LGB 2010, 2020 and 2021 - STAINZ - The Engine That Made LGB

There is simply no other engine among the LGB roster that is as characteristic and as memorable as the first LGB engine ever: the LGB 2010. When the Richter brothers opened LGB in 1968 the 2010 built the flagship:

Page 2 of 4 from the very first LGB catalog 

Black-and-white photography was the standard, in printing as well as on television. Color was only just around the corner... but the customer saw this astounding loco upon window-shopping:

LGB 2010 No 1- courtesy of Catawiki

This little pretty old engine is not only dirty it also misses the original engineer. But back then it was never-been-seen-before. The size (scale 1:22.5), the colors, the quality and last but not least the price (DeutschMark 98.00 or about  US$ 25.00 in 1968, or in today's world $ 189.00).

LGB's Wolfgang Richter had a fabulous idea: offer three locos using just one mold and tell them they are based on three different prototypes. Why could he pull that off? Well the 2020 and the 2040 that he offered together with the 2010 did have different prototypes BUT - they were all derived, if not originally built for the Army field railroad of either Imperial Germany or Imperial Austria. The boiler in the original engines was on average much longer and some locos were built as 0-6-0 or 2-4-2 wheel arrangement. So there was some "tweaking". Just as it would happen for the LGB 2015 and the 2017 (see previous blogs). But the tweaking was very becoming and would make the three little engines into one of the most built LGB engines ever.

The LGB 2020 was going to find fame and fortune in LGB sets:

LGB 2020-1, Courtesy of Watts Train Shop (blog)

Above you see the first LGB 2020 in its original coloring. All in all LGB would publish 11 color versions and a HUGE number of sets with the LGB 2020 as front engine. The above image is remarkable for two reasons: to find a 2020 (image) in its very first original coloring with engineer is rare enough. To have this photo taken by Watts Train shop is even rarer. Watts Train Shop went out of business in 2012. Watts  was one of the big-name LGB dealers in the Midwest (Zionsville/IN), very influential and active. It had been in business for 50 years before it closed its doors 6 years after LGB went bankrupt.

The 2020 would later turn into the 2021-series and thus cause a lot of irritation and puzzle customers a bit. More so since the  2021- series eventually actually carried the name "STAINZ" on the engines.

The LGB 2040 had somewhat of a short life span being manufactured from 1968 to 1975.

LGB2040 - Courtesy of worthpoint.com

LGB had already figured out that the "Stainz" was a golden goose and could retire the number 2040 easily - to be used for the Crocodile engine No. 2040 starting in 1978. 

These three engines became the cornerstone of LGB's success. Their prototypes set the stage for a variety of color schemes and (train)set possibilities. In model trains nobody had offered that before - not in that size, not in that quality and certainly and foremost not in that huge variety! Exactly what the Richter brothers used in their very first slogan: "Never Seen Before!"

This series will explore the prototypes for these 3 engines, will cover all LGB numbers chronologically and will - probably for the first time ever -  list and describe all LGB sets ever made by the old LGB featuring a "STAINZ" engine. 

So, join the adventure and come on board exploring the LGB STAINZ...

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