Monday, September 16, 2019

LGB Mogul 2-6-0 -- Conclusion

In 2003 and 2004 LGB worked feverishly to enhance sales volume wherever possible. Among other products 2004 saw three additional Mogul versions entering the catalog and the market.

The LGB # 25194 was the Coca-Cola Mogul under copyright of/ licensed by the Coca-Cola Company.
Courtesy of Only Trains

The Coca-Cola Mogul featured digital sound, a firebox light and exterior lights in driving direction - the 'standard' features of an LGB Mogul, more or less. Interesting fact is that is was shown in the 2004 catalog only on page 70!
For those  who want to dive into the past for a little while go and click onhttp://www.lgb-trains.com/lib/pub/LGB2004_03204_Journal_DE-EN.pdf for the complete 2004 catalog. Made possible by Champex-Linden/Germany.

Page 39 of the 2004 catalog presented the - by now most famous - LGB (Mogul) product: the LGB # 29182, The 20 Year Mogul Anniversary Set in a wooden crate! Not that the copy in the catalog would mention the wooden crate nor even show it, no! Not a word. Somebody must have slept through all classes of marketing and advertising. But they were really good at PR, printing  interviews with employees of LGBoA within the yearly catalog......leaving everyone flabbergasted. Scholarly masterpieces of how to run a company into the ground which wasn't far away by now. The most beautiful Mogul Anniversary Train set :
Courtesy Only Trains

Courtesy Only Trains

Courtesy Only Trains
It was a limited edition of 500. The wooden crate was built sturdily and was pretty in and by itself. Funny enough the wooden crate turns up for sale by itself  on the web. The anniversary set had  a price tag of almost US$ 5,000.00 at times.

LGB # 27182 was the last of the 2004 Moguls to be presented, the Christmas Mogul. She had sound as well and would have qualified for a limited series just as well with 800 Christmas Moguls made.
Courtesy of Only Trains

Just one Mogul was added to the Mogul version in 2005, the LGB 21192.
Courtesy Only Trains
She featured digital sound and the color scheme was adopted from the LGB 2119D. This time the front boiler is in black and the smoke stack comes with a 'bear trap". The engine cab features the "249" printed on it, the tender sports "DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN" , all wheels are in black. The year 2005 saw no separate production of any Mogul type. That means this Mogul was 'made' or better assembled from parts already manufactured in earlier years under different Mogul numbers. Signs of the times ahead?

Now we are in 2006. The bankruptcy year. Before that would happen LGB published their 2006 catalog and offered two Moguls:

the LGB # 22185 Disney Mogul with "W.F.CODY" printed on the cab and "DISNEYLAND Railroad" on the tender.
Courtesy Champex-Linden

The prototype is of course the WALT.E.DISNEY Mogul from Walt Disney World Railroad (WDWRR). Here the Original
Courtesy of SteamFan,Wikipedia and Disney World/FL

The LGB Disney Mogul came in an extremely limited number: Only 147 (!) were made. Which wasn't advertised at all in the catalog. The 2006 catalog featured 12 "Special Disney Pages" with pretty much everything Disney ever made by LGB. The price tag for the #22185 was Euro 709.00 or about US$ 1,100.00. She featured no sound.

The LGB # 22194 was the last Mogul made by the old, Original LGB. She featured a Vanderbuilt tender and was a "SOUTHERN PACIFIC" loco with ( more by coincidence, probably) the characteristic silver front plate for the RR. "491" was printed on the cab.
Courtesy of Only Trains
Edition volume was 523. Yes, you guessed it right, no advertising about that - again. On September 18, 2006 LGB would announce bankruptcy. History had been made. Not only with the Mogul series -but she was , as in real life for many Railroads, an important factor in the rise and success of the Original LGB.

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