The LGB Diesel "Switcher"

The first American Diesel locomotives were built in the early 1920's. Little believe in their usefulness ended their first test engines. Then in the early 1930s  a Diesel Switcher was built by EMD (a General Motors Division) and later by ALCO and GE that was accepted by the market. All these switchers were 4-axle switchers from the start and later developed into 6- and 8-axle switcher Diesel locos.  LGB never took on any of those real American Diesel switchers. Instead LGB focused on the German type of the switcher, that was also developed in the 1930s and was consistently a 3-axle engine. Those were first offered in 1991 as the LGB 2062 which was more a compilation of the idea of a narrow gauge Diesel switcher than the model of a consisting prototype.

LGB 2062 - Courtesy of Only Trains

Some of the early American Diesel switchers were narrow gauge locos like the little 25-tonner #1 of the Alger-Sullivan Lumber Company in Florida which are 2-axle engines and often still fulfill local duties.

Courtesy of american-rails.com

Another fine example of a light narrow gauge Diesel switcher is the historic 30-ton Davenport Diesel.
This is a quote from hardhatMAK at FLICKR.com: (see original article at https://www.flickr.com/photos/25111976@N03/35138766043/in/photostream/)
"D&RGW 50, a tiny 2-axle, 30-ton Davenport diesel, was the only narrow gauge diesel locomotive that the Rio Grande actually owned. (They tried several Army diesel on the narrow gauge lines, but never owned any of them.) The unit, purchased from the Sumpter Valley in 1963, produced 160hp from its Caterpillar D17000 engine, with power coupled to the wheels through a mechanical transmission.
The unit was used to switch the Durango yard from its purchase in 1963 until the abandonment of the San Juan Extension in 1970. At that point, it was sold to the Roaring Camp & Big Trees near Santa Cruz, California. Last running in the early 1970s, the engine was eventually sold to the Colorado Railroad Museum in 1984.
The engine is preserved at the Colorado Railroad Museum today, and was returned to operation in June 2009." Quote end.

The Davenport in front of the Colorado Railroad Museum

This little Davenport was LGB's prototype for the LGB #2063 which was developed and manufactured starting in 1991. It reached the markets in 1994 but was not advertised in any brochure, flyer or magazine.

LGB #2063 - Courtesy of Only Trains

The LGB #2063 series  went quite beyond the - often already 'stretched' - LGB scope of model locos modeled after  real world prototypes. Six 2063 types were made and they all stray remarkably from any reality prototypes available. Follow Klaus on this journey.........

+++++++++++++++++++to be continued