LGB STAINZ - Train Sets, LGB 20401 and LGB 1981

The very first LGB catalog (1968) featured also the very first "STAINZ" LGB freight train set, the LGB 20401. As with the passenger train set, the German version did not have an item number the first year but the English version did. However the next year's catalog (1969) showed an item number for the freight train set in both catalogs, English and German.

Below are examples of the very first STAINZ freight train set:

LGB 20401 - Courtesy of worthpoint.com

LGB 20401 - Courtesy of liveauctioneers.com

LGB 20401 - Courtesy of eBay.com

LGB 20401 - Courtesy of eBay.com

The above photos all show versions of the LGB 20401 set. All in all LGB offered 13 (!) versions of this freight train set. The first ever set contained these items:

(1) steam locomotive base model 2040 and 2 freight cars (plus 4 figurines, tracks to form a circle and one power cable). Loco cabin and boiler in black, chassis in red, "Heuler" motor, no pick-up shoes, a small dummy headlight, round roof vent, red loco wheels, cabin labeled "4". One high-sided (freight) gondola (base model 4020) and one boxcar (base model 4030) both in light brown

Thereafter and over the years they differed as follows:

20401-2:  as (1) but operating head and rear lights, cabin # "4" sometimes in silver color

20401-3:  as (2) but Cabin # "4" gold color, high sided gondola in green (base model 4021)

20401-4:  as (3) but motor now a regular Buehler motor, w/pick-up shoes, big operating head and rear lights, square roof vent.

20401-5:  as (4) but yellow boxcar "Chiquita" w/ wraparound platform railing (starting 1973)

20401-6:  as (5) but loco base model 2010 with green cabin

20401-7:  as (6) but loco in dark brown w/ loco # "1",  high sided gondola either green or brown(model 4021) w/labeling

20401-8:  as (7) but both freight cars w/plastic covered steel axles, boxcar w/ open sided platform railing

20401-9:  as (8) but matte red covering box w/cellophane window

20401-10:as (9) but shiny red covering box w/window; edition later came with labeling:"Lehmann Gross-Bahn-The Big Train"

20401-11:as(10) but high sided gondola in  brown and sometimes grey inside

20401-12:as(11) but high sided gondola in  dark brown and sometimes grey inside

20401-13:as(12) but loco 2020 w/green cabin

All sets in boxes w/ windows have transformers.

Pricing started with DM 176.00 which was about US$ 45.00 in 1968/70 or about US$ 339.00 in today's money. Edition wise 10,000 were manufactured at least every year and the Internet, retail and/or eBay market offers them every now and then. They are neither rare nor massively valuable and even more seldom complete.

LGB built/manufactured the LGB 20401 sets until 1987.

There is another LGB set that also carries the number 20401 albeit with the addition RZ, that is LGB 20401 RZ which is a diesel loco set, called the "Red Train Set". It was made from 1983 to 1985 and had an edition volume of 15,000.

Well, after all this set mania and confusion LGB had profited immensely from their well earned success and it was time to celebrate. In 1981 Lehmann Brothers celebrated their 100th anniversary (remember they started out in 1881 in Berlin with a tin toy company) and they manufactured and offered the "100 Year Lehmann 1881-1981" Anniversary Set

LGB 1981 1 - Courtesy worthpoint.com

LGB 1981 1 - Courtesy of Only Trains 

Here are some very special facts about this anniversary set:

No 1: It was NEVER offered in any LGB catalog

No 2: It was NEVER mentioned in the 100th Anniversary catalog of 1981

No 3: It NEVER got its own flyer or brochure

No 4: 19,000 sets were manufactured

No 5: It came out on the height of the LGB craze. In Germany as well as in the USA the market was growing immensely.

No 6: It is still available on the market mostly in very good condition. Why? People simply fell for the marketing trick that it would be valuable and kept it on a shelve instead of enjoying it.

No 7: In 1984 the set was released AGAIN with an edition of 1,000 and a loco with a red steam chest. This edition was cataloged in the 1984 catalog on page 14. Why? That will remain an LGB mystery. That edition was RARE and was hard to find, even for your Famous Klaus. We tracked it down on Hattons Model Railways in the UK:

LGB 1981 2 - Courtesy of hattons.co.uk

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

LGB STAINZ - Train Sets, LGB 20301

The very first LGB engine set ever, the LGB 20301 came out in 1968 and had no item number. It was that special!

LGB catalog 1968, back page 

Hobby and toy markets had known model trains for about 70 years by now but never in this size, quality, affordability, nor in this precision to the archetype. A new material - LURAN plastic - made it possible. Precision mold design and construction combined with injection molding this new plastic type set the stage for detail rich, temperature and UV light resistant, fade-proof and durable rolling stock that could be operated indoors and outdoors, year-round. A new type of track, made of hard alloy aluminum and VESTOLEN, an even more durable plastic than LURAN but less pliable completed the offer for this completely new type of model railway fun. 

From the start, LGB offered two catalog versions: German and English. The English version displayed item numbers:

And there might be a simple reason: in 1968 only 60% of households had a telephone in Western Germany. The general way of shopping (anything) was to go into a retail store and buy the item. In the USA at the same time about 90% of all households had a phone and distances to the next retail store often demanded a phone call upfront to order items before you went into town to pick them up. Hence, item numbers ensured you'd get the item you wanted.

The LGB 20301 Passenger Train set consisted of the LGB engine # 2020, and 2 passenger cars, the LGB # 3000 and #3010:

LGB 20301-1 from 1968- Courtesy of pickclick.com

In the above set the electrical cord is missing. The first set did neither include a throttle nor a transformer. The price was DM 198.00 which was the equivalent to US$ 50.00 or in today's value about US$ 380.00. 

Following is a description of what the first original #20301 set consisted of:

"20301-1: Passenger train consisting of locomotive (base model # 2020) and 2 passenger cars. Loco chassis in red, cabin in dark brown w/ loco # "2", boiler and funnel smoke stack black, "Heuler" motor, no pick-up shoes, round roof vent, lights not functioning, connecting rods in silver-red, disk wheels in red. One car (base model # 3010) dark green, grey roof w/ roof light, enclosed railing on car platform, labeled"III" under 1st and 4th window (for coach class). One car (base model # 3000) brown, roof in grey w/ 2 vents, enclosed platform railing,  labeled"3" under 1st and 4th window (for coach class). Both cars w/ metal axles and spoke wheels." (Quoted/translated from LGB Kompendium, pg. 1207).

The Kompendium description focused on the rolling stock. However the complete set contained LGB track to form a circle, a regular power cord and 4 figurines.

When you see offers on eBay or other sources claiming to be LGB sets from 1968 make sure to compare them to the above and  following descriptions to understand the completeness and value of the sets offered.

The LGB set 20301 was made from 1968 to 1991. BUT - big but- until 1974 the passenger set had the LGB 2020 loco in brown upfront. That year LGB changed the front loco to an LGB 2020 with a green cab, now already showcasing the the prototype Stainz loco:

LGB catalog 1974/75 pg 8 - featuring the set # 20301-7

By that time LGB had exchanged the passenger cars as well while the catalog cover that year still displayed the original 1968 version of the train set.

All in all, LGB changed or added features to the LGB 20301 train set as follows:

20301-2:  as 20301-1 but loco with front and back lights functioning

20301-3:  as -2 but loco w/gold colored number on cabin and car (3010)green. packaging w/color photo of passenger train on yellow/green background (German version)

20301-4:  as -3 but car (3000) brown

20301-5:  as -4 but w/big lights, square roof vents, some packages w/pick-up shoes

20301-6:  loco with brown cabin and gold colored window frame

changing loco color and cars in 1974 to

20301-7:   loco w/green cabin, 1 car (#3011) upper part cream-white,lower part red, mounted roof lights, labeled"2" under 1st and 4th window, dark roof edges. 1 car (base model # 3012) upper part cream-white, lower part blue, all else see # 3011. Packaging changed to light red w/Cellophane window.

20301-8:  as -7 but both cars w/ chassis labeling in white Type 1

20301-9:  as -8 but loco w/labeling "Letzte HU 26.6.76" in white ("last main check on June 26 1976")

20301-10:as -9 but loco w/labeling "letzte HU 26.6.79 or "Letzte HU 22.6.64. Both cars labeled with car data. Labeled "Nichtraucher" (Nonsmoker) in black on upper left next to 1st window, located next to coach class in black color on white. Chassis labeling Type 1,2 or 3. since 1984 packaging in dark red made from corrugated paper. Sets in packaging w/out window have no transformer.

LGB knew instantly about their success and responded soundly with annual price increases. The sales price for the Passenger Train set 20301 went therefor from DM 198.00 in 1968 to DM 275.00 in 1975. That equals US$ 50.00 (1968) to US$ 75.00 (1975) which was still 20% more than average wages had increased over the same time frame.