Saturday, May 16, 2020

Aster and LGB GG 1 # 23835, 24835, 24837

By 2005 LGB knew that chances of survival were getting slim. Short-time-work (state regulated system of compensation for work-sharing if not enough work is generated by regular market activity) was requested by and granted to LGB. Increasing sales volume, no matter how short run, murky or even imaginary, was prime target. The Aster-LGB cooperation was put on stress test. Four (4!) engines were ordered by LGB and made by Aster in 2005. Three of them, the GG 1's below, were never cataloged.

Deducing from the minimal edition volume they were exclusively made either for one US-dealer or for LGBoA top brass feeding only their most exclusive customer base. However, over the last decade some of these rare engines resurfaced in England and in Germany.
Aster/LGB # 23835 - Courtesy of ebay.com

Aster/LGB # 24835 - Courtesy of Only Trains

Aster/LGB # 24837 - Courtesy of champex-linden.de

The fourth engine made that year was the Tssd Mallet and will be reported on in our conclusion to this Aster/LGB blog.

As already mentioned, there was absolutely no adverting nor any mentioning to any regular customer about these locos. They were made for and sold to a selected few. Price wise only guesses are possible.
The Aster/LGB # 23835  GG 1 PRR 4872 had an edition volume of 79 engines, came in the wooden box with individual numbered plates (as before) and the 'official' price was published as EU 3,999.00. Chances are that the price received by whoever sold it on the American market was somewhere in the neighborhood of $ 5,900.00 and above.
The Aster/LGB # 24835 GG 1 Amtrak 927 had an edition volume of 79 as well, came again in the known wooden box and was given the same official price as the PRR above, EU 3,999.00. And here as well the fair assumption goes to roughly a requested price of about US$ 6,000.00 - maybe more.

The Aster LGB # 24837 GG 1 Conrail 4800 had the unfathomable small edition of 30 (thirty). At least Aster just had to do another paint job...The Conrail GG1 also came in the known wooden box and the 'official' price was again EU 3,999.00. It is anybody's guess what the US-dealer then actually did ask his customers to pay.

All three locos came with sound and the PRR 4872 featured that of "The Congressional".

The archetypes are: The GG 1 PRR No 4872 was originally built in 1939 for the PRR in the original coloring Brunswick green. In 1955 three GG 1 locomotives, the 4872 among them were painted silver with an 8" wide red band thus abandoning the stripes from earlier. Also a large keystone with white PRR monogram on both sides and one small keystone on noses with locomotive number. The No 4872 was used on "The Congressional" and Senator trains through the mid seventy's
Fun fact: the  4872 together with 4866, and 4880 were later re-repainted  to Brunswick green with standard livery.
The 4872 was scraped, maybe before 1981.

The GG 1 Amtrak No 927 started life as PRR 4934 but was transferred to Amtrak in 1971 when it became No 927. The Amtrak painting was put on in the mid 1970's.
Fun Fact: the Amtrak 927 was later renumbered to  4927 and survived at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union. She has been stored indoors and received another paint job back to Brunswick green (which an almost all photos has a black hue to it).

Conrail GG 1 -
courtesy of https://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=90285
The Conrail GG 1 4800 (quote from https://www.steamlocomotive.com/GG1/):" is the only GG1 with a riveted body. It was the prototype for the GG 1 and became the Bi-Centennial GG1 Engine in 1976. Old "Rivets" wore Conrail "dress blue" (Railroading in the North East Collection). 4800 was owned by the Lancaster Chapter of the NRHS and at one time was on loan to the RR Museum of PA. The chapter donated it to the RR Museum of PA in 2000. For a couple years, 4800 was out in the weather and was showing signs of deterioration. In 2002 it was moved into the expanded car barn. In 2004 it received a new paint job and underwent some cosmetic restoration. All lettering has been painted over sometime in the mid-2000's. In 2009 it was moved outside again."

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




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