LGB Genisis and Aristo TE 27mhz RC conversion

Garden Railroading
1

I have looked for and read the other posts regarding RC conversion for the LGB Genisis and although informative, I still lack my answer to my question that I am going to post here.

Ok, I have a LGB Genisis phase 5 that I am converting to RC using the Aristo trackside TE 27mhz and Aristo 21.5volt battery.

I want to state that I have the set up working, but there are problems.

This is what I did:

I opened up the motor blocks and took out the pick up connections so the connection to any possible track power is gone.

I did some messing around, and found that if I take the aristo battery and directly connect it to the plug at the back of the engine shell, the lights come on and the motors run. I was pretty happy to find that out and that this was going to be an easy RC conversion.

I set the 27mhz TE up in a second Genisis engine that I have taken the motor blocks right out of. I had the output from the TE go to the onboard pc board in the dummy and also out shell engine through the back end jack. I then connected that jack to the jack at the end of the motorized engine. The two engines are now back to back, the motorized engine will push or pull and the dummy will be there to carry the battery and receiver. How could this be any easier? by the way the TE was set to analog not Pulse.

So I tested it and it worked.

Brought the engine to the tracks and sat back and started the train up. it ran for 50 second and then stopped. The motorized engine stopped and all the lights went out. the dummy engine still had lights.

I was thinking that it was an output issue from the TE.

I could get the engine to run again by turning the TE off, waiting about 1minute and then turning it back on. but each time, the engine would stop after say 40 seconds.

The next time we used the train, I forgot the transmitter. my son, who this train really belongs to, was upset, but I told him not al

2

I think you have a loco where one of the motor leads is permanently connected to one of the track pickups, inside the motor block.

Does your motor block have 3 leads or 4?

I alerted JC, who did a conversion recently.

Regards, Greg

3

Kevin,

I hope to post a thread on installing a QSI into a Genesis, bypassing the LGB PCB entirely. Although you are using the Revo, I think my thread will answer most of your questions about lights, motor and track pickups. I hope to post it here and on MLS on Sunday.

In the meantime, maybe this picture of a modified JST plug l connected to the LGB motor/track plug might give you a head start.

JimC

4

Kevin,

See this link for the complete direct wiring thread on the Genesis.

http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/t/163247.aspx

JimC.

5

I don’t know if the 27MHZ TE has an electronic circuit breaker or some sort of current limiting circuit. But the fact that the engine seems to run O.K. for a short period of time before shutting down sounds like an overload problem. Have you checked to see if the TE receiver can deliver the amount of current required by this locomotive?

Interesting problem, let us know what you find.

Walt

6

The 27mhz Trackside-TE is rated at 10A. The QSI I used with this loco is rated about 1/3 of that. The T-TE should have no problem running this loco.

To do an install of the TTE into the Genesis, simply cut the two center wires from each of the 4-wire heavy plugs, splice them correspondingly [do ohm test to determine left with left pickups, and right with right] and to the output wires from the TTE. That done, you should have motor control, all lights operational in a factory mode, and the LGB PCB sound output should drive your Soundtraxx, Dallee, or Phoenix sound board. If you choose to install a smoke unit, there is a place for it to plug into on the LGB board also.

I have done a similiar install to this in my LGB Mikado and a TTE with very satisfactory results.

Jim Carter

7

Well, after several months of dormancy, the LGB got dragged out and looked over.

I pulled the plug that goes from the main board to the rear truck. I soldered my output power wires from the TE to the two outside wires, I found these to be the connections that get the power from the track. I hooked it all back together and it works perfectly now. What I learned is that the connector on the back of the loco is intended to be an output power wire…I was sending power in at that connector. I was overloading the board so it was shutting down.

All is good in the world for my son, who now has his Amtrak empire running again.

Kevin

8

Kevin,

I’m glad you got it working to your satisfaction. Have fun running it. It is a strong puller.

JimC.