If I recall correctly, the NY street car with sound is the original made in Germany model, parts may be hard to find.
I always wanted this one because it had sound, hate that the new versions dont have that option.
If anyone on this thread purchased an item from us TrainWorld. You can send me an email at [email protected] along with the original invoice number. I will do my best to forward any issues to the appropriate person at LGB who MAY be able to assist you. No promises because Im not sure about parts and stuff but I will be more than happy to give anything a shot. Please attention your email to Ken Jr. list the item #, problem, and the TrainWorld invoice number.
I have a LGB American trolley in for repair with a melted gear box/wheel. We ordered a replacement LGB truck for this trolley, they are available, shipping time for parts can be long (months).
On another note, LGB boxes do have country of origin on them and there is a round gold sticker on the bottom of rolong stock with a date code which decodes as follows ymm01y. So 912017 decodes as (19)97, December first.
Also Marklin has a white sticker/label on the bottom of the Engines/rolling stock.
For original (non Marklin) All European Stock was made in Europe. Newer non Marklin Amenican stock was made mostly in China (original porter was made in Korea and has metal whistle and metal hand rails). Older American stock was made in Europe. Most of the toytrain items were made in Europe. I say Europe as LGB made items in Germany and also in other European countries.
KUDOS to Ken Bianco for his offer to try and remedy parts needs. He is upfront in his statement of what he can offer.
So is it accurate to claim the “best bet” for buying LGB is to buy the older production - the one that proclaims “Germany” as the origin. My pre-Marklin (Germany) production LGB Moguls have been generously maintained and for 14 years have not failed. Granted, the shoes have been replaced via TRAINWORLD and the worn rubber band tires long discarded. Still, they haul and run flawlessly. What happens when the Buehler motors give out? If Train-Li is still in business, that’s my first stop in response to their ads.
If Ken Bianco’s offer is taken, please report what the problem was and the result of Marklin-LGB’s response.
Best,
Wendell
I will say it again, I have no issues with either of my (2) brand new LGB locomotives. If you want to hunt around for older models that’s up to you, I am happy buying the new product being produced and will continue to buy it without hesitation.
I feel the new LGB models are getting better every year as the factory was in a learning curve when these items were first produced in Hungary.
Packaging has been improved and plastic quality has improved.
However, I do not like some of the ‘gaudy/bright’ colors. But LGB always said they make toys, not models.
In the past two years my husband and I have bought new from LGB the Olomana, a cleaning locomotive, power tender and ICE train. Of the four all but the ICE, which is sold under their Toy Train line, have been returned for repairs/exchange within the first six months. We have eight cars on the ICE train now and that thing is a tank. Runs everywhere every time. We’ve also picked up second-hand four older LGBs, all of them have performed flawlessly.
When running the chloe or olmana and even the snoopy surfer, these motor blocks only have 1 drive gear, therefore pull only 2 or 3 of the 2 axle small cars. Adding weight and pulling more cars will make the rear axle plastic gear fail.
Note: the rear axle plastic gear is driven by a motor with a brass gear.
Rear axle to front axle on older blocks use a serpentine belt.
Newer block has a real drive shaft with plastic gears.
So, the new block has parts not compatible with the old block such as motor and axle!!!
Also note on hte newer block no solid contact to the motor power leads, metal posts go through a hole in the motor leads.
Soldering this will fix intermittent running motors or even current starved motors.
I opened up my Olomana when I first got her, and saw that instead of a cogged belt, like in the older Chloe I have, the Olomana uses a drive shaft with bevel gears. That also explains why the Olomana is a bit noisier then the Chloe I have. Being as that the small LGB locomotive, like the Chloe, the Olomana and the little industrial steamer, are such small locomotives I don’t weigh them down with long trains. I also remove the skates from them. The skates act like breaks, causing them to slip on my grade, and the skates have to be putting some drag on the drive mechanisms of these little engines.
The Olomana now has several hours of run time with her train. Probably over 2 dozen hours.
We only ever pulled a couple cars with ours, it had maybe 20 hours of runtime.
Dan Pierce said:
…Also note on the newer block no solid contact to the motor power leads, metal posts go through a hole in the motor leads.
Soldering this will fix intermittent running motors or even current starved motors.
This sounds like it could have been the problem, the gears looked fine.
Sophie
When I converted my old 2019 mogul to onboard battery power. every source of drag was eliminated. All wheel pickup brushes, the skates and I removed the lead boiler weight and installed the battery in its place. Its a bit lighter, but on my little railway or even at the RLD open house, I pulled every car I had without the engine slipping. The slightly less weight allows longer run times and less wear on the axles and axle slots in the frame. Obviously she is of German production from her age. Most of my LGB is older production as its been purchased second hand. Brand new stuff is really nice, but out of my budget and not of interest now that I am shifting to more of a UK look. In fact I will be narrowing the wheel sets soon to 32 mm width. Many of the restored UK narrow gauge lines pull cars that match the LGB ones, so its not totaly out of place now, they also look good behind my UK style live steamers. (Just my Euro prototype cars will get 32mm regauging, USA prototype will remain 45mm gauge) Mike
LGB Speeder Battery Powered https://youtu.be/QlzCiacQf6U
When I disassembled the motor block to remove the sliders, i noticed LGB has made 2 significant design changes. The first being a much more robust contact strip between the axles and the sliders. The second change is the addition of separate bearing journals similar to USAT except theirs are made of some type of plastic. I’m assuming they would be part of the replacement wheel assembly and solves the problem of worn motor blocks.
Boy that’s some tapping going onnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
Sure sounds to me like they are trying to mimic a “Hit and Miss” motor.
As far as I could remember from my childhood days along side a railroad track, Phoenix got it right.
“Too soon to evaluate”…egads; it’s been almost 3 months, and still no-one seems to be ready to evaluate…
Fred, my Olomana has many hours of run time on it, and its doing fine. That is the only “new” LGB item I have.
Fred Mills, BSc, (Sd, ss) said:
“Too soon to evaluate”…egads; it’s been almost 3 months, and still no-one seems to be ready to evaluate…
Back on page 1 from June of 2016 is when I gave my eveluation of the new LGB product… I guess my opinion doesnt matter.
Vincent, don’t feel bad. Mine doesn’t matter neither.