Thanx, HJ! Flickr wouldn’t even acknowledge the file.
TOC
I like the LA streetcar, it would look good with my New Orleans streetcar. They are probably the same model, just with different paint. And the Mikado looks really nice, but I know its out of my price range.
The starter sets look like they took the Bachmann Little Big Hauler sets and LGB-ized them, especially with the extra short passenger cars.
All in all, not a lot of North American stuff there, and not much I am interested in besides the Olomana. But at least they are planning on making some of this stuff. So LGB aint dead yet, and for that I am happy. Even if I probably won’t be buying much of it.
I love LGB and with the exception of a couple USAT rolling stock, my RR is entirely LGB. I would love to see new North American prototypes. LGB offers too many child-ish items and few items for serious model railroaders. My LGB PRR Mikado and LGB B&O F7’s are amazing but I would love to see LGB come out with a Pacific class 4-6-2 locomotive. If they were able to engineer a 2-8-2, I’m sure they could engineer a 4-6-2. I’m also a huge fan of the streamliner passenger cars, but rarity and cost are very prohibitive to acquiring. My suggestion to LGB, offer North American prototypes to the North American market and quit with all the ‘cutsie’ teddy bear crapola and give us some true American classics.
Updated delivery list (Germany) http://www.lgb.de/media.php/lgb/pdfs/Liefertermine_LGB-Neuheiten_2015-02.pdf
The short report is:
Since 2009 LGB has been told over and over again the following:
Walthers is too high priced.
LGB is too high priced.
You need another distributor, not as an exclusive distributor, either.
LGB starter sets need to be under 400 bucks.
LGB needs more American items.
LGB needs a parts and repair facility in America.
We have addressed each item…
End of report.
TOC
Remember the kid in the LGB video wearing a white researcher’s smock as he ran the Stainz into a tank of water – and the pulls it out and it runs?
Those who created the video simply reflected company policy: Reliabiity. Yep, send us your broken and we will fix it – most of the time without cost. You can’t buy that image nor have customers pay for it. Those stories repeated themselves. No other mfg. had them. USA and others were silent. The train hobby grew as it endlessly reinforced the LGB reliability image.
Meanwhile, there’s the list above. Dave’s right, its been there for seven years – and earlier because I said it repeatedly to LGB management. Dave knows, and is so clear in expressing his thinking he has made reasoning a liability to LGB. They apparently haven’t wanted to hear what they are unprepared to manage.
Selah,
Wendell
TOC, it would be nice if I could get LGB parts easily. So are you saying that they will have a parts distributer in the states? That would be a great help.
That’s what they tell me. Let me get some specifics.
TOC
Various commercial businesses and hollywood helped reinforce the “LGB reliablity” image as well. From Moguls in the original “The Santa Clause” to many resturants using LGB trains on thier overhead layouts. Atleast we have gotten away from the exclusive deal with Walthers, that alone should help. Now my local shop here in town can get anything I need that is new from LGB thru Heartland Hobbies. Hopefully the coming years will bring more USA prototype reissues like Amfleet coaches and other items that are in high demand from the looks of the bidding over on evilbay. I know when first showed interest in large scale trains, I was told by pretty much everybody to buy LGB if you can afford to. My aunt and uncle caught wind of my interest and brought me a Stainz starter set right from the town where LGB was based, picked up while they were on vacation that summer. TrainLi has some parts but must source the rest from Europe. A stateside parts and repair set up similar to what they once had is sorely needed and would help them regain thier foothold state side. Mikie
I checked.
“Heartland Hobby Wholesale has placed a very large parts order with our factory.”
What I don’t know yet is whether peons can order from a wholesaler…or if your dealer has to do it.
Checking.
TOC
When the old Watts train shop closed down, I got several pieces of old advertising from Dave, basicly just stuff that came in the sets that I use for wall decor. I wanted one of the engraved LGB logo signs, but I was unemployed at the time and couldnt afford it. As long as I can get running parts such as skates and idler gears for my moguls, various light bulbs for my streetlights, turnout lanterns ect then I am happy. I remember the huge panic when the big crash and burn happened, prices went thru the bloody roof almost overnight. Now we have returned to reality, there is plenty of stuff out there. I could never really afford new items, I have grown my collection with second hand items from estates or collections that would come in at Watts and now Zionsville Train Depot. I so wanted to travel to Germany years ago for one of the big open houses and tour the factory, meet Wolfgang again, along with the rest of the family. I do have a pretty complete collection of BTO magazine, back when it was solely LGB related. Excellent reading for learning the early years of LGB in the states and those modeling and collecting it. I still have an LGB sticker on my vehicle and a LGB keychain fob on my keys, also have a LGB money clip. Cant find my red LGB T shirt, got missplaced when we moved from PA back to IN. Mikie
“…when the LGB mogul first appeared, I do not think “affordable” was the word. …”
How far back was that ?
'Cause I’ve been reading thru some olde MR magazines that I acquired a few years back and these issues of mid '80s (85,86,…) seem to have several vendors listing the lgb product and $ .
ie charles ro, watts, trainworld, dougs train world, etc. and for a sample $ … ‘world of train’ of rego park,NY; lgb> mogul w/tender #2018D, 369usd circa march 1986.
Pleasantly surprised to also see several other manufacturer/product announcements of " #1 and G" at various shows, conventions, and ‘speciality’ shops written up by MR … within these mid-80’s issues of MR.
This was like 14yrs before my time 
nite,
doug c
p.s. actually read thru ('85?) issue with an article about Marc H. how he started, the up and coming GardenRailways magazine, and how garden railway (N.A.) hobby was growing. Even read a Russ Larson (?) editorial encouraging peoples to look into the ‘new’ gauge/scale as an alternate to being ‘stuck’ in the basement …
HHW won’t sell to consumers.
The LHS can order from them.
TOC
I knew that, they are a distributor, both of my LHS’s get thier LGB and other stuff thru them. And you had to visit a hobby shop or know the owner of one back then. I am friends with the Watts family that ran a wonderfull shop for many years. Mike
Parts by Marklin/LGB can be interesting as the new company is making kits of parts, but only for the new products.
SO, things presently not being made are:
Split case motor blocks
Stainz metal side rod parts
Mogul 3 wire blocks, top, middle, bottom.
Good news is demand is creating a secondary parts market for things like light lens and reflectors and many other small parts.
Some of these are available via Train-Li/Modell-land, but supplies are limited.
Mogul 3 wire blocks have 2 versions, only the one with 6 screws in the top plate is available.
Dan Pierce said:
Parts by Marklin/LGB can be interesting as the new company is making kits of parts, but only for the new products.
SO, things presently not being made are:
Split case motor blocks
Stainz metal side rod parts
Mogul 3 wire blocks, top, middle, bottom.
Good news is demand is creating a secondary parts market for things like light lens and reflectors and many other small parts.
Some of these are available via Train-Li/Modell-land, but supplies are limited.
Mogul 3 wire blocks have 2 versions, only the one with 6 screws in the top plate is available.
Okay. Lots of things in this post.
Split case motor blocks. Since the reference is split, one immediately thinks clamshell two piece, vertical split, NOT sandwich, horizontal 3-piece.
Clamshells haven’t been made in…23 or 24 years. Try getting parts for a 24 year old automobile out of your dealer. That’s why for a while we had replacement motor blocks.
Stainz metal siderods…they went to plastic when? How did the customer destroy metal siderods, since the carry no load, or are you just trying to retrofit the newer plastic rods with the older metal rods? They probably aren’t in the business of providing older downgrade parts for new. Try getting Microslime to sell you a copy of XP because you don’t like 8.
Mogul 3-wire motor blocks. Again…been 15-20 years since they went to 4 wire blocks. I remember having to change out (and do a bit of wiring change…tie two together) to drop a TrainWorld supplied replacement 4-wire block to a 3-wire chassis. PLUS…you end up with far more side play in #2 driver, and it’s sprung, unlike the 3-wire blocks I had (but again, depends on version).
The 6-screw top plates…there was a reason for that, if I remember. The additional screw holes held the end of the plate down, making sure the gears stayed meshed. I remember having to create a block between top and bottom plates on one of mine to keep gears meshed.
Usually by the time you need a top plate, the axle holes are wobbled out, the driver plating is gone, the motor needs replacing, pickups and skates are worn…and you just find another block.
You can build one up…for double the price of a new block, right?
Kits of parts…yes, like coach window kits versus individual…sometimes a good idea…and spare windows go in our parts bins for the next guy. Pickup kits…brushes and skates…good idea, except skates need to be separate as they wear 4X faster than the brushes.
What is it you’re trying to do?
TOC
Curmudgeon mcneely said:
Dan Pierce said:
Parts by Marklin/LGB can be interesting as the new company is making kits of parts, but only for the new products.
SO, things presently not being made are:
Split case motor blocks
Stainz metal side rod parts
Mogul 3 wire blocks, top, middle, bottom.
Good news is demand is creating a secondary parts market for things like light lens and reflectors and many other small parts.
Some of these are available via Train-Li/Modell-land, but supplies are limited.
Mogul 3 wire blocks have 2 versions, only the one with 6 screws in the top plate is available.
Okay. Lots of things in this post.
(Big Snip)
What is it you’re trying to do?
TOC
Hmmmm… Fix it today, and do what you can for twenty bucks. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-money-mouth.gif)(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-sealed.gif)I heard that 'way too often when I had my behind the barracks MG repair bidness. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)
With Mowogs, it ain’t twenty bucks…and it’s designed to be a repeat endeavour…
Curmudgeon mcneely said:
With Mowogs, it ain’t twenty bucks…and it’s designed to be a repeat endeavour…
Yeah, it ain’t reliable transportation, its a hobby, or in my case, a source of income to support my MGA habit when I was a young HM3
of course, Jaguars have an appetite for hunnert dollar bills…