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..................

LGB STAINZ - The Engine That Made LGB - Series 2021 Part 2

 In 2002 LGB offered only one new 2021 engine, the LGB # 23211

LGB 23211 - Courtesy Easyliveauction.com

The  experienced blog reader discerns the "non-difference" right away: It is the old 2040 with new labeling. Thus providing first-class evidence of the mish-mash defining the 2021-series. But it gets even better; In the  2001 LGB catalog the shown picture is of a hand model, according to catalog information. Yes,- a hand model, dearest follower. 33 years and counting and LGB Rolf Richter (who was proud of making the main catalog himself....) could not find a manufactured 2040 and photo-shop it?  What can you say...

Anyway, this archetype, the DR 994605 was first operating on the Prussian Railway line and by 1920 integrated into the German Reich (DR) Railway Line.

When in 2002 LGB had "discovered" the use of the digital decoder, the 23211 was offered in a digital version, the 23211.8 with a hefty markup of US$ 200.00 from roughly US$ 300.00 for the analog version.

The next version was introduced with the 2004 catalog, the LGB 24211

LGB 24211 - Courtesy Only Trains

Featuring a STEIFF Teddy Bear as engineer/Santa it was at first scheduled to be an USA Exclusive and was prized at US$ 499.00. But that didn't last. Soon it was also offered in the LGB Journal for the German and European markets. LGB needed money, desperately. 

LGB Journal 2004 - page 72

Times weren't rosy anymore in Nuremberg, employees were on short-work-order. And the motto was "No costs to be spared - we need sales volume"..

That might have triggered the offering of the LGB 20211 that same year:

LGB 20211 - Courtesy of BigTrainWorld.com

Remember the 20213 from 1998, celebrating "30 Years of LGB" - The one that could only be bought in Nuremberg on 2 defined days during a factory visit? Yep, didn't sell that well it seemed. Here it is again, featuring a number "3" instead of "2" and no labeling at all.... It still comes up on the market and you can find offers around US$ 100.00 - 130.00. 

Also on sale went the sister engine with sound, the LGB 20212, also in green but astonishingly featuring the number "2". 

LGB 20212 sound - Courtesy of Only Trains

That concluded the year 2004. 

As is well known, 2006 was the last year for the Old LGB.  And almost advertently fitting the last single Stainz engine to be offered reminisced the first ever black (Stainz) engine from LGB. From LGB 2040 in 1968 to LGB 26211 in 2006 - the circle came to a close on the 125th anniversary of Lehmann Toy Company and thus LGB.

LGB 2040 from 1968- earlier this blog

LGB 26211 - Courtesy of Only Trains

Don't mind the smoke stack, LGB toyed with that plenty...(pun intended)

And just for fun, here is the original LGB ad-wording, courtesy of  Only-Trains:

"EPL 125th Anniversary Stainz Steam Loco, Collection Item.

The Stainz, the long-time trademark of LGB, has a real-life sister, and that loco runs today on the Rügensche Kleinbahnen. This LGB model reproduces that beautiful steam loco authentically, and of course, it has all the detailing you expect from a Stainz. With a powerful Bühler motor, it's an ideal match for the Rü.KB passenger stock in the LGB program. However, this unique model celebrating the 125th anniversary of EPL will only be produced in 2006!".................Foresight, audacity, arrogance or ignorance??

But- Thankfully - nothing could or can destroy the success nor the belovedness of the Stainz among LGB fans. Many hundreds of thousands of engines were manufactured, maybe even almost reaching a million. And most of them were used in sets. This blog will try to list and discuss them all in the following months ...

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

LGB STAINZ - The Engine That Made LGB - LGB 2021 series

 The LGB 2021x series began its life in 1997/98 with the LGB 21211. This little Stainz is the real "STAINZ" with its prototype seen below:

LGB 21211 - Courtesy of picclick.co.uk

The engine was advertised in 1998 in the main LGB catalog only:

First advertisement for LGB 21211 in 1998 main LGB catalog, page 25

The prototype (below) was built in 1892 for the Stainz - RR in Austria:

The original STAINZ loco in Murau/Austria - Courtesy Wikipedia

The 2x21x versions were a mix featuring characteristics from the 2010, the 2020 and the 2040 ("Stainz"). 

In 2000 The 21211 was also offered in a digital version, # 21211.8

All in all there were 9 versions of this "STAINZ" type under the Old Original LGB:

LGB #      Year

21211       1997/98

20213       1998

22211       2001/2
22212       2001/2

23211       2002
20212       2004

20211       2004
24211       2004

25211       2004/5 USA only

26211       2006
(27211  2009 Maerklin - not portrayed)

The LGB 20213 was offered to commemorate the 30th anniversary of LGB (1968-1998). The labeling was "STAINZ / 1 / 30" and  the LGB logo with laurel branch(es), connecting rods in silver color. LGB also offered a 2nd version with the label "30 Jahre LGB" covered up and instead labeled with the LGB logo only.

This little engine was only sold to those present at the LGB factory in Nuremberg on June 27 + 28 in 1998.  The edition volume was 1,250

LGB 20213-1 -  Courtesy of Only Trains

Prices ran around US$ 300.00 but they are hard to find these days.

It wasn't until LGB published a new main catalog in 2001/2 that the STAINZ series was continued. The LGB 22212 was a cooperation with STEIFF, featuring a real Steiff bear with engineer's cap and gloves. The loco cab was labeled "Friends for Life"

LGB 22212 - Courtesy of Only Trains

This was a limited edition of 1,000 featuring sound and a STEIFF teddy-bear with the characteristic Steiff  "button-in-ear". The price was a stiff  DM 479.00. That would have been US$ 300-350.00 then.  A current offer lists the item for UK £ 300.00 or about US$ 430.00 (plus fees and international shipping).

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

LGB STAINZ - The Engine That Made LGB - LGB 2040

The LGB 2040 Stainz was the engine with the shortest lifespan. Basically it was the 2010 without the head light operating. Manufactured from 1968 to 1975 (roughly).

LGB 2040 - Courtesy of worthpoint

That of course changed soon. All in all the 2040 was manufactured in high volume but did not come in different versions. Many engines went into sets.

The 2040 came with slight differences over the years:

2040-1: the original first engine came with a red chassis, body and slim smoke stack in black/matte. Round roof grill, raised "4" and "LGB" on engine cab in either gold or silver. Motor: a Buehler motor with straight toothed gearwheels. In operation they made a wailing sound, hence the name "Heulermotor" in German meaning wailing/houling. Only a few years later came a new Buehler motor with worm gear avoiding the wailing sound in operation. All LGB engines from 1968 had Heuler motors in them making their operation VERY characteristic upon their first market appearance.

2040-2:  as -1 but with operating lights

2040-3:  as -2 but  with pick-up shoes and Buehler motor with worm gear, plus traction tire

2040-4:  as -3 but golden whistle, square roof grille, engine cab labeling in gold color

2040-5:  as -4 but cab window frame in gold color

With all those technical changes in the 2040 and the other engines as well, LGB started to meld the 2040 into the 2010 and then into the 2021 (see future blog).

Here are some of the  LGB 2040 "STAINZ" (they all MUST have the slim smoke stack to be a real 2040 stainz):

LGB 2040 - Courtesy of gscale.com

LGB 2040 w/original 1968 engineer - Courtesy of picclick.fr

 Timeworn or forgotten? LGB 2040 - Courtesy of Picclick.uk

Price wise they started out at DM 98.00 in 1968 or roughly US$ 25.00 back then. In today's value that would be US$ 180.00. It is very rare to find one these days. Aged or not. To the die-hard LGB fan it would be worth almost everything to own something from the very start of the Original LGB. Sometimes this engine comes on the market for about US$ 270.00 depending on condition. Which is still a very decent price. After all it was made more than 70 years ago!

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

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...

LGB STAINZ - The Engine That Made LGB - 2010 series

The very "First-Ever" LGB 2010 engine featured the -meanwhile famous - red chassis, black boiler, steam-chest, smoke stack and a green cabin. From 1968 to 1974 it appeared in black and white LGB catalogs that were published annually. They ran between 8 and 12 pages. In 1969 LGB knew they had struck gold and offered the 2010 with a smoke generator, the LGB 2010 D. The "D" model had a darker green hue in its cab as can be seen below.

LGB 2010-1

page 2 of the 1971 LGB catalog

LGB 2010 D - Courtesy of Only Trains

    

There was only one LGB 2010 in various editions but the color scheme mostly stayed green. The 2010 was used quite often in train sets. There will be a separate blog about that.

By 1974  LGB published their first colored catalog and had stopped advertising the 2010. Instead promoted the LGB 2010D, the smoke version:

LGB catalog 1974 , page 2

The 2010 was eventually offered in 8 different versions. They differed only slightly:

LGB 2010-2: like 2010 but featuring headlight plus  "1" and  whistle in gold color

LGB 2010-3: like 2010 but featuring "1" and "LGB" logo in silver color

LGB 2010-4: like 2010 but featuring "1" and "LGB" logo in gold, pick-up shoes, big headlight, square roof vent.

LGB 2010-5: like 2010 but featuring golden window frame

LGB 2010-6: like 2010 but featuring dark brown cabin

LGB 2010-7: like 2010 but featuring chassis labeled white "Letzte HU 26.6.79" (meaning: Last main check-up on 6/26/1979)

LGB 2010-8: like 2010 but featuring cabin in dark green and chassis labeled white "Letzte HU 22.6.64" (meaning : Last main check-up on 6/22/1964).

The LGB 2010/ 2010D was used in sets as in the 1988 BTO set. However, the most used "Stainz" loco in sets was the LGB 2020 (for "Stainz"-sets see future blog).

Sometime in the late 1980 manufacturing of the LGB 2010 ceased. By that time LGB had pooled various characteristics of the "Stainz" 2040, the original 2010 and the 2010D into engines in various sets and eventually sold this 'mix' as the 2121/21210 and similar. (see future blog about the 2121/21210 etc).

However, in 1979 the "STAINZ" had brought so much -financial- success to LGB that not only had they built themselves a beautiful factory but had found and installed an original  'STAINZ" version in front of their building. The typical LGB red would adorn the factory buildings only by the 1990's.

1979 LGB catalog cover 

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

LGB "STAINZ" - The Engine That Made LGB - Prototypes

The LGB 2010, LGB 2020 and LGB 2040 were the very first LGB engines EVER. The Richter brothers presented them in their very first ever 'catalog' (7 pages) in 1968. These engines were based on a number of prototype locomotives that all had one thing in common:

They were made by Krauss Locomotive Works, an Imperial German company. Since  1867 Krauss manufactured locos especially for narrow gauge. The growing industrial needs in mining, metal production and lumber industry among others demanded transport in impassible, rough terrain. And Krauss' little tender field loco Bn2t (or 0-4-0) delivered. She became the Beetle car in locos across Europe from 1870's on. Did they all look alike? Yes, but bespoke locos could be ordered and were made.

We do not know what made the  Richter brothers decide to choose the little Krauss engine as prototype for their new venture. For sure they needed to improve their earnings from toy manufacturing. And boy - what did they achieve with that decision!

Here are the three prototypes of the "First-Ever" LGB locomotives:

The LGB 2010 was based on the KL 1994/1889 Bn2T No. 1 which was used on the Salzkammergut Lokalbahn, the SKG local RR in Austria (Quote from Wikipedia:"The name Salzkammergut translates to 'salt demesne', Kammergut being a German word for territories held by princes of the Holy Roman Empire, in early modern Austria specifically territories of the Habsburg Monarchy...Parts of the region were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997."). The SKG RR does not exist anymore but thanks to wikipedia/wikiwand we found this photo material:

prototype of the LGB 2010 - Courtesy of https://www.wikiwand.com/de/Fahrzeuge_der_Salzkammergut-Lokalbahn#/google_vignette

The LGB 2020 was the No. 2 engine to be "First-Ever" offered by LGB and was based on the 2774/1892 Bn2t of the Steirmaerkische Landesbahnen, another Austrian RR. The Steirmaerkische RR had built a RR in Stainz, a small village in their county.  In 1892 Steirmark RR had ordered 4 identical locos from Krauss loco works. To seperate the locos delivered  this one was named "STAINZ No 2". Stainz village is located in Mur valley and served as the loco's depot. The Murtal RR (or Mur Valley RR) is a narrow gauge RR with a 760mm gauge. The RR is still in operation today. The 2774 No.2 is currently on display at Murau/Austria:

No 2774 Stainz No 2 Original - Courtesy of Herbert Ortner,Vienna and Wikipedia

This very same type Krauss Bn2t from 1894 exemplifies the basics of the Stainz No. 2 very well:

Krauss prototype for LGB 2020 - Courtesy of .entlang-der-gleise.de/Feldbahnen/feldbahn-krauss.html

The LGB 2040 - which was later renamed into the 2021-series since the number 2040 would become the Crocodile in LGB's numbering system - was based on another Krauss locomotive. The Krauss XXXII 2700 was built in 1923, No. 4 for the Siegerland Huettenwerke (Siegerland Mine Works)/ German Republic.

Prototype of the LGB 2040 No 4 - The Krauss No 2700/ 1923 - Courtesy of bahn-express.de

Another shot shows this engine in her historic environment:

The original LGB 2040 No 4 built for the Siegerland Mineworks in 1923
 Courtesy of Bahnfreunde MK

All three LGB engines based on these prototypes would  become so famous that the name STAINZ would become the synonym for all LGB fans for this loco type. By 1980 LGB introduced a new company logo featuring the STAINZ silhouette.

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