For LGB Club members, you can order the new LGB Club Car for 2023…must be ordered by February 28th using the mailed pre-printed form that came with the latest Depesche newsletter. For non-members, if interested you can become an LGB Club member by calling Marklin USA by at 800-321-8811, and after joining they will email you the pre-printed order form you complete and send any LGB Dealer. There’s information about the LGB Club membership benefits in the LGB Catalog New Items for 2023 including the LGB Club 2023 Car, RhB Auto Unloading Car with DCC Control. The MSPR is $409; My Price $369.
The LGB Club would have been better off producing an American car that would probably be easier to sell. Cars like those sold in the Queen Mary Series I would think would sell much better for the U S market.
trainman
I agree with your comment that an American style train car would sell better in the USA. Unfortunately, Marklin’s main selling market is Europe, not the USA, so they’re going to focus on what sells especially in Germany. I’m not totally sure of Marklin’s US v. European market share, but the US is probably less than 20%. A lot of Germans do like the US models, however, as can be seen on some Youtube Videos of German G scale layouts and garden railways, but the vast majority are still German type locomotives and layouts.
What you say Thomas is probably true, I’m sure they are thinking this car would be for the European market much more then the U S market sales. Back in the day, 30 plus years ago I collect the LGB Sets, you know the ones with the 0-4-0 engine and two cars, I must have had close to 20 of these sets, I had Watts Train Shop on speed dial in my office at work. One day I woke up and decided what the heck am I going to do with all these sets and as soon as I saw the valve starting to drop I sold all of them, glad I did, the valve today is less then half of what it was back then. As you may know from my postings here I still model in LGB American engines and rolling stock, all is totally redone and painted to my own railroad name, just wish LGB would have offered more U S models in engines and rolling stock back in the day before they stopper production.
trainman
But…as was told to the last true LGB North AMERICAN market manager, by a zute-suited German LGB hot-shot sales person… “We know what is best for the North American Market…”
So what is offered…basicaly just re-paints of old equipment…nothing really new to even try to rebuild the North American Large Scale market…
and what do we get…as a car for the LGB CLUB…this four wheeled piece of European junk… They don’t even stock, or offer replacement parts for their old faithful North American NG high sided gondola.
Truely, LGB has given up on even trying to rebuild the NA LS market.
FJM
I wonder how Ron Gibson is feeling these days…disapointed, I’m very sure…