LGB STAINZ - The Engine That Made LGB - 2020 series

The funnel smoke stack is the characteristic feature of the 2nd "First-Ever" LGB engine, the LGB 2020

LGB 2020 - Courtesy of Watts Train Shop

From day one in 1968 LGB utilized the LGB 2020 in sets:

First LGB catalog 1968, page 8

The first-ever set featuring the LGB 2020 was the passenger train set. LGB was so young the set didn't have an order number. The set contained the 2020 and passenger car Nos 3000 and 3010; plus track, power-cable,4 figurines and track clamps. It all came in a grey paper box as shown above. (Further details on this set see future blog)

Even though the future would be in sets for the LGB 2020 she had some versions of her own through the years, quite in contrast to the "single-version" LGB 2010:

LGB #       Year

2020           1968

2020D        1991

2120D        1992 (21201 from 1993 on)

23201         1996

25201         1996/97

Because the 2020 was mainly used in sets it took until 1991 to offer a single 2020 smoke version, the LGB 2020D:

LGB 2020D - Courtesy of Only Trains

By 1991 the LGB 2020D had a price tag of DM 320.-- up from DM 98.-- when she started in 1968 (no smoke, though). That is roughly 3 times higher in 23 years. In that time frame weekly salaries  went from about DM 600.-- to DM 4,000.00 which is about 4.5 times as much. If we count in inflation and other time related circumstances, prices were roughly the same and translate to about US$ 75.00 to $ 100.00 for 1991.

LGB offered the LGB 2120D in 1992 on the occasion of the 100th Anniversary of the Steirmark RR and the oldest still operating steam loco Stainz. This event gave the LGB engine her final name:"STAINZ", no matter if and what type or RR she formerly was based on:

LGB 2120D - the STAINZ - Courtesy of worthpoint.com

The original Stainz loco in Murau/Austria

In 1993 LGB was featuring yet another Museum engine, the LGB 23201, based on the "K3" of the Llubljana/Slowenia loco:

Prototype: K 3 Stainz - Courtesy of the Ljubljana RR Museum

LGB 23201 - Courtesy of BigTrainWorld

The current price by Bigtrainworld is EU 299.00 or roughly US$ 300.00 (VAT excl)). The LGB 23201 was not especially advertised in the USA and only few engines found their way to the American customer. 

The last version to be offered as single engine was the LGB 25201. This engine was advertised in the "New Item/Neuheiten" flyer in 1996 and was promoted at the Nuremberg Toy Fair. The engine honored the German equivalent to the American "Sesame Street", the "Augsburg Puppet Box" or in German the "Augsburger Puppenkiste". There wasn't a child or child-at-heart grown-up in Germany who didn't love and had seen the Augsburger Puppenkiste (at least on TV) and their famous characters; including the famous loco "Emma" and "Luke" (Lukas in German) the locomotive engineer. (click on video below to see a clip from "Emma")

The LGB 25201:

LGB 25201 - Courtesy of Only Trains

This engine is currently available at Only Trains for  US$ 385.00

All 2020 versions utilized in sets will be featured in a separate blog in the near future.

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