LGB STAINZ - The Train Sets

 Right from the very start of LGB the Richter brothers Eberhard and Wolfgang offered a train set. No, make that two. And from the very start LGB offered a German and an English worded catalog. What a foresight! Especially the train sets would prove to be the success on the international market.

back cover of the English version 1st LGB catalog 1968

back cover of the German 1st LGB catalog 1068

From the start there were slight differences in how to present the LGB product. The English version displayed the two versions - a passenger train featuring the LGB 2010 and the freight train featuring the LGB 2020 - in their respective open boxes. Thus showing for both train set options what the customer would get upon purchase. The German version featured just one open box - the freight train set - and the covered box with a drawing of the passenger train set. Thus insinuating that the customer can imagine himself the contents of the 2nd box once he has seen one version of it. This thinking represented a fairly common understanding of engineer thinking in Germany back then: don't explain what is obvious otherwise the customer might feel insulted.- How the tides have turned...

To understand the importance of the train sets for LGB and their success worldwide this blog has tried to list all train set versions featuring a (type of) STAINZ locomotive. Other popular LGB sets featuring Diesel or other very beloved engines might be considered in a blog at a much later time. This series will focus on the Stainz engine alone. And that excludes all set types with an LGB 2015 or LGB 2017 or LGB 2023 as locomotive as well. 

So here are the roughly 60 (!) different Stainz sets LGB has produced over their 38 years of existence as LGB:

Passenger train        1968

Freight train         1968

20301 1969

20401 1969

1981-1 1981

20301 BZ 1983

20513 1983

20514 1983

20516 1983

1981-2 1984

20301 MF 1984

20501 1984

20520 1984

20522 1984

20526 1984

20150 1985

20528 1985

20531 1985

20531 Y 1985

20531 Z 1985

20532 1985

20533 1986

20534 MF 1986

20535 1987

20536 1987

20537 1987

91401 1987

1988 BTO 1 1988

1988 BTO 2 1988

20539 1988

21401 1988

21988 1988

20540 US 1990

20100NB 1991

2020EM 1991

21540 US 1991

23301 1991

23401 1991

22540 1992

22988 1992

70988 1993

70545 1994

70994 1994

70996 1994

70415 1995

70416 1995

29210 1996

70417 1996

70418 1996

70515                      1996

70516/71418 1996

70302 1997

70402 1997

70321 1998

71968 1998

70950/72950           2000

70920                      2001

70938                      2001

70940                      2001

70942                      2001

72302                      2001

72402                      2001

29151                      2002

70315 2005

72920                      2005

70403 2006

Some of the above listed Stainz train sets had up to 10 variants within their respective item numbers  increasing the actual variety of sets to more than 80 or 90. This blog will try to present them all. Where we fail and you- dearest reader -have additional information we would be more than appreciative and thankful to receive that information and data. We will complete any published blog with data received after initial publishing. 

This journey will take you from this 1968 train set

Stainz Passenger Train set 1968 - LGB catalog 1968 pg 2

to this last ever Old LGB Stainz train set #70403 

LGB 70403 from LGB catalog 2006

which was partially manufactured by LGB but mainly sold by Maerklin/Simba-Dickie later on with its own mishmash history of flat-car-"toppings".

+++++++++++++++To be continued..................