2012 - The Year of TrainCraft and the water Dragon

New beginnings are here, Dear Fans and LGB Operators! Yours Truly is coming out of retirement and smack right into TrainCraft. "TrainCraft By Klaus" will be a full blown product, service and parts company starting January 1 and as soon as Klaus is back from surgery . That was my Christmas gift to Klaus and hopefully to the LGB community in the USA. Yours Truly would not mind you spreading the word if you have the time. We have been silently gathering products and packages over the last few months and are still adding.

The new price list is currently in the works and will double as a sort-of-catalog. Will also be on the web page. Main focus will be : Keeping Your LGB Trains Alive and Running" with the main product line in digital products and a second line for LGB loco spare parts. Analog electronic parts will be critical because they are getting extinct. But we will keep trying. New technology is also coming in helpful. - 

 

Our products will range from driving and sound decoders to operating accessories, loco maintenance parts, Original LGB spare parts and motors, all kinds of cables, service, restoration, repairs, installations, consulting and counseling, evaluations for collections and tax valuations (in case someone considers donations to your local or other charity). Simply a fully operational LGB trains maintaining entity. New or upcoming products that ensure the value of your LGB trains will be added over time and a few may be eliminated. Again, our  mantra is to keep your LGB trains running. And if a part is not available anymore Klaus will manufacture / re-produce it on his sophisticated machinery - if the price is right...!

 

Will we need help? You bet. For that matter it is very helpful to know that 2012 is the year of the water Dragon. "The water Dragon... is an intelligent and laborious worker who never puts aside work though sometimes this leads him to excesses. The water Dragon has enough courage to face challenges and easily finds weak points that stand in his way to success..."(quoted from www.gotohoroscope.com...).

Sounds mightily like an experienced LGB loco operator to me- don't y'all think??!!

 

Well then - All Aboard, come join and support us in our endeavor to keep LGB trains running. And if you happen to see a water Dragon invite him to your LGB layout- he might make a fantastic steam AND water engineer...

 

Happy New Year

Yours Truly and Famous Klaus

klaus@traincraftbyklaus.com

 

P.S. Next blog will be about the restoration of the old  original LGB turntable

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Testing, testing, one-two-three... - Klaus has been testing and working with the new decoders I have been talking about for a while. Yours Truly and Famous Klaus have been on the look-out for new and improved decoders and sound (decoders) to keep all LGB Operators running here in the USA. And the results are in.
Klaus decided on these driving decoders, which are in stock and ready to ship out of Santa's, ahh, Klaus' workshop
Uhlenbrock IntelliDrive Deluxe 77 500 , 3Amps continuous capacity and 5Amps in peaks for analog and digital operation. US$ 116.00
Most outstanding feature: works with old and newer LGB control systems like MTS and with the old LGB sounds. Plus: provides very smooth driving operation (no more studdering in slow operating mode)
Pros: SUSI Bus (to connect -via"plug"- to smoke or sound from "any" manufacturer), silent motor control, 8 function outputs, can control A/C motors (!) like in some Adlers or other. Address range 1-9999. No heat built-up. Various light functions. Mapping&dimming for outputs.
Cons: none so far
On second came in the Digitalplus By Lenz GOLD maxi: (US$ 110.00) with pretty much the same basic technical features as the Uhlenbrock, but no LGB compatibility to old analog sounds. Its most outstanding feature is a very well written and easily understandable American english manual that even Yours Truly can read and follow easily.
Pros: performance in slow speed (digital) operation is excellent, SUSI Bus, functions for many light effects like Gyra, MARS, Strobe etc, functions for fire box light, mapping+dimming for outputs
Cons:  limited LGB MTS operation (only parallel commands)

Klaus also tested the ESU LOKSOUND digital decoder which as of right now is a complete compare to the Massoth sound decoders (XLS), with a better price tag at US$ 244.00 and pretty much the same sound library. NOTE: ESU is working on an improved sound decoder version to be available in February 2012. That new decoder will combine the excellent driving operation features of the Uhlenbrock/Lenz decoders with the excellent sound quality of the ESU decoders. We don't know the price tag yet, but do know that ESU loves to compete....
By the way: all three manufacturers are German companies located in Bottrop (Uhlenbrock), Giessen (Lenz), and Ulm (ESU). Klaus is in personal contact with their resp. General Managers. All three of them come across as very professional and knowledgable about their own product and market(s) combined with a keen understanding of the future needs of G -Scale operation.
 
Well, LGB fans, that sums it up for today. Detailed information and photos will be available on our webpage, soon or a bit later- Yours Truly is preparing for Christmas as well....In the meantime just call Klaus (770-886-6670) for further information or ordering.

Merry Christmas to All - and to ALL a Mogul Good Night



Stories from the workshop

Yours Truly has promised a story about a Mikado. Straight from the workshop, here we go:

Klaus had a Mikado on his bench with this customer complaint: The Mikado is not running properly AND is running in one direction only, backwards. The Mikado came with the remote control "Revolution" by Aristocraft- So Klaus went to work. He tested the motor, motor was working fine. He tested the receiver. (In the Aristocraft Revolution remote system, a receiver is installed into the loco providing receiver and decoding functions.) The receiver was working fine. He checked the wiring. The wiring was not properly done. So he rewired the hole Mikado. Now it was running properly and alright- BUT alas still only backwards.

Klaus got into contact with the service department at Aristocraft, discussed the phenomenon and his test results and they decided to have the "Revolution" remote tested by Aristocraft. Out went the remote to Aristocraft and back came the remote from Aristocraft. The service technician - by the way the nicest guy you could wish for - said, the remote was working fine. So Klaus went back to the drawing board. More testing. When he opened the Mikado, again, he noticed -again- that little clump in the middle of the wiring that he had thought was a connector clip, mantled for protection. His gut feeling told him: open that darn thing. So he removed the shrink tube covering the clump and guess what he found....?? A diode!!

Now you're asking why would anybody put a diode there? No function, no need, no sense to put that diode there. Klaus removed that thing and - yes, you guessed it right- that Mikado ran as superb as an LGB engine can run, backwards, forwards, around the track, braking, just as it always was meant to be.
Bottom line: unqualified installers - they take your money, they take your engine to the....

Bottom line 2: Do Not Fear- Klaus is here.

And on that note let me end with this photo report of Klaus testing the new Uhlenbrock driving and sound decoders.

Just one more thing: Klaus is a happy camper - again-! More on the results later this month on our web page(www.traincraftbyklaus.com) and right here.

Preview testing results: better value for your money,  really great sound, modern technology.

And for those of you looking into some hard-to-find LGB stuff: loco magnets, cleaning -blocks, -stripes and -wheels, and alpha-brass track clamps are in stock right now.

Summertimme... and Klaus is back in his workshop

Yep, that's right - you're Famous Klaus is back in his workshop. He is working on Moguls and on Forneys currently. He is still a little backed up from vacation time - but is also accepting new restoration and installation work. Same goes for repairs.

The parts situation is getting better this Summer with parts coming in from quite a few German manufacturers. Klaus made an important decision this early Summer, saying goodbye to various Massoth products due to increasing problems with their quality, software reliability and user-friendliness. After all, this is all about you and all of the LGB fans out there to receive products and services that keep your LGB trains running. It is Klaus' utmost intention to maintain and were possible increase your LGB locos collectors value.

Speaking of value, if you have an outdoor layout and have a big heatwave going on where you live AND have locos on your layout that are older than 1999 - do yourself a tiny little favor and bring those locos inside while the extreme heat lasts. The plastic does not profit from this intense heat and some of those locos might be well worth beyond US$ 1,500.00. Why spoil that?

And after the heatwave has passed, please check your tracks for deformation due to thermal expansion, meaning with heat temps passing the 140 F degrees in some sun-exposed areas this summer and depending how much space they have to expand and return to their predefined  position that may not go as smoothly as you had hoped. Shorts, derailed locos and cars, brittle plastic parts getting lost in heated sand and gravel... that's what you want to avoid. You might even see some older driving decoders die due to excessive heat exposure. When your automobile gets above 120F degrees inside after only 10-15 minutes in bright sunlight right now, imagine what your beloved locos have to endure sitting in that naked sun baking for hours on end...

While you have your locos inside, go check if they deserve some TLC like cleaning the wheels with an older (paint) brush. Wear and tear should get some attention before the loco body itself gets harmed. Check on couplers, trucks and other movable parts. Before you glue something back on, please check with Klaus in case your engine is old to very old. It costs way more money to undo a bad glue job to restore a locos value than to do it right the first time. Some glues shouldn't even get close to an LGB loco. In most cases Klaus prefers a so-called "plastics welder" glue. Yours truly will elaborate on this subject some more later this year.

Meanwhile, stay cool, protect your LGB values and when in doubt, email Klaus at   klaus@traincraftbyklaus.com

Old Things and New Things ---- Do Not Fear- Klaus is Near

We have a name change. What used to be lgbtrainsforever as our blog is now available under TrainCraft By Klaus. So just go to http://traincraftbyklaus.blogspot.com/ and read on as you used to. As an LGB fan and enthusiast you will also find LGB matching items, products, electronics, and help-desk technical support on our new web page http://www.traincraftbyklaus.com/ . The site is still under construction and is growing at a rather slow pace right now. Klaus and Yours Truly are taking some time off this June to refuel our mind and soul.

In case you need help in the meantime, please email us at klausstork@earthlink.net  or at klaus@traincraftbyklaus.com . We will get back to you - it may take a day or two. But we will do so.

Yours Truly is working on some fun Mikado (loco) stories meanwhile and will provide estimates for old, very old and even older than old  LGB Moguls. My expertise is in the field of Moguls older than 1999 and specialty LGB  locos from before 2005.

Stay cool out there, dear LGB loco operator, take your old and oldest Moguls inside with you when the temps reach 100F and above (more on that in the July blog here at this site) and as always thank you for forwarding.

Mogul for 650....do I hear more?....Aaand SOLD!

Moguls are coming onto the market in big numbers right now. Some collections are being sold because people need money. Some are sold because their owners have passed away. And some are just plain new and right out of the factory. Yours Truly tries to follow the eBay market a bit and what I have seen lately is cause for caution.
Let me make this clear: I am talking LGB Moguls only. And this is what you should know before you start bidding on one.
The Mogul was first introduced into the market by LGB Germany around 1983. It came with some teething problems. That's when Klaus joined Wolfgang Richter and Guenter Ruhland to make the Mogul run safer and smoother and prevent her from falling over. The pilot axle suspension was changed to limit specific operational margins. All Moguls whether coal type (2019) or wood type (2018) had four "fixed" numbers and a letter if they had either steam (D) or sound (S). A mogul then would have the number 2018D, 2018S or 2019D or 2019S. That was it.
That system worked fine until about 1998. In these first 15 years the Mogul was solely manufactured and assembled in Germany. After that the Mogul was also manufactured in China, but some parts were still made in Germany. Sometimes parts were manufactured in China but the loco and tender were assembled in Germany. The Bumblebee Mogul was rebuilt /assembled in the USA.
The number system changed to five numbers and NO letters. Numbers would range from 21184 to 29182, with the "18" in the middle for wood type and the "19" in the middle for coal type. From around 1998 until 2006 roughly 15,300 Moguls were manufactured. The value of the Mogul should be US$ 2,500.00 for very old versions in magnificent condition to $1,200.00 for newer versions made before 2006 in very good to mint condition. Prices on eBay vary very much. Right now the average price for a Mogul varies between US$ 500.00 to 750.00 in good to very good condition and is definitely undervalued in case that Mogul is older than 2002. BUT...!!..:
You should make absolutely sure what condition the Mogul is really in. Is the motor still functioning? If it has sound how old is the Mogul and does the sound still work. Was the soundboard replaced or is it still the original sound board (more valuable when original board is still functioning). Some sell a Mogul with a number that cannot exist like 2219D. Ask for a photo from underneath the loco and check out the stamps and numbers. Ask for the original packaging and check for the loco number. Are the figurines in the loco and tender? Are the couplers intact? Were the loco and/or the tender embellished and have special collector's value, e.g. parts were gilded or parts were added in brass.
Some Mogul series are more valuable due to their very small production numbers, e.g. the 22185 Disney or the 21192 DRGW.
When totally in doubt don't hesitate to send an email to Yours Truly - we will try to help as best as we can. And if you have more detailed information on this subject yourself we would certainly appreciate you, dear reader, sharing this with us. THANKS and happy bidding!

.........................................(this subject) to be continued..............

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....