LGB Uintah - Sumpter Valley

LGB announced the first Uintah Ry in 1994 and started delivery in 1995. It was the LGB # 20882  6-axle, 2-6-6-2  locomotive with leading truck and trailing truck. Chassis and body were in black. It was the engine "51" of the Uintah railway. Front boiler in silver. The loco had steam and  digital sound.  It is a 2-motor engine (Buehler) without the tender. The sales price was US$ 1,899.00. That translates to roughly US$ 3,000.00 in today's money. It was a heavy engine weighing in at 4,4 kg or almost 10 lbs. with an overall length of 620 mm or 24.4 inches. Today's value should be around US$ 1,600.00 to $1,900.00 for mint condition but you find offers ranging from $ 700.00 to 1,100.00

LGB # 20882 Uintah 51

Also in 1995 LGB sold exclusively to the US market the Uintah # 21881 with steam only- no sound. Same coloring as above. Worldwide sales started in 1996. Price was around US$ 1,600.00. Today's value should be around $ 1,200.00 but- again you can find offers starting at around $500.00 (used condition). The Uintah does not have any longtime problems. It runs properly- period. Extended long-term use will result in worn out  motor blocks which can be 'fixed' by Klaus.
In 1999 the Uintah 21881 was released in a digital version, smoke only- no sound : LGB # 21881.8. Same color scheme as above.
In 2009, after the bankruptcy of the old LGB, the new owners announced the LGB 23881, a green Uintah with steam only and a DCC interface, but no decoder. It didn't come onto the market until 2011, only 354 were made. A sign of times to come??? In addition the sales price was not in range with earlier versions, official price was Euro 529.00 or US$ 750.00.

In 1998 LGB announced and presented the Uintah Sumpter-Valley LGB# 20892. The Sumpter Valley locomotive was similar but not identical to the Uintah loco (no water tanks, cab vent open, no coal bunker) and featured a tender. Labeled "251" on front head light and cab. An 'special version' was offered in 2001 with the labeling "250" on front head light and cab. And a version with digital decoder was offered in 2001 with the LGB# 20892.8. Prices for the Sumpter Valley were $ 2,200.00 - $2,400.00.

LGB Sumpter Valley 20892/ 22892/23892 - difference by labeling door and front with "250" or "251"

Somewhere between 2004 and 2006 the LGB # 22892 was offered through the eXtra program. Obviously, some engines hadn't sold very well and leftovers were going 'on sale' - yes it had the "250" labeling and was the same color scheme as the 20892. One last attempt to sell Sumpter Valley engines came in 2011 with the LGB# 23892 (labeling "251"), this time all were sold. Now the market wants them, but they are not coming onto the market very often, so expect to pay anywhere from $1,800 - $ 2,400.00 (condition) or more if quality decoders were added.
Both, the Uintah and the Sumpter Valley are fine examples of LGB craftsmanship. They are durable engines and fun to watch in operation. When installing decoders be careful to open the loco correctly and with caution. Screws that are torn out or forcibly reinserted damage the housing and will  fail in doing their job. Consequences will be a loose or open housing and thus impacting operation of the loco. Some screws are hidden and will defer opening the engine body. Do check the blowup drawing before laying hands on your LGB engine. Or simply call Klaus and have him do the job for you!

LGB Mallet

LGB manufactured their first Mallet in 1982. The archetype was built in 1929 by Hanomag, a then famous German machine and steam engine manufacturer. The Mallet was built to especially operate on steeply inclined stretches of track with numerous bends. That made her a great choice for German Big Train model railroading. With what little space Germans had to lay their layouts, either in their small gardens or in their even smaller basements or apartments, the LGB Mallet was the one to conquer even narrow curves. With her boiler and cab finished in dull black paint and dark green saddle tanks she looked elegant and massive at the same time. Greenberg's Guide to LGB says about her: "Articulated steam locomotive with their double drive mechanisms, known as Mallets after their inventor, are a visual joy in operation. Note the large front cylinders, operating in the prototype (preserved in the Blonay-Chamby Museum Railway in Switzerland) from partially expanded steam that has already been through the rear cylinders of this compound engine. The model hinges both mechanism to accommodate the radically tight 1100 curves, whose 600 mm radius barely exceeds the 520 mm length of the locomotive."

LGB 2085 D -2

Presented in the 1983/84 catalog the LGB 2085D came with a smoker and her initial price was DEM 975.00 which was pretty steep. The average German worker made about DEM 940.00 a month. The next years saw two more Mallets (a) the LGB 2085 D-2 with high voltage signs on the steam dome, cabin and steam tank door and (b) the 2085 D-3 with chassis and steam tanks in gleaming black. Today's value should be around US$ 1,500.00 but you will find offers starting at US$ 500.00-$600.00 in probably not mint condition. Due to the design the front motor tends to overheat easily since it lacks ventilation under some circumstances like outdoor heat, extended operation and such. Be prepared to exchange the motor(s).

LGB 70685 with a 21852 Mallet and two Pullman cars 

Then in 1997 - and at the height of the US LGB market and fan craze LGB issued the special Limited Edition Orient Express, featuring a LGB 21852 Mallet locomotive with a blue and black color scheme and two Pullman club cars (type # 31685) with car # "31650" and "31653" in the traditional beige / blue color scheme. The set was LGB # 70685 and was first presented in the 1997 catalog. It sold anywhere from US$ 2,700.00 to US$ 3,500.00 and sometimes more. Today prices range from US$ 1,800.00  to $2,500.00 depending on condition and aftermarket installations.

LGB 22852

In 1998 the LGB 22852 was released, another all black model with red chassis and labeled " Deutsche Reichsbahn / 99 201 / 133 München". It had sound. It sold for US$ 1,400.00 in the US until 2000. Today's value in mint condition should be around US$ 1,200.00 but again, you can find offers starting around US$ 800.00. Same motor issues should be expected.

LGB 23851

In 2000 LGB issued the Brohltal Mallet (Ex OEG Mallet) # 23851 which also came in a digital version (digital decoder) as the 23851.8 It was another black model with the sticker/plate reading: "II / BEG" and golden bell, tank door lock and hand rails. Prices in USA were US$ 900.00 without the decoder and US$ 1,200.00 for the decoder version.
in 2001 LGB offered the LGB # 24852  CFV - ONLY for the French market. Only 200 were made. The cabin, saddle tanks and cylinder (blocks) were in red and she had a  loco plate"413" and a plant plate. Wheels in black. It is currently available in Europe for Euro 1,399.00 or US$ 1,960.00 plus shipping.

LGB 24852 CFV Mallet with digital decoder and sound

LGB 26851

From 2002 to 2006 the LGB# 25851 was sold and presented in the 2003-05 catalog. It was the same engine as the  22852 but had no sound. You would find offers starting at $700.00 which is still roughly their selling price in 2003. You will also find LGB 25851's digitalized with aftermarket products, ranging between US$ 1,100.00 and 1,500.00.00- but mostly on the European market.
The year 2005 saw the last Mallet by the old LGB owners, the LGB 26851 Mallet CFV in all black with red plates and digital decoder. It was made for the French market and specified as an Export Model by LGB.  Expect to see price request around $ 700.00.

The new LGB Owners issued another Mallet sometime after 2009 and it is now available under LGB# 26850. It is another all black model of the "DR 99.20" class. It sells for roughly US$ 900.00.

The Mallet never found the same audience in the USA as did the Uintah and/or the Sumpter Valley. Only the Orient Express edition of the Mallet was a great hit with the US LGB fans and the limited edition of 2,200 went almost solely onto the US market. Klaus doesn't see a lot of Mallets in his workshop. Not many of them were sold here to begin with and second, it is a sturdy engine with good operating characteristics. In case you are operating a Mallet and need spare parts- please contact Klaus.

LGB Mikado

A loyal reader asked Yours Truly recently to talk about the Mikado and other Biggies from LGB. So, in the midst of one of the coldest winters on record in the USA here is some Winter Reading:

The Mikado was designed by LGB in 1999 and it took until 2002 to bring it onto the market. From the start it was meant to be an offer for the US market though it was sold in Germany and Europe as well. As with all big locomotives by LGB with the exception of the Mogul, the Mikado was made in small numbers. That said there were still   5,210   engines manufactured over the years. All engines until 2006 were manufactured in Nuremberg , Germany even though all other locos and stock was manufactured mostly in China from 2000 on. Today under Märklin,  most engines and stock is manufactured in Hungary. The Mikado suffered from some 'early childhood'- malfunction due to a design flaw in the body construction which was then redesigned in 2002. Please read our blog "Mikado 1,2,3" published on 11/6/12 for further detail on the subject.
The Mikado LGB numbers are LGB 20872 for the first engine type in 2001 to LGB# 22871 for the last engine in 2004. The numbers in-between are LGB# 21872, 22872,23872, 24872,25872. The numbers do NOT represent a continuous time frame when issued or offered.

LGB 212872

In addition to the pure LGB Mikado made in Germany there is a LGB authorized LGB Aster G 21832 Mikado White Pass in metal.

Value wise the Mikado has lost a bit of her steam in the last two years. You see offers anywhere between US$ 1,200 to $ 2,400.00 for the LGB versions and from US$ 1,800.00 to $ 4,000.00 for the Aster Mikado. That said, if you buy a Mikado that has had some run time at all you might need to take into consideration that a few parts need attention and might add to your 'final' purchasing costs. Gear wheels are at the core front as are motors. Operation of the earlier Mikados leads to developing play on the first drive shaft in the motor block which should NOT have play And since all Mikados came with sound except the SNCF (green French) Mikado 22871, the sound boards wont keep another 10 years either. Unfortunately, the Mikado was made under Rolf Richter's regime and there were no upgrades made to an already very outdated sound module used in the Mikado. On the other hand, with fantastic sounds available from either Phoenix or ESU you might just have saved enough on your purchase price to spend a little on a really great sound that is modern, update-able, and top-of-the-line.

The very rare LGB 22871 French Mikado

Repairs: For working on or replacing motors, checking the drive shaft, greasing the drive shaft connections or check for play on the first drive shaft  work on the motor blocks is required. It is best to separate the drive train from the loco body. To do this the generator should be removed first so you can place the Mikado on its back without damaging the generator (highly recommended from Yours Truly, too because due to a sparse spare parts situation, generators go for US$ 38.00 currently with a trend to increase in price). The drive train is attached to the locomotive with 3 screws only. Two in the rear on the left and right hand side of the motor and 1 screw all the way in the front, hidden behind the pilot. It is strongly recommended to use the correct screw driver ( for small screws) so you can re-attach the screws again and not damaging them or their thread for good with a wrong tool.
With these screws removed the drive train comes off the body in one piece. Watch for the cables: one red, one black to quick-disconnect cables for the chuff, bell+whistle; and one set of cables, black and brown, connecting the motor to the electronics inside the body. Please make notes which wire or connector goes where and make sure that the quick dis-connectors will be re-connected in the same direction - otherwise your sound will not work.
Sounds complicated? Yes, it can be. That's why you have Klaus. And Klaus can actually repair play on the drive train which is a complicated matter and needs parts made on his 3-D mill.
Parts: as for parts, Klaus carries the Mikado gear wheels, motors, generators, wheels, traction tires, push rods, and hand rails. Just call with your needs- he will find what you're looking for.