Hello and help with Stainz

Hello, Andrew calling from sunny Bomaderry in Australia. Can anyone help me to dismantle a Stainz? In particular I am having trouble removing the cabin.
My Stainz has suddenly stopped powering the rear, front and cabin light which are small push in type lights with 2 small pins. The sound which is LGB cabin roof is still working though. I would like to have a look to see if any wires are loose.
This is one of my 3 Stainz, all 2nd hand, the problem one is the slower of the three, and I put that down to the loco having smoke and sound unit installed. I use track power, 16 volts through Aristocaft train Engineer set on Linear power only.
The others are direct power from the rails to the motor and lights, which are globes and these locos have no smoke units. One is the untouched Stainz which I have installed the mylocosound card, which is a great unit for the price. Another Stainz has been modified before I bought it, with a cut down cabin and all painted matt black. I have recently built a power tender for this train as it pulls a small log train consisting of home made rolling stock. My layout is about 80 metres long, with one part having a 1 in 6 rise for about 10 metres.
I use track power, 16 volts through Aristocaft train Engineer set on Linear power only.
I will post photos if anyone is interested at a future date.
Regards Andrew

Hello Andrew and welcome from Bomaderry....South of Sydney if I recall and an interesting railway place.

I'm not a Stainz person myself but there are a few on here who will be able to help you when they surface, Paul, Brian, Clive, Mikey to name a few.

Please post some photos of your railway (and the full size ones even) we would be very interested.

Hello and welcome

Will be nice to have photos and a plan of you line


Laurent Alias Bearcastle

Hi Andrew and welcome.

I do run a chipped Stainz but it is on a Massoth LS decoder on an 18 volt MTS system, so not much help I'm afraid. Though I would observe that Stainz smoke unit is powered direct from the track (at least on my older model) and shouldn't affect motor performance unless you have a very low amp power supply! !

Hopefully someone with more knowledge can advise!

Hello Andrew, and welcome. I do own a couple of Stainzes, but it's a while since I've prised either of them apart. However I would imagine that Paul Stainz Holt will be able to help you - if the evidence of his pics is to be believed, he must breed them!

Echoing the calls for more pics of your own line as well, and those home made/bashed stock items!

Andrew

Here is a guide to dismantling a Stainz.........

http://waltonsofaltrincham.co.uk/guide-lgb-stainz.php

This guide is for the latest version with "D" gearbox - which from your description applies to your model as sound was only added to Stainz locos around 1999, 2000.

Tis true, I have a few Stainz loks, here is a small selection

Thanks to everyone who said hello and made me welcome. Thank you Paul for the way to dismantle the Stainz. I hope to obtain some photos to show this weekend. Where would be the best location to post these photos?
Regards Andrew

Hi Andrew,
Please see this thread.

Forum picture posting

I have sent you a guide by e mail.

Great link Paul, I need to chip my one and only Stainz and was wondering the best way to go about it.

French Chuffed wrote:

Great link Paul, I need to chip my one and only Stainz and was wondering the best way to go about it.

I did have two threads on GSM on how to chip a Stainz - one a plug in guide, the other a hard wiring guide.
The threads no longer exist though since I resigned and removed all my posts.

paul stainz holt wrote:

I did have two threads on GSM on how to chip a Stainz - one a plug in guide, the other a hard wiring guide.
The threads no longer exist though since I resigned and removed all my posts.

What....?!

I genuinely don't wish to stir up any conflict but why?

My apperance on GSM has been a bit sporadic and haven't visited for a while so I have obviously missed something grave and important.
I've have just looked in on the member list only and seen that you no longer exist.

I thought you had the longest running posts on there Paul and that was the spiritual/virtual home for your railway.

Of course we are more than glad to have exclusivity to the 'Linz Gstad Bahn' here and long may you continue and please sink into the 'CGT armchair'.

But I'm really shocked and bemused at you leaving GSM.

If you don't want to state publicly then I perfectly understand.
I'm gonna have a stiff drink now.....woooo!

paul stainz holt wrote:

I did have two threads on GSM on how to chip a Stainz - one a plug in guide, the other a hard wiring guide.
The threads no longer exist though since I resigned and removed all my posts.

Thanks for sharing the link Paul - Maybe I'll stand a reasonable chance of putting one of mine back together again now - no really, I do have screws and stuff left over! It still doesn't run properly, even now - I replaced a chip with a 'new' one, but still doesn't go. bum.

Sorry to hear you found it necessary to resign from GSM - never a pleasant thing to see happen, especially when it's a regular (constructive) contributor. If you still had the text, maybe you could re-write it as a tip for your Hints and Tips page on your website? Just a thought, like...

paul stainz holt wrote:

French Chuffed wrote:

Great link Paul, I need to chip my one and only Stainz and was wondering the best way to go about it.

I did have two threads on GSM on how to chip a Stainz - one a plug in guide, the other a hard wiring guide.
The threads no longer exist though since I resigned and removed all my posts.

Good man, I always thought your posts were far too good quality for GSM!

Mmm.......

There are several reasons why I left, and for the sake of diplomacy, I won't go into them publicly.
Jason and I exchanged e mails after the dust had settled and we are on good terms.

Since I made the website, the spiritual / cyber home of the LGB has moved there.

A large glass of Calvados is good Carl


Next time I chip a Stainz (there are still a couple unchipped) I will do a step by step guide with pics on here if that suits............

Paul

I'm also stunned by the news, like others I'm an irregular GSM'ite these days, so hadn't realised.

However I found your posts on there particularly helpful and you also provided personal help via PM when needed.

I feel particularly "chuffed" (if Peter will excuse my use of the word) to have you as a committed CGT member, I will have to watch out, as on past performance you'll be chasing me to the 500 posts target!

bon chance

Blimey I'm gobsmacked! to tell the truth i never bothered reading your posts on GSM 'cos I knew they would be on here. I think your railway, your experience and your passion for stainz are ideally suited to be on here. You were the first guy that helped me when i bought my first Stainz (now got 5) so cheers, look forward to many more posts

Mikey

Thanks Brian and Mikey

I must admit, once or twice whilst posting on the other channel, the thought crossed my mind that someone
will think I am posting for the sake of it - So I will endeavour to post regularly and strive to achieve quality posts and pics here on CGT

You can post as little or as much as you wish and feel comfortable with Paul.

Everyone has different views and attitudes to the forum. which is reflected in the way they post.

This will always be a small forum and I will try and avoid some of the dross and pitfalls that have beset the larger groups.

And a timely reminder that if anyone has any ideas or comments for improvement to the forum please let me know.

Paul, I've read (GSM) that decodering an old one (split motor block) is something of a problem also that split block stainz are not worth the effort of owning.

Would you care to comment ?

Reason is I got one and one day I want to decoderise it.

Alas I have only tres, troi, three, zwei.

pjti wrote:

Paul, I've read (GSM) that decodering an old one (split motor block) is something of a problem also that split block stainz are not worth the effort of owning.

Would you care to comment ?

Reason is I got one and one day I want to decoderise it.

Alas I have only tres, troi, three, zwei.

I've decodered my old split block with a Massoth LS if you get stuck!

Patrick

A split gearbox Stainz can be made to run on digital and they are worth owning - provided they have been cared for.
First off though, if you look inside the cab, can you see a grill on the floor and a motor under it ?

If yes, you can't make that particular model digital, as the motor is 14 volt and not suited to high frequency digital power - its a 1968 first edition model !

But if the loco is a later Stainz with skates, it is possible to convert it.

To date I haven't converted this particular model, but the general principle of a split motor block is that on dismantling, you will find three wires instead of four.

You need to split the gearbox (make sure you catch the sprung ball bearings either side of the motor axle), take out the motor and solder a fourth wire to the motor - its best to follow the LGB colour coding.........

white (ws/weiss) and brown (bn/braun) wires are track power to the decoder, yellow (ge/gelb) and green (gr/grun) are power from the decoder to the motor.

You will need to feed the wire through a pre drilled hole in the top of the gearbox case to where the decoder is sited.

The above should be enough of a guide - lights and smoke can be connected to the decoder too if you wish, just remember to set the CV values to the right voltages

Kind regards

Paul


ps well done Brian........does your experience match up to my description ?

Thanks Paul, I had only just found out about the 14v motors but I think its the later one as it has skids. Looked to have had very little use and runs quite smooth - cost me €35 from a dealer at the Dortmund modellbeau this year.

Incidentally I have another (later) which has got "plug in bulbs" are they still 18volts or thereabouts ? I haven't dissected that one either, yet.............

They are a bugger to dismantle, but once apart fairly easy to fit the fourth motor cantact. Also cutting the lead weight in the boiler to accomodate the chip! Sorry I didn't take any pics when I did it!

pjti wrote:

Thanks Paul, I had only just found out about the 14v motors but I think its the later one as it has skids. Looked to have had very little use and runs quite smooth - cost me €35 from a dealer at the Dortmund modellbeau this year.

Incidentally I have another (later) which has got "plug in bulbs" are they still 18volts or thereabouts ? I haven't dissected that one either, yet.............

On the subject of bulbs, here is a guide as to their voltage (two pin plug in types for LGB that is) :

24 volt - smaller than the 5 volt type, round head.
18/19 volt - similar to 24 volt - usually fitted to starter set Stainz - later sound versions only
5 volt - slightly bigger than the others with a flat squared off top

Thanks Paul , and apologies to Andrew for hijacking his thread, and a belated "hello" from Spain, it all sounds very interesting , especially the locosound kitted Stainz. Does the card fit inside with no probs ?