Mogul for 650....do I hear more?....Aaand SOLD!

Moguls are coming onto the market in big numbers right now. Some collections are being sold because people need money. Some are sold because their owners have passed away. And some are just plain new and right out of the factory. Yours Truly tries to follow the eBay market a bit and what I have seen lately is cause for caution.
Let me make this clear: I am talking LGB Moguls only. And this is what you should know before you start bidding on one.
The Mogul was first introduced into the market by LGB Germany around 1983. It came with some teething problems. That's when Klaus joined Wolfgang Richter and Guenter Ruhland to make the Mogul run safer and smoother and prevent her from falling over. The pilot axle suspension was changed to limit specific operational margins. All Moguls whether coal type (2019) or wood type (2018) had four "fixed" numbers and a letter if they had either steam (D) or sound (S). A mogul then would have the number 2018D, 2018S or 2019D or 2019S. That was it.
That system worked fine until about 1998. In these first 15 years the Mogul was solely manufactured and assembled in Germany. After that the Mogul was also manufactured in China, but some parts were still made in Germany. Sometimes parts were manufactured in China but the loco and tender were assembled in Germany. The Bumblebee Mogul was rebuilt /assembled in the USA.
The number system changed to five numbers and NO letters. Numbers would range from 21184 to 29182, with the "18" in the middle for wood type and the "19" in the middle for coal type. From around 1998 until 2006 roughly 15,300 Moguls were manufactured. The value of the Mogul should be US$ 2,500.00 for very old versions in magnificent condition to $1,200.00 for newer versions made before 2006 in very good to mint condition. Prices on eBay vary very much. Right now the average price for a Mogul varies between US$ 500.00 to 750.00 in good to very good condition and is definitely undervalued in case that Mogul is older than 2002. BUT...!!..:
You should make absolutely sure what condition the Mogul is really in. Is the motor still functioning? If it has sound how old is the Mogul and does the sound still work. Was the soundboard replaced or is it still the original sound board (more valuable when original board is still functioning). Some sell a Mogul with a number that cannot exist like 2219D. Ask for a photo from underneath the loco and check out the stamps and numbers. Ask for the original packaging and check for the loco number. Are the figurines in the loco and tender? Are the couplers intact? Were the loco and/or the tender embellished and have special collector's value, e.g. parts were gilded or parts were added in brass.
Some Mogul series are more valuable due to their very small production numbers, e.g. the 22185 Disney or the 21192 DRGW.
When totally in doubt don't hesitate to send an email to Yours Truly - we will try to help as best as we can. And if you have more detailed information on this subject yourself we would certainly appreciate you, dear reader, sharing this with us. THANKS and happy bidding!

.........................................(this subject) to be continued..............

Here We Go Again! - Good News - Other News and ...

...with Spring in full bloom and Summer around the corner, with your LGB trains humming and your layouts fully functioning and shiny....aahhhh...The good news is, Yours Truly is back and up and running again. The weird news is one of our German suppliers took Spring Break literally, it seems, and Klaus is still waiting for some big orders to be delivered....

The good news is, Klaus is back in full energy, too. He and his workshop are ready for all your locos that need a little professional TLC. Klaus' workshop is fully furnished with lathe, specialty saws, specialty drills, soldering devices, and, and, and... and a 3-D mill that Klaus operates himself to create and make parts from scratch as he needs them.

Old LGB factory "North Wing" 2009

The older your LGB loco is the better are your chances she was still fully made in Nuremberg/Germany at the old (defunct) LGB factory. These locos are getting more and more valuable. Yours Truly is in constant connection with Klaus Baumann from the old LGB to verify manufacturing standards and production numbers of LGB production series (until 2005/6). So contact us with any questions about your LGB trains.

Just  keep in mind that the older your LGB loco is, the more likely it gets that the old motors in the locos will eventually fail. Their expected lifetime varies; the old generation driving motors from 1995 and earlier are the best, Klaus says and their lifetime can be up to 15 years and more depending on driving time and overall maintenance. The newer generation of motors generally run for less than 10 years and then LGB had one motor generation that was badly manufactured and runs just for about 2 years.
Some of you are very handy and just need a new motor and then install it yourself. Others opt for some assistance in that. Klaus knows "his" LGB engines in the dark and by heart. There is a big difference whether you open up a Mogul or an F 7 or a Uintah or a Stainz or a China-made loco - you know where I'm going with this. I have seen locos coming into Klaus' workshop for repair that were literally slaughtered by self-proclaimed train-mechanics. They do that to any China-made LGB train- fine with me. But to do that to a 1985 Harz Querbahn or a 1987 Mogul - just breaks your heart...

Well, as I was going to say- Klaus has himself and his workshop up and running again. And when you call in for some repair and Yours Truly or Klaus are not near the phone, just leave a message. We call you back- and that's a promise. It just takes a little longer to make it into the office physically, sometimes....