Mix Multiple Manufacturers in Your LGB Engine

The problem: a pulsed smoker and a sound decoder only work in unison pulse if the sound decoder was made by the same manufacturer as the pulsed smoker.

The Task: to combine different manufacturers in pulsed smoker and sound decoder – so you can choose from different manufacturers for the best fitting sound for your loco and for the best working smoker – no matter who makes which one.

The Solution: Klaus has created a board that makes the pulsed smoker from ANY manufacturer compatible with ANY soundboard/decoder on the market. With Klaus Mix-Multi Board any pulsed smoker will work in perfect unison pulse with any sound decoder. No more nerve-racking steam sound whereas the smoker delivers ½ a minute later. No more “Arrrgh--- I bought this smoker a year ago and forgot who made it, now I have this fine, fine sound from a completely different company.” All done with-- Now you can combine any sound decoder with any pulsed smoker out there. Buy the product that best fits your needs, your purse and your LGB loco – no matter who makes them. Stop worrying to be forced to stay with one manufacturer for all times just so the products are compatible in your LGB engine. Now you call Klaus or send him your loco and the Mix-Multi Board will take care of it.

What it takes: each board is a custom made board by Klaus for your individual decoder-smoker manufacturer situation. Board price is approx. US$ 50.00. Klaus likes to install the board himself into your loco to ensure absolute proper function of sound and chuffs. After all- you want to improve the value of your LGB loco, especially if your LGB engine was made before 1999 (becoming a collector’s item …!).

What to do next: Look at your pulsed smoker unit and jot down the manufacturer name, the item name and the Voltage, then look at your sound decoder and get the manufacturer and version # from that sound decoder. Then look at your LGB engine and jot down the LGB number from your LGB original box in case you still have that. Then call Klaus at 770-886-6670 and provide the data you jotted down. This gives Klaus a very good idea of the work scope involved. Klaus will then give you advice for the next steps.

Twitter - Facebook- Linkedin -- to be or not to be

Yes - Klaus is doing fine. His eyesight is wonderful and his workshop is really humming!!! Yours Truly has also been busy collecting more and more historic data about Old Original LGB locos in preparation of  "Famous Klaus" clinics at the Chicago 2012 NGRC. One clinic, on Saturday, August 18, 2012 will be about the value of your personal LGB loco and how LGB train collections change/evolve in value over time.
In the past we have repeatedly stressed that eBay.com  is not necessarily a good site to tell you properly about the true value of your LGB engine. We have, however observed that asking prices on eBay for LGB Moguls and other fine OLD LGB locos have been increasing. Yours Truly has also noticed that asking prices for high-end priced LGB engines such as the  Orient Express sets, the Asters or similar, are gaining on eBay and getting closer to their values as collectors items. Those are very good signs for the evolving collector's market for Old LGB engines made before 1999.

Spare parts supply for original LGB locos whether mechanical parts, motors, gadgets or decorative parts will stay sparse and some may be hard or impossible to come by. That is sad for very old analog locos where the oldest  soundboards will come to their life's end and just give up. There are no replacements of that kind anymore. However- some German suppliers like Uhlenbrock have taken note and are manufacturing soundboards that can be installed and run in very old LGB locos without being operated in digital mode.
Your Famous Klaus spends quite a fair amount of time searching for and purchasing old and oldest LGB spare parts and looking for adequate, re-engineered parts that he will utilize for his restorations, repairs and installations. If all fails, Klaus then will re-manufacture the part in his workshop - if you want him to.
Why - you may ask- isn't there a better supply of spare parts? Like there used to be? Motors for 59.00 dollars? 10 bulbs for 5 dollars and so on? You might still find some of these items being sold to you for the old prices. Grab them!! The truth is, in a market where (in a defined term) 400 engines are sold compared to 4,000 or more 25 years ago, spare parts are not manufactured in 10,000'er bins but in 500. That volume has the term "not profitable" written all over it with the consequence that they are not made anymore or prices go up steeply. The LGB market has been declining for years now. From a factory with 150 employees and more in their heyday, 3 (!) of the original crew have survived all the changes.

The good news in that? If you have Old LGB trains dating from before 1999 - you have collectors items on your hand. If you are a diehard LGB fan wanting to increase your collection your answer lies in estate sales. There are many now and Klaus knows who is reliable. And of course, Märklin/LGB manufactures again. In small numbers. Most Forums, newsletters and what not will tell you about them. Which brings me back to the headline.

Klaus wants me to tell you: he doesn't twitter. He is not on Facebook. No Linkedin, no MySpace, no forums. Nope, none. He appreciates deeply when you think of him and invite him. But no- thank you. He will not do it. And there is one simple reason - Klaus wants to spent his (workshop) time on YOUR engines. Period. Whether it is repairing, or restoring, or installing or making parts or evaluating - and sometimes recruiting parts for your engines. That's it. And when the workshop day is done, Klaus will sometimes tell Yours Truly little stories from his workshop.......and -after a while -you get to read them here!