LGB Alco Diesel White Pass -- Conclusion

1998 marked the 30 year anniversary for LGB. Lehman had opened its business gates for the Lehmann Garten Bahn (Lehmann G-Scale) in 1968 with the Stainz engine # 2010 (for details look into our LGB Yarner blog from June 27, 2013 at http://lgbyarner.blogspot.com/2013/06/ about the very beginnings of LGB ) and 30 years later was the leading expert and manufacturer in all things G-Scale in model trains.
 A good reason to celebrate. 13 different catalogs and brochures were published by LGB in 1998 either differing in language, type or subject. Again, special focus was put on the offer for the American market with a slew of  freight cars, a few engines - some of them hidden within the freight car offers - maybe it was Easter and the egg hunt was on.....Enough already...
Here are the important news: Another White Pass loco was offered, exclusively for the US LGB customer:  The #22552 together with identical Alco Diesel engines in Canadian-Pacific coloring, LGB # 23552 and a "Christmas" Alco Diesel (which according to LGB's own lingo would be a "Queen Mary"- type coloring), the LGB # 24552. All three engines were limited editions.

LGB # 22552
from the 1998 LGB brochure "Exclusively for America"

Above is the engine as advertised in the 1998 LGB brochure celebrating the 30th anniversary "Exclusively for America". However, the engine the customer would receive upon ordering was this one:

LGB 22552 - Courtesy of Only Trains

This one truly was a limited edition with only 450 manufactured, it came with the newly digital sound, recorded by Klaus in Skagway/AK and a 'proper' price tag of approx. US$ 895.00.

The CP engine in red had an even smaller edition volume of only 400!!

LGB # 23552 -- 1998 LGB brochure 'Exclusively for America"

One just came onto the market this January at Trainz.com auction site and was auctioned off for US$ 623.00. A very good price for the buyer!! It also came with digital sound. And still another is currently (Jan 23,2020) on offer on ebay for US$ 1,000.00...

The edition volume of the LGB # 24552 was also just 400. 

LGB # 24552 - LGB brochure 1998 "Exclusively for America"

One LGB 24552 is currently (Jan 23, 2020) on offer on bonanza.com for - low and behold - US$ 1,899.99.......

It wasn't until 2002 that another version entered the LGB series, the LGB # 25552, also with digital sound.

LGB 25552 - Courtesy of worthpoint.com

If you're scratching your ear right now wondering if Yours Truly had mixed up the photos today... no my dearest reader friend. It is exactly what it looks like, the green anniversary engine from 1998. And here is the real question; did delivery of the anniversary loco took so long that not only the edition volume of previously 450 was well meant but never came to fruition. Order numbers might have steamrolled that intention. Or were times getting gritty on Rolf Richter by now the one in charge at the LGB helm; big order and production numbers of allegedly new locos would make a fine cosmetic fit for the banks and new credit lines...That is all in the past now.

2005 saw the last Alco Diesel offer, the LGB# 26552

LGB 26552 - Courtesy of worthpoint.com

This Cocal Cola Alco Diesel loco was NOT advertised (exclusively) in the USA. The American customer had the same chance as the European or German customer to order and receive one of the 500 engines that were available from this limited edition. One such engine is currently available on bonanza.com for US$ 1,499.99, another on trainz.com - a trusted dealer north of Atlanta (YT knows very well) is for sale for $ 1,485.11 + shipping on ebay (as of Jan 24).