hear the revs-easily-

i tend to run mine, at about? 12-18 v, -and generally let the drive unit go at its fastest setting-which is slower than the rpms to the cleaning wheels-thus abrasive-the loco is simply wired this way-less juice gets to the drive section and lower rpms than does the cleaning section 

-i prefer several light passes-adjusting speed of the loco and the cleaning revs is a bit of a preference-i tend to go for light to moderate most of the time


there is always some polishing effect-you have not missed the fact that it is in fact somewhat diminished-as i mentioned- because they ARE going in the same direction, -i suppose you could synch them playing with voltage and thus have serious traction, via the gritty faced ceaning wheels as 'drivers'  but no cleaning-the cleaning wheels are directly part of the cleaning  motor shaft and thus have little in the way of torque

BUT>>>>>>>it still works -and imho-better

like paul-i run mine in tandem with a pusher and coordinate loco speeds as best i can-this prevents stalling 

if the track is quite dirty I  do not couple to the front as this would seem to interfere with the necessary float and full downward weight on the tracks of the cowl section

if the track is ok-then ill attach the snow plow to the front-most often as a leaf and debris plow

simply stated, get one. they are wonderful.

 

[nicebutdim]

simply stated, get one. they are wonderful.

Couldn't agree more, You'll find your own personal preference with it quite quickly, then your rails will always be clean!

 

[nicebutdim]

has anyone tried experimenting with a little added weight on the front to try and control the bouncing? Would it adversely affect the wear on the cleaning wheels?

 

[mike]

its not recomended... the motors a standered lgb motor, under load..

 

[littletone]

Mine is (was) one of the new red ones with on-board mts, great bit of kit.
But it too would bounce about the track, as the cleaning wheel are at full speed on mts and it did'nt like going up gradients. So i now only run it, double headed with the Alco.

That's an interesting 'Americanisation' of the TCL cab Tony?

Tell us more....

Cheers,
When I brought the TCL it did really look right on my line, so I won the parts off eBay from that German dealer who brought all the LGB factory bits. Was thinking that I should have just brought another long bonnet to replace the cab and made it look like an un-powered propelled unit!

Forgot to mention when I Alco-ed mine I messed about with the Cvs for the cleaning (cv 49 I think, using the sprog). reduced the cleaning wheels to just over half full speed. The value between 1-32, I used 18. Also you can get it to clean in the reverse direction by changing the CVs.
BTW mine pulls between 2.4-2.9 amps when cleaning, according to tne massoth nav.

 

[Bredebahn]

has anyone tried experimenting with a little added weight on the front to try and control the bouncing? Would it adversely affect the wear on the cleaning wheels?

As Mike has said - NO! Definitely not. Would you like me to post the pictures of how to replace the motor unit and its' bearings? That is on the assumption that you can actually source the parts in the first place.

 

[nicebutdim]

Ah, ok, point taken, I shall leave well alone then. As said I'm more than happy with it's performance now, I shall stay satisfied!

 

[mike]

Ah, ok, point taken, I shall leave well alone then. As said I'm more than happy with it's performance now, I shall stay satisfied!

a trackcleaning loco that wasnt looked after....

 

[KeithT]

The best cleaning tool I've seen was a scouring pad fitted to a pivoting block attached to a broom pole. The owner could walk it around the track quite quickly without getting a sore back, it works on wet track too and if it is grungy you just rinse it out from time to time.

I don't like the idea of any grinding track cleaner like the LGB loco as they leave marks on the tracks to trap more dirt.

Without the use of a microscope I would defy anyone to see any scratches on the track after the track cleaning loco has run. It has the appearance of being cleaned with jewellers rouge ie it is a polisher rather than a scourer. Any cleaner of this type has some abrasive effect otherwise it would not clean but the end result is far less damaging than a scouring pad. I have tried several and on each occasion the marks are visible to the naked eye, that is not the case with the TCL.