Merry Christmas

To all our followers, readers, fans and friends a very Merry Christmas and a safe, healthy and prosperous New Year!

Christmas Card Design by YT - photos courtesy of twawestern.org and pinterest

Our regular blog will continue in January 2021...

LGB 2017 Series - Part 4

Since 1987  LGB had utilized the #2017 loco as their mule for starter sets. Also, the 2017 sets were almost solely sold to the American market with very few exceptions. One such exception was the LGB 2217 (22171 after 1993) that made its appearance in the 1993/4 catalog. Not many were made and it is more than hard to find one today. This engine w/motorized tender was sold worldwide.

LGB 22171 - Courtesy of  B-Ware Guenstig

The engine was probably sold for about $ 400.00. But - big but - about a year later the very same loco w/tender was utilized in the LGB set # 725858, the LGB Rocky Mountain Freight Super Set:

LGB 72858 - Courtesy of gscaletrainset.com

It contained the # 2217, # 4080-Y05, 40900, 44720 and 4065-L01. 

LGB 4080 Y05-
C by gscaletrainset.com for all cars/set

LGB 4065 L01

It was an LGBoA exclusive and the cars (green tank car, red and pink boxcar and yellow caboose) were also utilized in similar train sets with different locos up front. Those sets were also LGBoA exclusives that year (1995/6). 

LGB 40900

LGB 44720

Not many of these # 72858 set survived and they still sell for about $ 400.00.

When the (Starter) sets didn't include the actually required motorized tender (to make it a true 2017 loco type) LGB issued motorized tenders by itself.  Two tenders were offered already (1988 and 1991) so LGB was about to issue another motorized tender in 1992, the LGB 2217/6 . This motorized tender appears also under the LGB numbers 22176 and 69276:

LGB 22176/69276 - Courtesy of Only Trains

This one sold for US$ 250.00, originally but was no American exclusive. 

The excessive though often somewhat mixed LGB stock offered to the American customer in the early 1990's - perfectly mirrored within this 2017 series - is a good example of misunderstanding your market. LGB Germany was thriving. The late 1980's had brought them unheard-of growth. And the early 1990's was a business high-time for and in Germany at large. The exact opposite was true for the USA. The early 1990's brought a recession, homemade due to high interest rates and very low consumer confidence. President George H.W. Bush was in office and was a hapless President when it came to Economics. The top LGB management didn't have a clue about that. There was no understanding of the American mentality, their needs, fears, or current feelings. Thus marketing decisions were made that could not and did not match the needs of the US customer. And LGBoA couldn't help either. Their goal had always been their own pockets.

Thus, it is no wonder that a pretty engine like the LGB #22176 in her beautiful dark red coloring never made a big splash nor can be found  nearly anywhere today. And the same holds true for the set # 72858.

Unfazed by any American ongoing in 1993 LGB issued the # 70311 which was also sold by LGB at the same time as # 25301

LGB 70311 aka LGB 25301- Courtesy of  stefanschwegler.de

LGB 70311 in box - C of beta-lottissimo.com

This set is currently (12/2/20) offered on eBay for US$ 555.00. Talk about retaining value...

This set also came with a sister set, the LGB 70411 aka # 25401 (both images courtesy of worthpoint.com)

Dearest reader, by now you may think LGB had gone 'two locos short of a train ' by issuing 2 item numbers for the same product again and again...Well, in 1993 LGB had come to the end of the (rail)line with their 4-digit defining numbering system. They were in need of another digit and some redefining of what numbering to use on what item group. The result was a fine zoo - as seen above. But it would get better the next year.

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