Here We Go Again! - Good News - Other News and ...

...with Spring in full bloom and Summer around the corner, with your LGB trains humming and your layouts fully functioning and shiny....aahhhh...The good news is, Yours Truly is back and up and running again. The weird news is one of our German suppliers took Spring Break literally, it seems, and Klaus is still waiting for some big orders to be delivered....

The good news is, Klaus is back in full energy, too. He and his workshop are ready for all your locos that need a little professional TLC. Klaus' workshop is fully furnished with lathe, specialty saws, specialty drills, soldering devices, and, and, and... and a 3-D mill that Klaus operates himself to create and make parts from scratch as he needs them.

Old LGB factory "North Wing" 2009

The older your LGB loco is the better are your chances she was still fully made in Nuremberg/Germany at the old (defunct) LGB factory. These locos are getting more and more valuable. Yours Truly is in constant connection with Klaus Baumann from the old LGB to verify manufacturing standards and production numbers of LGB production series (until 2005/6). So contact us with any questions about your LGB trains.

Just  keep in mind that the older your LGB loco is, the more likely it gets that the old motors in the locos will eventually fail. Their expected lifetime varies; the old generation driving motors from 1995 and earlier are the best, Klaus says and their lifetime can be up to 15 years and more depending on driving time and overall maintenance. The newer generation of motors generally run for less than 10 years and then LGB had one motor generation that was badly manufactured and runs just for about 2 years.
Some of you are very handy and just need a new motor and then install it yourself. Others opt for some assistance in that. Klaus knows "his" LGB engines in the dark and by heart. There is a big difference whether you open up a Mogul or an F 7 or a Uintah or a Stainz or a China-made loco - you know where I'm going with this. I have seen locos coming into Klaus' workshop for repair that were literally slaughtered by self-proclaimed train-mechanics. They do that to any China-made LGB train- fine with me. But to do that to a 1985 Harz Querbahn or a 1987 Mogul - just breaks your heart...

Well, as I was going to say- Klaus has himself and his workshop up and running again. And when you call in for some repair and Yours Truly or Klaus are not near the phone, just leave a message. We call you back- and that's a promise. It just takes a little longer to make it into the office physically, sometimes....

Friends - Followers - LGB Enthusiasts - Dear Readers

Sometimes live just happens - thankfully, so far, Yours Truly is doing fine.
I still have to take some time out and hopefully will be back sometime next month with news, "olds", "Klaus says" and fun stuff.

Until Then, Thank You All for Your Patience and Your Loyalty.

Yours Truly

- and Klaus says hi, as well -

Help Please -- Help Please -- Help Please

Klaus needs your help and support TODAY!

Legal and technical causes force us to change the email address where you can reach us. Whether it is for Massoth Electronics USA related questions or for LGB  related questions or for general G-Scale information.

Please email and tell EVERYONE you know operating LGB that our new email address is


                 klausstork@earthlink.net

emails going to the old address usa @ massoth.com will go into a dead end-- SORRY!!!

Please help us distributing these news as fast as possible!!!

Thank you so much for your help and support. Send all your questions to klausstork@earthlink.net
We are here for you and We Will Keep Your LGB Trains Running - and that's a promise!

LGB News from Germany

Just wanted everyone to know that the lower court in Goeppingen, Germany abolished (right legal term?) the insolvency proceedings re Maerklin Germany. 430 employees lost their job since the insolvency started in 2009. The insolvency manager M.Pluta left Maerklin at the end of 2010. Owner and "CEO" are still all creditors re Maerklin, namely the BW Bank, Goldmann-Sachs, and the Loan&Savings Bank Goeppingen.

Also, LGB-Maerklin published their 2011 new items catalog, 66 pages of which 57 pages display locomotives and cars. Among the nicer ones they show a Sumter Valley Mallet and a Rio Grande Mogul; the very same that came in with faulty packaging. So we don't know how many made it into the stores. My personal favorite is the little transport car with 2 Fiat 500 on it. They also display a "23360 Hamburg Streetcar". Yours Truly spend a remarkable time during childhood school years riding on an even 35 year older version than that in the city of Koblenz, Germany.

This photo courtesy of The "Stadtarchiv Koblenz".

In case you guys have the chance to get out of the snow and to your layout- take a few moments and check your track connections. Are your track clamps in place and properly tightened? Have your tracks moved due to heavy snow and melting water? And please, please make sure that there is NO SHORT on the track before you switch on the power. Are your switches clear? And in case you need some spare parts, clamps or other spring cleaning related help, as always - Have No Fear -- Klaus Is Near!

Won't You Be My Valentine ?

What would a real love affair be without a Mogul involved, am I right or am I right... So on this special date hug your beloved one and read on...

It was the year 1983 or so and the old LGB Germany had delivered the first Mogul series. It is unclear today who actually was the creator technically of the LGB scale Mogul model. It might have been Dr. Bismarck who ran  LGB as a sort of Technical Manager. He was well known as the father of N-Gauge, being very proficient with mechanics as well as with running a company. Unfortunately he passed away in 1983 or 1984, Klaus is not quite sure about the correct date.

The leading role in manufacturing the first Moguls had Guenter Ruhland who started his lifetime working career at LGB, worked to become a Master of mold making (Meister in Formenbau) and stayed on until his retirement in 2000. But it turned out that the first series of Moguls did not run very well. The pilot axle derailed at any opportunity which then ended with the derailment of the locomotive itself. Sometimes the smokestack would break, too. Gunter Ruhland tried to improve the Mogul when Klaus came into the picture.

In 1983 Klaus himself bought a Mogul, put it on his layout tracks and sure enough: it derailed after 5 feet of running. It took him a few weeks of endless testing and redesigning until he came up with a "tuning-kit" for the Mogul. It contained an improved pilot axle pick-up and lead weights for the motorblock. Klaus handed this kit to Klaus Baumann during a railroad show in Frankfurt/Germany. Klaus' short range flying duty brought him to Nuremberg numerous times and during one of those stays he met with Klaus Baumann and Guenter Ruhland to demonstrate the changes for the Mogul and... you guessed it, from then on he had a second job (in addition to flying Lufthansa being a Captain). These improvements in addition with the invention of the flexible middle axle (by Mr. Massoth Sr.) made the Mogul to one of the best running locomotives of LGB.

This revised and greatly improved pilot axle delivered safe guidance of the Mogul locomotive on track and performed with such a betterment that the even Mogul could force open the points. And the lowered center of gravity with the additional weight prevented further mishaps with the smoke stacks.
In the years to come Klaus created the firebox light - a world novelty. A story to be read in one of our next blog editions - Happy Valentine Everyone!

Extra ! - Extra ! - Extra ! - Seminar Schedule 2011

Massoth/ LGB Trains Forever College of DCC
Schedule 2011
Enroll today for great fun and exiting learning - Make your hobby worth wile and your collection valuable

We offer 3 seminars / workshops in Alpharetta/ Atlanta (GA) this year

Group I        Maintaining and servicing my LGB Trains
Dates:         May 21, 2011 (or) May 22, 2011
Subject:         1-day seminar with 25% off coupon on spec. merchandise
Agenda:        EPL since 1881/LGB 1986-2006 - conclusions. Maintaining your collectors
                    values; German engineering vs. China production: ramifications for
                    do-it-yourself maintenance and value preservation
Audience:     analog operators/ DC layout owners
Max attend.: 30
Costs:           US$ 75.00

Group II     DCC 101 - Introduction into DCC operation for DiMAX rookies
Date:            June 3-5, 2011
Subject:        3-day seminar/workshop
Agenda:        Introduction into DCC basics, DiMAX basics; incorporating
                    MTS/ Digitrax/ NCE (etc) into my layout. What about LGB? How do I
                    protect my stock and layout value? Which decoders
                    and modules are the right one for me and my layout. I install my
                    decoders myself- how do I do that right and professionally. Programming
                    on Main, programming loco remotes and much more...and our
                    switching contest.Three (3) trainer specialists will be present
                    throughout the event.
Audience:     G-Scalers with DiMAX system and G-Scalers who want to go digital
Max attend.: 8- to guarantee 101 trainer-attendee mentoring and assistance
Costs:           US$ 757.00 (accommodations and reg. meals not included

Group III     Advanced DCC 101-2 for DiMAX Pros
Date:           June 10-12, 2011
Subject:       3-day seminar/workshop
Agenda:       Automation components, track contacts, relay basics/requirements,
                   advanced use of feedback modules, braking modules, extreme layout
                   programming; automatic PC controls + programming, ROC Rail, Stellwerk,
                  advanced use of automatic functions...and a programming contest.
                  Three (3) trainers will be present throughout the event.
Audience:    DiMAX system operators with DC experience
Max attend.: 8 - to guarantee 101 trainer-attendee mentoring and assistance
Costs:          US$ 757.00 (accommodations+reg.meals not included)

Location: HyattPlace Hotel in Alpharetta North Point Mall, GA, ca 35 miles north of Atlanta (downtown/Airport). 3-day events include a BBQ night.

Booking/ Enrolling: via klausstork@earthlink.net - THANK YOU!!

The Wind of Change is blowing......

As a retired captain pilot (Lufthansa  A340) Klaus knows quite a bit about wind and its benefits. Wind can speed things up requiring firm decisions in your flight course. The more you are experienced - after all he has 30 years of LGB  knowledge on his back, the better stands your decision. What has that to do with the new LGB?- Nothing, it's just nice wording!

This new wind out there blows in the new schedule for our Seminars this Summer, available now on the www.massoth.com . For booking please call or email. Klaus has put an additional focus this year on all analog operators out there and will be sharing his advice and knowledge in the seminar "Maintaining and Servicing my LGB Trains". He is the creator of the original fire box in the Mogul, heck - he actually co-configured the very first Mogul with Gunter Ruhland (LGB Head Master). So- talking of somebody who knows his job- here you have him!  Gunter and Klaus have formed a loose but steady friendship over the years exchanging thoughts, parts, sentiments and pure LGB loco knowledge on a steady base. Klaus also keeps very close contact to Klaus Baumann who was the Senior Chief Sales Manager for LGB. Quite a few of you might have met Mr. Baumann in the years past. Klaus Baumann is Klaus' treasure trove for all LGB information about past production numbers, serial number coding, what was made in Nuremberg, what and when in China, changes in Plastic material, changes in Models, changes in the Richter Family.....that's  subject for yet another blog....

Moving on... Klaus had quite a few callers lately inquiring about old to very old sounds in LGB locos. Friends and fans- sorry to tell you, when your loco is older than 20 years and has/ had sound in it, you are likely to loose that sound. Those old sounds just die one day. Yes they can be replaced with new sound(s) and yes Klaus can help you there. Just email him at usa@massoth.com he will email or call you back ( yours truly ghostwriter always has an eye on THAT).

Talking about wind - that wind that blows the snow over your outdoor Garden layout may relocate your tracks ever so slightly. Klaus wants me to tell you make sure that you have enough track clamps in place so that your  tracks don't play havoc with your running locos. In times past even Klaus used to solder the tracks together to ensure secure track connections but he says today the alpha brass track clamps are better than soldering and do a really good job to secure your layout for proper running.

One more wind thing, from the down wind position (it's getting aeronautical again...): We are very sorry and apologize to all our new readers and followers that we do not have a Facebook site or Twitter. That may make some re- blogging not as easy. We just sincerely hope you email us at usa@massoth.com for your responds if and when other forms of communication don't work the way you were expecting them to do.
Thank you so very much for your great support so far!! Or as Klaus would say: Well done and Thank You.

Thanks for reading and as always we greatly appreciate forwarding of  this blog to your friends and neighbors.