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Offline michelvr  
#1 Posted : 04 February 2021 16:31:53(UTC)
michelvr

Canada   
Joined: 06/07/2012(UTC)
Posts: 1,287
Every once in awhile I get so enthusiastic about a product that I have owned for so many years that I need to share my good fortunes, I’m a really Lux key man! When it comes to reliably and the trains running well on my layout I have Lux on my side! You’re saying you have no Lux on your layout and your trains don’t run on time? Then it’s time for you to buy yourself a Lux Vacuum Cleaner!

It sucks so well that all your reliability issues with the three D’s simply disappear. Just think all you need is Lux and the dust, dirt and dysfunctional running characteristics of your Märklin locomotives simply disappear!

CABA5953-DACF-4948-9A3E-5C9801436BCF.jpeg

How about a show of hands from the Lux key people out there! How many of my fellow Märklin enthusiasts own the best tool for our hobby?


Here’s the company jingle on the Lux Vacuum Cleaner Car!

LUX-vacuum-cleaner, the first movable, perfect functioning vacuum-cleaner for all HO-model railways (Marklin, Fleischmann, Trix-Express). This vacuum-cleaner has been developped especially for the removal of dust and dirt on model railways. According to our experience just these sediments from the circulating air and landscaping works affect smooth function of the precise mechanical parts (gearing, coupling rods, axle bearing, current collector etc.). The instaliment of the vacuum-cleaner in a rail car allows the unproblematical deaning of the rail track also in difficult areas like passage undergrounds, roofed railway stations and track systems covered by aerial contact line. The current will be supplied by the normal power lead. Ihe vacuum-cleaner can be moved by usual commercial motor vehides.
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Offline PMPeter  
#2 Posted : 04 February 2021 18:22:34(UTC)
PMPeter

Canada   
Joined: 04/04/2013(UTC)
Posts: 1,273
Location: Port Moody, BC
I too have the LUX vacuum car and it indeed works well. I also have the LUX rotating brush cleaner car and that is another story. It worked well for about a year and after that the brush only rotates when the power is first applied or when the wagon starts to move. Within seconds of starting to move the brush stops. Contacting LUX has really not provided any solutions.

So all I can say is that for the price these cleaning cars cost, buyer beware and keep an eye on the performance during the warranty period.
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Offline Dreadnought  
#3 Posted : 04 November 2021 16:09:06(UTC)
Dreadnought

Canada   
Joined: 24/12/2008(UTC)
Posts: 418
Location: Niagara, Ontario
I too bought the Lux vacuum car, and rotating brush car. I have had them for several years. They have always worked well.

At the last Treff, in 2019 I bought a new brush for the rotating brush cleaner car. I installed the new brush last spring. The car has not worked properly since. I get the same symptoms as PMPeter.

I took it into Mike at Westend Trains in Toronto. After working on it, he says it is an issue with the electronics, and the car must to back to the factory. I will let you know the outcome.

Has anyone else any experience of this car?
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Offline PMPeter  
#4 Posted : 04 November 2021 21:17:03(UTC)
PMPeter

Canada   
Joined: 04/04/2013(UTC)
Posts: 1,273
Location: Port Moody, BC
After several e-mails to LUX I keep getting the same response that if the brush rotates during power up and initial movement, then it is not a LUX electronics problem, but probably a brush that is too low on the rails.

So I finally decided recently to take it all apart and reassemble it. With the motor disconnected from the gears, I tested the functionality and it worked perfectly upon power-up and wheel movement. So it had to be jamming with the gears. I reassembled them but did not put back the little black retaining clip and the car functions perfectly. Putting back the retaining clip causes the car to stop functioning after a while. Somehow that retaining clip must tighten itself and cause the gear to jam against the housing after a period of time. So I have now left it off and the car works without a problem.

Since your problem started after changing the brush, you could be experiencing a similar jamming problem.

Peter
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Offline katz1002  
#5 Posted : 05 November 2021 00:40:15(UTC)
katz1002

Australia   
Joined: 01/05/2011(UTC)
Posts: 30
Location: Sydney
I'll put my hand up as well for being a Lux owner.

Before buying the vacuum car I tried a whole range of wagons, tools, etc to try and maintain the rails and roadbed.

Using a handheld vacuum cleaner was no good as the catenary wouldn't let me get close into the roadbed to do a proper job. Blowing out the tracks and then vacuuming tended to spread the dust, etc rather than remove it unless I used a powerful vaccum but then it dislodged the ballasting.

When I saw the Lux cleaning wagon set I jumped at them and haven't looked back.

In fact I run the consist as Lux vacuum car, Lux rotating brush car and the Marklin 24050 pad car.

The Lux vacuum car is a bit noisy but does the job well.

Regards
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Offline Dreadnought  
#6 Posted : 05 November 2021 20:45:26(UTC)
Dreadnought

Canada   
Joined: 24/12/2008(UTC)
Posts: 418
Location: Niagara, Ontario
I just received an e mail from Mike Sorge at Westend Trains. He has spoken with Lux. They have asked him to return the car.
Obviously it will be several weeks before we get a response.
I will forward PMPeter’s email to Mike. Maybe we can save a trans Atlantic trip for the Lux.
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Offline kiwiAlan  
#7 Posted : 05 November 2021 21:03:28(UTC)
kiwiAlan

United Kingdom   
Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC)
Posts: 8,082
Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
Originally Posted by: Dreadnought Go to Quoted Post
I just received an e mail from Mike Sorge at Westend Trains. He has spoken with Lux. They have asked him to return the car.
Obviously it will be several weeks before we get a response.
I will forward PMPeter’s email to Mike. Maybe we can save a trans Atlantic trip for the Lux.


Whatever Mike finds, in view of the other experiences here, the findings should filter back to Lux. It sounds like they have a manufacturing tolerance issue with the replacement parts.
Offline PMPeter  
#8 Posted : 05 November 2021 21:31:35(UTC)
PMPeter

Canada   
Joined: 04/04/2013(UTC)
Posts: 1,273
Location: Port Moody, BC
Originally Posted by: kiwiAlan Go to Quoted Post


Whatever Mike finds, in view of the other experiences here, the findings should filter back to Lux. It sounds like they have a manufacturing tolerance issue with the replacement parts.



Just to clarify, my problem developed with the original LUX cleaning car with no replacement parts or adjustments. It just stopped working one day. I believe the black retaining clip is used to hold that particular gear shaft in place while assembling the unit. Without it, the assembly becomes a little tedious. However, once assembled it really serves no purpose because the shaft cannot go anywhere, but the clip obviously does and tightens that particular gear against the housing.

I have now been operating the car since early Spring this year without the clip and have had no further issues.

In case anyone is wondering which retaining clip I am referring to, if you go to the LUX website and view any of the photos that show the gears for the brush assemblies, the middle gear has the little black clip on the shaft end. In my case the shaft is not grooved so the clip is just held on by friction, so it is relatively free to move. If the clip is too close to the gear, that gear jams against the assembly housing side and becomes very hard to turn.
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