Large Scale Central

Piko vs. Older LGB

General Discussion
#1

Getting back in to G Scale and from what I see since Piko has taken over LGB, Piko has pretty much destroyed the scale from what LGB had back in the day. I know these are toys, but LGB engines and rolling stock had some stand-off scale to it and Piko has pretty much done away with that. I today will most likely not purchase any Piko and still continue to purchase the older LGB stuff as it is much more to my liking. Not wanting to go to Fn3 at this time as I model in HOn3 for my scale needs, but Piko just doesn’t work for me. Thank goodness for USA Trains and Bachmann for my G scale modeling needs.

trainman

#2

Piko has NOT “Taken over LGB”. Some Piko stuff is from old MDC moulds, and some of their other stuff is looking almost like SQUISHED LGB stuff.

When LGB went belly-up, they just about gave up on producing any meaningful North American rolling stock, so basically lost a lot of any real NA market share, except for collectors that seem to purchase anything LGB, even the constant "REPAINTS of old models, of European heritage.

OK, so they put out a $10,000 collector set of two 4-4-0’s, with a supposed telegraph pole, and possibly a carrying case…which is most valued by collectors. I’m sure you would be wanting one of those…!!!

Fred Mills

#3

Fred Mills. said:

Piko has NOT “Taken over LGB”. Some Piko stuff is from old MDC moulds, and some of their other stuff is looking almost like SQUISHED LGB stuff.

When LGB went belly-up, they just about gave up on producing any meaningful North American rolling stock, so basically lost a lot of any real NA market share, except for collectors that seem to purchase anything LGB, even the constant "REPAINTS of old models, of European heritage.

OK, so they put out a $10,000 collector set of two 4-4-0’s, with a supposed telegraph pole, and possibly a carrying case…which is most valued by collectors. I’m sure you would be wanting one of those…!!!

Fred Mills

I doubt it Fred. He is thankful for USA and Bachmann as he stated in his final sentence?

#4

Maerklen took over LGB, and hasn’t really done anything new these past 10 years that I can recall. But at least they still make their track and parts. Piko has tried to fill some gaps while also trying to keep the price down. This results in reduced detail. At least they are trying to keep the hobby alive.

#5

I’m lost as to the purpose of this post. to beat up Piko? To declare your allegience to the Red Box ?

LGB scale is all over the place and definitely not the same as USA an Aristocraft.

#6

Is it illegal to express an observation, and opinion, on this forum ? Everyone has their view on the situation, and I’m not in any way stopping anyone from expressing theirs.

We are very fortunate to have the manufacturers that still exist, no question on that, but do they all provide what the North American market would like…some seem satisfied, others, not so much…

Fred Mills

#7

It is unfortunate that I do not see the scale for the piko products and why is the Xmas ore car almost $300. Is this to be run with the LGB promontory set. he he he

#8

If it is the same ore car that Piko has been producing for the last few years, only in a Christmas paint scheme; then it is produced from the old MDC moulds, and is “Supposedly” 1:32 scale. ….and sure not worth over $100…but other minds will probably differ. !!

Fred Mills

#9

It is probably the licensing fees jacking up the price. Those darn elves are brutal.

#10

So don’t bash me on this question as I started this mess and some took me wrong when it was not intended to be a Piko vs. LGB bashing. So my question is, why did Piko not use the LGB molds as we know them and where did they go, did Piko just buy some of the product line, like the track, but not the molds for engines and rolling stock, etc. So where did the LGB molds go and who owns the right to them. Just seems like a lot of good value not being produced and sold, but I can tell you there is a lot of LGB out there to buy and at very reasonable prices today, probably because of the decline in model railroading could have something to do with it. Once again, I’m not a collector and only purchase to re-built, so the manufacture means noting to me, only car style and what I can make it into for my modeling needs and wants.

trainman

#11

Again, Marklin owns LGB and the molds. They did a hostile takeover of LGB back in 2009ish. They are still producing engines, cars, track and accessories under the LGB name. But other than the Heavyweight cars, I haven’t seen any new models. Just repaints of existing models. I may just not have noticed the new models.

PIKO engines, cars and track are NOT the same as LGB. Different molds. They look similar from a distance, but look close and you will see they are not the same molds. Different sizes and often less detail. For instance, their US passenger coaches are shorter than the LGB versions.

#12

LGB and Marklin are now both owned by the Simba Dickie makers of all sorts of plastic and plush toys.

PIKO never owned any LGB molds. Track is similar most likely to be interchangeable, though radius except in R1, and some straights are different, but same applies to Thiel and Proscale out of germany, USA, Aristo and Bachmann.

LGB claimed a scale of 1:22.5 representing meter guage on 45mm track. Even then pretty flexible. When they started some American std guage prototypes sort kind of pulled Aristo/USA of 1:29 so visually mixing in the 50ft pressed steel boxcar with you LGB narrow guage locomotive would be approximate.

As mentioned PIKO bought the old MDC molds at 1:32. As their newer locos and models have got to market of mostly former E German prototypes from the measurements compared to prototype still sort of a rubber 1:29.

#13

Thanks for clearing that up for me as I have been out of G Scale for some 25-30 years, that gives me an idea what has happened over that time period.

trainman