LGB?

Garden Railroading
1

Hello! … This is only my 2nd post here, so I’d better introduce myself - I’m “Loco Larry”, I live in the desert SW and … I just retired!

I’ve been collecting G-Scale “rolling stock” (all LGB) and buildings (mostly Pola) for years, but I NOW notice that LGB in Germany has “gone kaput!” Does anyone have any updates and/or news on this situation? (FWIW, I can’t imagine that LGBofAmerica can make a go of it without LGB manufacturing new products.)

Regardless, I’d like to find a NICE locomotive that’ll pull something more than its own shadow. I was considering an LGB 20872 “Mikado”, but those puppies are now harder to find than hen’s teeth, so, I’m seriously considering an Aristo-Craft ART21602 ATSF Challenger 2-8-8-2.

I believe that the LGB “Mike” was 1:27th (unlike everything else of their’s that’s 1:22.5) and the ART21602 is 1:29th, so, hopefully, it won’t look TOO out of place! (I’d be most grateful for ANY advice on this as well!)

BEST Regards to ALL! -

2

Hi Larry

Regarding an update on the LGB mess?

Oh boy did you ask a big question! thats a long tale filled with angst and woe,

This is strictly my personal viewpoint and opinion of the situation to date, based on what informantion, misinformation, speculation, rumor, theory, and apocrophilia I have read on various different forums over the last year.

As I see it, LGB went insolvent over a year ago, after a very contentious period of time and more shinanigans than a Will Ferril movie, Marklin was awarded ownership of EPL/LGB, while LBGoA remained as a seperate entity. Recently Marklin announced that after moving the factory from Nurmburg, that limited resumption of manufacturing of German and Swiss profile LGB had resumed in Germany and Hungary, but NO American profile stock, and more importantly NO imports to the US for 2008, with maybe the exception of track, and still no word about when or even if, the Made In China products will ever see the light of day again.

LGBoA has since picked up US distribution of Piko and several previous LGB contract suppliers for parts. But the issue of who exactly owns the rights to the LGB logo inside the US still hasnt been resolved in any real way, both sides claim it, but neither has pressed the issue so its still contentious. LGBoA might be able to make a go of it with Piko, but the interim distribution agreement Marklin had with LGBoA has supposedly lapsed, and Marklin recently announced that MK Walthers would be exculsive US distributor for scales N, HO, and Z, G was not included in the press release so we dont really know where that agreement currently is.

So, to sum up, again in my personal opinion and viewpoint, as I see it:

NO US imports for 2008 is currently planned (track is supposedly the exception, but I aint seen any anywhere)

NO official permanent US distribution deal

NO official decision regarding US logo ownership

NO made in the PRC product for anyone

IOWs

3

Vic, well said and I don’t like LGB why you ask, my Low-Grade-Budget…

Dave

4

Hi Loco Larry,

I got hooked on LGB only last year…My hobby sounds like the line from “Airplane the Movie”…I picked the wrong day to get hooked on LGB"[:P] After I discovered the LGB, I panicked and bought tons of engines and rolling stock before my layout was completed.

I love my LGB Mike that I picked up last year from ebay. When I show off my railway to friends and family, that is what I put out. Another strong puller I have is the LGB Mallet 2085 (I have an American line and an European line)…and I have seen a few of those floating around Ebay lately.

The only Aristrocraft I have is a Diesel RS3 that I bought Aristrocraft rolling stock just to run behind it. My lgb rolling stock does look out of place behind it.

Also, if LGB of America does not get the contract to distribute LGB items, will they change their name to “The distributor formerly known as LGB of America”?

5

That’s pricey not princly

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Vic & Friends! … Thank YOU Very VERY MUCH for the update on LGB! … I’m sorry to hear that my suspicions about them are confirmed; i.e., as far as the USofA is concerned, they are, indeed, K.A.P.U.T.!!! …

So, I’ll start my “Quest” for something that’ll pull 14 or so cars AND looks good with what I have. As I mentioned, Aristocraft’s 2-8-8-2 interests me, so I’ll try to find a local dealer here in Arizona who has one!

Again, I DO appreciate the input! … BEST regards to ALL! …

7

They are Kaput for now, I wouldnt count them out just yet [;)]

Besides their stuff will be around on weaselBay till the end of time[:D]

8

Larry one word of advise when you are looking for an engine. First find out what size turns the engine will run on .Not all engines will work on all small or sharp curves. I found that out by accident being new to g scale and not knowing that larger size engines will not run on what lgb calls r1 curve track i now have a baughmann connie that looks great and at a cost of $550.00 i cannot run on my layout. Live and learn[xx(]

9

Might have a cure, check your PM (Private Messages)

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Ouch! … isn’t it fun learning somethin’ that way? …

BUT! … I know that the ones I’m interested in - Aristo-Craft Mikes 'n Mallets - require at least 8-foot dia. curves and that’s what I have! BTW, PM me if you’d like to sell that Bachman Consolidated!

Many THANKS!

11

Vic,

You seem to have all of the answers. I would suggest you check for validity before posting them. Lots of things there that don’t quite ring true.

12

Jack, I beleive it pretty clear to anyone reading these posts this is all just my personal opinions, viewpoints, or observations based on my take the past years events, my intent is not to claim to have any answers, I felt my above post makes that pretty clear that no one on the outside has any real idea what happened, what is happening, or what will happen. Were all just speculating, in leiu of any real official statements thats all we as consumers can, and will continue to do. But I will follow your advice and make it clear in my above post that I am only speculating as best i can based on the events as printed on the various forums here there and elsewhere.

Beleive it or not I’m more on your side than you might beleive, that is afterall your product in my signature picture. I too hope LGBoA and Marklin come to an agreement, it would be the most seamless transition for us the consumer, and I sincerly hope Walthers does NOT become the single source distributor for Marklin/LGB, that would be a disaster for me the consumer who has gotten used to the discount mail order stores.

My own main worries now are 100% about what direction Marklin appears to taking LGB, and that appears to me that they point away from the US. I’m dead serious in my fear that LGB could be taken in the Brawa/Kiss direction, and end up a high end, high price, beautique brand thats not easy to find here. I hope I’m wrong, but I just read on Gscalemad that apparently Marklin has pulled the plug on the Toytrain lineup. That was a big source of my collection, to me when combined with a very limited catalog of almost 100% german train lineup for 2008, and no US imports, not even of the Germie stuff, doesnt sound like a company that wants to resurrect LGB the way we all remember it.

Anyway I’ll keep in mind that I dont have all the answers and state it only as my personal opinions, but how much longer to we have to keep the “speculation” up? been over

13

Vic,

You worry too much. Everything will work out for the best.

As far as a resolution is concerned LGBoA wants that to happen more than anyone else. We’re working on it.

We always have Piko!

14

Maybe I do, Jack, maybe I do[;)]

Mentioning Piko, this came up on MLS regarding the future of Piko in the US, I suggested that it would be a very smart move for Piko to make a entry into US 1/29 scale market, by utilizing the Taurus drive to produce a US diesel like a RS11 or an Alco Century, especially if its sold at the Taurus pricepoint. A few of the Euro-centric members thought that would be a very bad idea, while a few of the US guys thought it was a great idea. I can only guess the Euro guys just want Piko all to themselves.

These are two engines the 1/29 crowd have been asking for a very long time now, certainly the Alco. So whoever produces it will be filling a demand thats out there. It would certainly sell more numbers here in the US than the Taurus and would definetly give Piko a good foothold here in the US train market.

Any thoughts on this?

15

Now Vic’s talking, even I might be talked into buying some of that as long as it isn’t in the old “gummi” scale and isn’t somehow made to look european, like the defunct outfit seemed to offer.

16

It would be interesting if Piko started looking at North American prototypes wouldn’t it?

Amazing what can be done with a little help from this side of the Atlantic, eh?