Back from Chicago NGRC

Yours Truly and your Famous Klaus have just returned from the 2012 NGRC in St. Charles near Chicago. We had the pleasure to stay with a friend and enjoy his beautiful layout. He was on the Open House Tour List as well and had 2 Open Houses to accommodate all the interest in his layout. The weather was great and everybody had a lot of fun. Contact us if you want to know more about it or want some pictures. Shown above is the water feature  layout part, displaying 3 water features alltogether. Below is "bridges and mountainous terrain".The layout streches alongside the terrace of the house and alongside the added garage, approx 30 yards (rough estimate).

The convention itself drew little interest. In case you remember Denver in 2009, cut the Vendor's Hall attendance by 60 % - for vendors and for attendants/visitors- and you can see the picture. The booth for Märklin/LGB was small and they showed no merchandise to purchase from the booth. Piko's booth was mostly unattended so no information was available anyway. Train-Li with Axel Tillman had a great big booth/showplace but had only track material displayed. A bit sad since he usually has a great variety of spare parts and stuff to offer. USA Trains did not attend. Bachmann's booth was a corner/head-on booth with a focus on kids' toy train (?????). Yours Truly didn't get their concept and obviously others didn't either- but that is just a very personal opinion. Kidman Tree Farm had a great booth/stand showing all his merchandise, was well representing his spare parts and his wonderful bonsai plants for layout gardening in addition to the best loco offerings on the show. And that was it for most of the part. Overall LGB locos and cars were sparsely offered.  Even though it is Yours Truly innerst conviction that the whole LGB market will turn into a collector's market in a very few or couple of years from now - it seems that has already started. And with that said, our future blogs will focus more and more on valuation and value development of LGB locos.

Meanwhile on the spare parts side we learned that Märklin/LGB will not furnish (as in after market spare parts provider) all new locos and mostly none of the old locos with all required spare parts. They will choose at will what will be offered. Also, Bühler has decided to manufacture their motors in China. In addition a new provider does offer similar motors made in China for LGB locos. In case you like to run Original German made motors in your LGB locos, contact Klaus. We have plenty in stock due to the fact that we could lay our hands on a truly big stock of German made Bühler motors last year.


Also NEW: Klaus will start in September to buy/purchase from you damaged/broken/half-burned/flooded or otherwise completely "kaput" LGB locos. We will have more information on that right here as well as on our web site.

Mix Multiple Manufacturers in Your LGB Engine

The problem: a pulsed smoker and a sound decoder only work in unison pulse if the sound decoder was made by the same manufacturer as the pulsed smoker.

The Task: to combine different manufacturers in pulsed smoker and sound decoder – so you can choose from different manufacturers for the best fitting sound for your loco and for the best working smoker – no matter who makes which one.

The Solution: Klaus has created a board that makes the pulsed smoker from ANY manufacturer compatible with ANY soundboard/decoder on the market. With Klaus Mix-Multi Board any pulsed smoker will work in perfect unison pulse with any sound decoder. No more nerve-racking steam sound whereas the smoker delivers ½ a minute later. No more “Arrrgh--- I bought this smoker a year ago and forgot who made it, now I have this fine, fine sound from a completely different company.” All done with-- Now you can combine any sound decoder with any pulsed smoker out there. Buy the product that best fits your needs, your purse and your LGB loco – no matter who makes them. Stop worrying to be forced to stay with one manufacturer for all times just so the products are compatible in your LGB engine. Now you call Klaus or send him your loco and the Mix-Multi Board will take care of it.

What it takes: each board is a custom made board by Klaus for your individual decoder-smoker manufacturer situation. Board price is approx. US$ 50.00. Klaus likes to install the board himself into your loco to ensure absolute proper function of sound and chuffs. After all- you want to improve the value of your LGB loco, especially if your LGB engine was made before 1999 (becoming a collector’s item …!).

What to do next: Look at your pulsed smoker unit and jot down the manufacturer name, the item name and the Voltage, then look at your sound decoder and get the manufacturer and version # from that sound decoder. Then look at your LGB engine and jot down the LGB number from your LGB original box in case you still have that. Then call Klaus at 770-886-6670 and provide the data you jotted down. This gives Klaus a very good idea of the work scope involved. Klaus will then give you advice for the next steps.

Twitter - Facebook- Linkedin -- to be or not to be

Yes - Klaus is doing fine. His eyesight is wonderful and his workshop is really humming!!! Yours Truly has also been busy collecting more and more historic data about Old Original LGB locos in preparation of  "Famous Klaus" clinics at the Chicago 2012 NGRC. One clinic, on Saturday, August 18, 2012 will be about the value of your personal LGB loco and how LGB train collections change/evolve in value over time.
In the past we have repeatedly stressed that eBay.com  is not necessarily a good site to tell you properly about the true value of your LGB engine. We have, however observed that asking prices on eBay for LGB Moguls and other fine OLD LGB locos have been increasing. Yours Truly has also noticed that asking prices for high-end priced LGB engines such as the  Orient Express sets, the Asters or similar, are gaining on eBay and getting closer to their values as collectors items. Those are very good signs for the evolving collector's market for Old LGB engines made before 1999.

Spare parts supply for original LGB locos whether mechanical parts, motors, gadgets or decorative parts will stay sparse and some may be hard or impossible to come by. That is sad for very old analog locos where the oldest  soundboards will come to their life's end and just give up. There are no replacements of that kind anymore. However- some German suppliers like Uhlenbrock have taken note and are manufacturing soundboards that can be installed and run in very old LGB locos without being operated in digital mode.
Your Famous Klaus spends quite a fair amount of time searching for and purchasing old and oldest LGB spare parts and looking for adequate, re-engineered parts that he will utilize for his restorations, repairs and installations. If all fails, Klaus then will re-manufacture the part in his workshop - if you want him to.
Why - you may ask- isn't there a better supply of spare parts? Like there used to be? Motors for 59.00 dollars? 10 bulbs for 5 dollars and so on? You might still find some of these items being sold to you for the old prices. Grab them!! The truth is, in a market where (in a defined term) 400 engines are sold compared to 4,000 or more 25 years ago, spare parts are not manufactured in 10,000'er bins but in 500. That volume has the term "not profitable" written all over it with the consequence that they are not made anymore or prices go up steeply. The LGB market has been declining for years now. From a factory with 150 employees and more in their heyday, 3 (!) of the original crew have survived all the changes.

The good news in that? If you have Old LGB trains dating from before 1999 - you have collectors items on your hand. If you are a diehard LGB fan wanting to increase your collection your answer lies in estate sales. There are many now and Klaus knows who is reliable. And of course, Märklin/LGB manufactures again. In small numbers. Most Forums, newsletters and what not will tell you about them. Which brings me back to the headline.

Klaus wants me to tell you: he doesn't twitter. He is not on Facebook. No Linkedin, no MySpace, no forums. Nope, none. He appreciates deeply when you think of him and invite him. But no- thank you. He will not do it. And there is one simple reason - Klaus wants to spent his (workshop) time on YOUR engines. Period. Whether it is repairing, or restoring, or installing or making parts or evaluating - and sometimes recruiting parts for your engines. That's it. And when the workshop day is done, Klaus will sometimes tell Yours Truly little stories from his workshop.......and -after a while -you get to read them here!

Happy Easter (Eggs)

Yours Truly needs to vent. About decoder installation by some out there. Folks, a decoder is not a light bulb. Really. A decoder is  an electronic device. To put it on the lowest level. So, if you install one you need to know how it works and what its general "characteristics" are, so you don't "screw" things up. So here's a little reminder of the general types of decoders out there and their basic installation requirements:

Phoenix sound decoder: it is solely a sound decoder producing an excellent sound. But it requires an additional driving decoder to operate a loco digitally. Here's the catch: the Phoenix sound decoder covers the same CV range as most driving  decoders do. So, while programming e.g. the driving decoder you would be programming the sound decoder at the very same time, too. Unless: (like a knowledgeable installer will do) one provides 2 switches to separate the decoders - for future programming. Otherwise, you guessed it, you program the driving decoder while you actually only want to program the sound decoder. Or vice versa. Fortunately, Phoenix is going to move their CV range to be separated from the driving decoder CV values.

Uhlenbrock Intellisound: like the Phoenix is a pure sound decoder that requires a driving decoder. The CV's for the Intellisound decoder are set separately from any driving decoder following NMRA standard. The Intellisound decoder is plugged into the driving decoder via SUSI bus connection. Uhlenbrock has a great sound library and provides really good sound.(see our price list for further detail)

ESU Loksound decoder:sound and driving decoder on one board and their functions are separated by the set-up of the decoder, namely the sound decoder CV's are separated from the CV's of the driving decoder. The sound library is growing plus you can load your own sound into the decoder. The sound decoder characteristics are VERY good.

Lenz : makes driving decoders, only. Has excellent slow speed operation , by the way.

Your Famous Klaus supplies all of the above decoders and installs them for you - naturally according to the old German LGB standards. He says, Uhlenbrock and Lenz driving decoders are very fine decoders which make for easy installation due to their SUSI bus. Klaus is currently testing new/updated (sound)decoders that were announced at the Toy Fair. We will have the results on our web page in April/May. You already do find our product/price list on our website at www.traincraftbyklaus.com

Massoth XLS + LS sound decoder: sound and driving decoder on one board and their functions are separated by the set-up of the decoder, namely the sound decoder CV's are separated from the CV's of the driving decoder. S decoder is plugged into the driving decoder via SUSI bus connection. The driving decoder(s) lack performance in slow speed operation. The sound library focuses on European sounds. The sound performance is good.

On another subject.
We have been asked in the past to open an opportunity/place where LGB locos would be sold with Klaus' stamp of approval (for condition) and value estimate on it. Friends and fans, we are not there yet and are still thinking about it. A few days ago we received a call from a longtime LGB fan whose life changed within the last year to where he has to sell his LGB collection. As you can imagine he is going through some hard times right now. He didn't ask for any help but Klaus and Yours Truly felt he deserved it anyway. He has a Mikado LGB # 23872 that comes in the original LGB box with Original old LGB sound. It was altered to allow operation on track and on battery drive.  Please see if any of you who operate on track and battery power as well would like to place an order with the gentleman. You should email Klaus and we will, without any further ado, forward your email to that gentleman. Thank you for your kind support!

A Mixed Bag of Goodies

With Spring around the corner and some of you getting outdoors to get to the (train) tracks again, here are some completely unrelated thoughts and facts. No-- make that opinions.

Yours Truly is observing the eBay web site about once a week, looking for "just posted", "highest price", and "ending soonest". In my humble opinion, the market for LGB products is starting to show more realistic values in the high end and higher end area for locos. Mikados, Aster, Pullman sets and Mallets seem to be priced according to their values. The same holds true for  F 7 See Through/ clear locos. Moguls on the other hand show all kinds of prices; from $ 400.00 for a Mogul made in 1990 or 1993 (value is approx US$ 1,200) to US$ 1,000.00 for China crap - ...quoting Famous Klaus...-  (mint condition value will not top US$ 600.00). Similar realistic prices show up for cars that are rare like the # 35355 DB Passenger car or the 35350 DR Passenger car (around US$ 500.00 with a tendency to increase), but finds are still possible for old 1993 or older tank cars, Swiss "Mohrenkoepfe"( marshmallows?) and similar.

Yours Truly and  the two Klaus' (your Famous Klaus and Klaus Baumann) believe that the market will consolidate within the next two to three years. This goes only for the existing LGB locos and cars being built between 1970 and 2006. If any of you owns an LGB loco or car or toy made before 1970, hold on to it, care VERY well for it and name it in your will! Yes, it will show up at a Sotheby or similar auction in about 5-10 years from now.

On another subject:
Klaus Baumann is currently working on Mallet and Forney data so that we can provide better information about  those loco values and value development. One of his finds during this operation was that so many different Forneys were manufactured that LGB Nuremberg had to extend the series number from 5 digits to 6 digits for a certain time frame. So, in case you come across an LGB box with a 6-digit number on it and a "25" in it, we'd be interested in a photo. At the same time, so many Forney sets were made for specialty groups that -alas !- a Forney set was made for Florsheim Shoes. How 'bout that?!!

You have read about this subject here before, the lifetime of Buehler motors. Since we had quite a lot of questions about this, let me reiterate and add some, too. All LGB locos have Buehler motors in them except two:
 One: The Porter which was made in Korea by PIKO and came with a Korean motor in it. To Klaus' knowledge no motors are available once the Original Korean motors are defunct/ kaput.
Two: a very very early LGB loco that had a Siemens motor in it. Klaus is currently working on more information about that loco or locos(?). If any of you have any information about that, Klaus would more than appreciate your information and contacting him.
A Buehler motor for LGB locos has an approximate life span of 15-20 years. At the time they were first utilized in LGB locos it seemed incomprehensible for the technical crew in Nuremberg that anyone would "play" with an LGB loco for either that long or that excessively to reach the end of that lifetime. To see some of those older Buehler motors still running is a nice confirmation for the old "Made in Western Germany"- Quality.
Sometime in the mid-nineties (1996-1998?) Buehler decided to change the design of the motors - recognizable by an all-silver colored body and no replaceable brushes.At the very same time Buehler also decided to outsource the LGB Buehler motor production to the Chech Republic. This turned out to be a problematic move. The motors did not have the same quality and lifespan as the ones made in Germany, so Buehler placed production back into Germany. These motors made in the Chech republic can go kaput without warning. Unfortunately there is no way to tell where a Buehler motor was made. But all in all the  Buehler motors are the most reliable possible for the LGB locos.
Buehler motors for LGB locos are currently undergoing a price change. Where they will end up eventually is still to be seen. Unfortunately we heard more than one rumor that the new retail price will be close to US $ 150.00. We will keep you updated on this subject. Fortunately, Klaus has a sufficient number of motors available for his repairs and restorations, so your locos are safe with him.

Nuremberg Toy Fair 2012 - My LGB Report

Our man at the Toy Fair - Klaus Baumann, a name you should keep in mind since you'll be hearing a lot about and from him in the near future specifically re his expertise in LGB loco values - send the "GARTENBAHN profi" magazine to Yours Truly which is the base for the following "news". In case any of you like to go to the original article please look for  pages 6 - 15 in The "GARTENBAHN profi 2/2012 - Wieder Gas geben" ( meaning: stepping on the gas again). Taking the liberty to condense the contents dramatically here is what one German press is thinking about LGB this Spring.

Not much is new at LGB this year. It's more a "re-animation" of things well known, tried-and-true. The RhB series are shown in different colors. The Toy Train program got re-instated with a battery-driven, RC-controlled "Harlekinzug"(=Clown Train) for toddlers and an ICE, the German high-speed train. Within the RhB series the "Bernina" is a 3-part rail-car which is currently not available. Production is planned but a clear delivery date has not been set, with earliest delivery suggested to happen in 2013.  (Yours Truly heard rumors that the German dealers are extreemly upset about the new Marklin/LGB policy to NOT publish information about possible delivery dates. Yet, they started selling by promoting pre-ordering. Yours Truly thinks that neither policy will help much to improve the new LGB image....). A Saxonian 1K loco was displayed at the fair in an unfinished housing, not yet motorized.

Available locos and cars have a hefty price tag this year . The RhB Gea 2/4 (No.211) is listed for Euro 600.00 ( approx. US$ 800.00 - in Germany!), the RhB Ge 2/4 in green (No. 202) will be Euro 550.00 (or US$ 730.00) in Germany. Quite a few cars have been re-manufactured some in new colors which will not necessarily support the collector's intention of supplementing their layout.

A really new LGB mold for a loco is actually a Marklin loco (E 10, a German Express Train Loco from the 1950's) and will be manufactured in the newly planned "Mix-and-match G-scale"  and will NOT match the Old German LGB (version) standard.  This is supposed to be a "counter-offer" to the new PIKO models. -  Why - the Old LGB was a standard in itself...! A few more German locos are listed to be available sometime, as the VT 133 and the Niki S.

The US market gets the same treatment as the German customer: quite a few announcements and no specific delivery date include the Mikado in  New York Central colors ,  the Porter steam loco (with no spare parts or spare motors available on the US or German market), and a White Pass Diesel engine No. 4 - 2-axle. Car-wise  are scheduled (?) a Conoco tank car, a transporter with 2 muscle cars (Cobra and Corvette), and a 3-car Union Pacific live stock car set.

An opinionated Yours Truly believes that selling something someone does not have at hand is a bad thing in the long run. Promises are broken, contracts cannot be kept as traded in the first place, money is spent and goes where it does not belong. The looser is in the end the manufacturer because the customer will go where his wishes are fulfilled. For the  Old German Standard LGB enthusiast that will be more and more the collectors/auction market or the estate market.

And now to something completely different.... a note from "the editor": Klaus' web page is growing. He would be tickled if you keep reading at www.traincraftbyklaus.com. He put an interesting "lemon-list" on it. You will find it under "Repair".

Turntable - Part 2 and other News

After my last blog about the  Original LGB turntable I received some very nice emails from one of the blog followers that he allowed me to publish here. He pointed out that in addition to the original LGB turntable with 100 pieces made there are more in use today like: (some editing for concentrating on the subject)

"...Pola made their G 1946 turntable (I think in 1996) that, if my memory serves me right, has "LGB" molded into the underside. It is not visible from the top so I cannot confirm this.
 My memory has gotten pretty bad but as I recall I talked to someone at LGB of America at the time and I was told that Pola molded "LGB" into the turntable without authorization from LGB and Pola was told to stop so marking their turntables.
I can see how others might also be confused and think their Pola turntables might be "LGB turntables." ---He continues.....I looked at the top of the turntable and did not see any markings but I do still have the (black) box it came in which is marked: Exclusiv Modell - 2,900 Exemplare weltweit - Numerierte und begrenzte Auflage
I don't understand German but I used the internet which translated it to: Exclusively model- 2.900 copies world-wide -Numbered and limited Edition. I have no idea how many might have the "LGB" markings on the underside.--He continues further...
I have always thought that LGB and Pola were made for each other. The turntable box is marked 1:22.5 scale and the Pola items always seem to perfectly compliment LGB products.
Unfortunately I think the turntable was one of Pola's not very well designed products as I gave up years ago trying to get it to work with its electric motor. Even manually rotating the turntable is problematic but it really does look great and fits very nicely with their Shunting (train) Shed. Fortunately I don't use it often and it adds greatly to the visual appearance of that part of the layout.
...and he found this....
While sorting through some old LGB Telegram issues I ran across the very 1st issue and on page 12 I found instructions on how to make "An American Turntable."
 Of course this is not the LGB turntable Klaus is talking about but the instructions are copyrighted by E. P. Lehmann. That in itself is interesting in that this issue of the Telegram was published by E. P. Lehmann while newer issues were published by Buffington Publishing ."

This kind blog-follower asked not to be named. If you'd like to 'chat' about this issue, please email to klaus@traincraftbyklaus.com and Yours truly will forward your email.

On other news: our webpage has come to new life and is worked on now on an almost daily base. We invite you to follow and read at www.traincraftbyklaus.com

The next blog will continue reporting from the Toy Fair which closed its doors on Feb 6.