LGB News from the Toy Fair

Here is the link to view the newest LGB catalog 2012

www.lgb.com

then go and click on "Neuheiten 2012" and then you should be able to download the new catalog.

The new catalog is in German and English. Most of the locos and trains they show are models you are more or less already familiar with. I still think they have done a nice job. There is a "new" Mikado in the catalog as well as a "new" Porter. However, none of these new locos are available right now. Marklin was pretty reserved when our "man at the Fair" asked when he could buy and take home one of the new engines. We will keep you updated. Prices seem to go up for the new engines and that combined with the current Euro/US$ exchange rate will make them sort of expensive again here for us in the US.

Last time I promised you a story about the turntable. Doing research for that story I learned that only about 100 turntables were made by LGB - all of them literally by hand by an artisan craftsman by the name of  Herr Diller at the LGB factory in 1979. The LGB # was LGB 1400. If you know somebody who has an old LGB turntable, please let them know that these turntables are very valuable, no matter what condition they are in. Here's a comparison: a do-it-yourself turntable set for 0-scale goes for Euro 700.00 or roughly US$ 950.00. And a very nice 0-scale turntable ready-to-use goes for Euro 1,700.00 or US$ 2.200.00. That brings the value of an LGB turntable easily to US$ 1,500.00 even though it is operated manually. Klaus has motorized two turntables in the past with great success.  If you have an LGB turntable and want to clean it- please be very careful and do not use harsh household cleaners. Specifically do NOT USE household glue on it to "repair" something. That for sure destroys a great part of its value. Better,  you contact Klaus for advise.

On other news, we are following the development of DCC by I-Phone/ I-Pad and will keep you updated.

Yours truly also wants to point out that all the new decoders that your Famous Klaus is going to utilize and offer for sale are ALL mix-and-match"able" with your existing decoders that are to NMRA standard like NCE, Phoenix, Lenz, Massoth or others.

One thing you will see me write more about in the future: If you own LGB locos that are made before 1999, list their numbers somewhere, take a photo, store them on a CD and make sure they are covered by your household insurance. If you need a certificate re their value, you may contact us- we are certified to do that.