It’s a good thing Marklin has LGB now- No more “toy-Like” trains…
http://www.circus-mondolino.de/
Perhaps you missed it, but the banner logo on that site does say “marklin toys”. 
Seriously, I set up a circus theme at Christmas. I went with the Bachmann circus trains. To me they look a lot better than the ones LGB came out with. The LGB versions seem to fit in with their “toy train” line. My daughter does like the LGB tank car you can fill with liquid and drain out all over the floor. 
Paul,
Unlike others on this site I like toy trains. I actually consider all model trains to be “toys”. They are a diversion from reality. A number of folks out there made it a point to applaud the fact that now that Marklin owns LGB we wouldn’t see any more toy trains or trains with licensed logos ( much like “Circus Mondolino”). Just enjoying the irony I guess!
Paul Lambert said:Paul, that's only for those who read.
Perhaps you missed it, but the banner logo on that site does say "marklin toys". :D
BTW not a bad concept with the Circus; LGB couldn’t do that, there probably would have been a fight who gets to be “Clown”. 
Probably ‘O’ scale or maybe ‘h.o.’ but who are they kidding. I think that Marklin has lost the plot. They have a largescale market clamoring for product and they release rubbish like this. LGB went this road back in the 80’s and 90’s and guess what items generally sell the cheapest now, apart from Coke ‘collector’ series stuff, yes, the circus items. Even the Depot G Wilson Brothers circus line could not stir up the American imagination and it was all American prototype. Some live and learn and others simply do not learn from other’s mistakes.
I was concerned that my not inconsiderable LGB collection would plummet in value if Marklin continued production. Well, I am less concerned now as Marklin are doing a dam fine job of shooting themselves in the foot with the way the ex-LGB line has been handled to date. They did not need ex-distributors to ‘sabotage’ their efforts. As the ex-publicity officer/ex-owner of LGBoA said recently - it is possible that the Lehmann product line may go back on the market and there will be those ready to take up what was not achieved back in 2006/2007.
Tim,
Buffington still has his big dreams, being part of an “interesting” attempt that backfired in a SUPER-MAJOR way has that kind of effect.
BTW if you would have read some of Axle Dietz’s early pronouncements, you would be neither surprised nor disappointed.
The big plan - at least the way I read it - is to get the kids back on board; way to go in my opinion! Dietz is of the opinion that depending on the collectors is a mug’s game (I’m paraphrasing!)
A kid I know will turn two this month, he’s absolutely nuts about Thomas and all that stuff. So I bought him a starter set, his got a little brother too. That could make two we get hooked on trains. Really helps that they live close by a rail line, see and hear the trains go by every day.
Careful there HJ. That Thomas the Tank Engine track incorporates what some might call “toy like geometry”. Wouldn’t want to start you little “model railroaders” off on the wronge foot now would you?
P.S. watch your spelling!
I’m not really an LGB fan, but I was sad to see it go bankrupt and I’m glad to see Marklin get it. They’re a quality company and will do well with it.
If they are toy trains or not , is just a matter of opinion !
(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/DennisPaulson/Mason/Mason%205%2008%20layout%20b.JPG)
(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/DennisPaulson/Mason/Mason%20running%20trains.JPG)
Done correctly , the trains can be fun and enjoyment !
Holy Smokes that gonna be an ugly trainset.
That Hogswart set is looking better and better…
John,
I get all my packages delivered at work. It could be a $5 or a $1500 locomotive, but in the eyes of my co-workers they are still just toys. It’s hard to convince them all those trains are for my daughter. I don’t mind, because I really do like to collect toys. However, I am also a fan of prototype operations, so I won’t get caught up in the toy vs. model debate. Of course, I prefer the really nice toys when I can afford them.
My biggest concern is that some 80% of the toys now come from China, and that number is just growing. The bright side is the toys are more affordable and the companies can still make some profit. The bad side is weak quality control. Some of the factories put out remarkably good products, but much more of it is poorly made, disposable junk. If I paid ten dollars for a locomotive, I can accept that risk. If I pay hundreds of dollars for the same locomotive, I expect it to work.
Paul
Dennis,
Those pictures are great. I like the train with the caboose in the middle. That’s exactly like my daughter. She also likes to fill up the gondolas with people, horses, cows, etc. I keep having to buy more people, as they have a way of disappearing from the layout. After raking the leaves this spring I turned up a number of figures I had assumed were gone forever.
Paul,
You may want to look into Piko productsif QC is a concern.
Paul,
What do you run on your railroad? Steam, diesel, old, new?
HJ, Yes, I run steam, diesel, old, and new. I just like to collect trains. N, HO, On30, O, G. Some new, some go back to the 50’s. I really didn’t get into G scale until a couple years back. I set up a 60 foot loop of plastic track for my daughter with some r/c trains from Scientific Toys. Then came the birdhouse buildings, toy cars, etc. Before my better half realized what was happening, I had started expanding out with brass track. The original plastic loop is held down with ballast, so it’s still there, at least until the “theme park” section takes over this summer. I also had several hundred feet of Peg Perego railroad until my daughter was too big to ride. A small loop of the track is still there.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/villagerail/_forumfiles/IMG_0020.jpg)
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/villagerail/_forumfiles/IMG_0021.jpg)
Paul
For steam I have 0-4-0 Switchers, 2-4-0, Rogers 2-4-2, Pacific 4-6-2.
For diesel I have 0-4-0 Switchers,FA1/FB1, RS-3, GP9
LGB, Aristo, USA, Bachmann, Accucraft, HLW, Kalamazoo.
Usual odd assortment of rolling stock…
Three dozen or so locomotives on the shelves in my office.
I’m keeping the layout somewhat modular as far as the structures go. They sit on paver stones with about 3 dozen lighted. I can move the buildings and create a new scene at any time. This week I swapped out a section from old Europe steam era buildings to an American rural scene with houses and country station / freight buildings.
In progress is a raised loop, maybe 100 ft., to go around a “theme park”. So far I have a roller coaster, ferris wheels, and carnival structures. I also have a pirate ship to go on the lake. Knight’s castle coming soon.
I have a 20x30 foot section indoors I have been using for temporary layouts when I feel like doing operations with some switching, point to point, etc. I’ll set it up in a couple hours and run the trains for several days, until better half gets tired of stepping on the tracks everywhere. I’m collecting track now for a new layout in the woods, where I will be able to run more elaborate switching operations.
Paul