# LGB...a needle in a haystack?



## xtcbct (Jul 15, 2008)

Well, with LGB seemingly pulling the plug on North American distribution, will LGB items be the needle in a haystack of the future? I bought some LGB track today and my local store seems to be going lower and lower in stock and they say they are not renewing stock because they cant get it. Perhaps LGB will go the way of the old Great Trains company? What is everyone elses thoughts, or does someone else no something I dont?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By xtcbct on 07/21/2008 2:03 PM

Well, with LGB seemingly pulling the plug on North American distribution, will LGB items be the needle in a haystack of the future? I bought some LGB track today and my local store seems to be going lower and lower in stock and they say they are not renewing stock because they cant get it. Perhaps LGB will go the way of the old Great Trains company? What is everyone elses thoughts, or does someone else no something I dont?


All other things being equal, by all appearances, it would be safe to assume that LGB has seen its day which has come and _gone_.  The gap of business activity has simply been too long. I have purchased all the LGB products I expect to use on my layout in advance of its demise. It is unlikely these will ever be available again except as the occasional bid item on Ebay and the like.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Not likely until 2012, thats when Silvergates rights to the LGB namesake in North America expires. Even if Marklin finds a way around that isue, given the low dollar, anything Marklin did ship over would end up being frighteningly expensive, Marklin really has little incentive to re-enter tha market in the US with what limited Eurocentric items they are offering this year, maybe they might try next year if the dollar picks up and they can sort out the Chinese manufacturing issues, where most of the US product was being made.


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## bahn1225 (Jan 27, 2008)

Has anyone noticed a complete lack of coverage regarding this topic in "Garden Railways" magazine? 
Even if you are in the "anti-LGB sect", you must admit that they have had a tremendous impact on the large scale hobby as a whole. 
Has the demise of LGB been mentioned elsewhere in other hobby publications and I've just missed it?


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## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

I too am skeptical about seeing any LGB products on the market soon, or even not so soon. And given the financial climate of the planet these days, 


hobbies are bound to be one of the greatest sufferers.


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

Don't count them out just yet! Delton has been gone a long time but the C-16 that Aristocraft is re-introducing is directly decended from the Delton moulds! The drivetrain has been completely redone but the model is there! Delton had nowhere near the impact on our hobby that LGB has had so I would really be surprised if American products aren't resumed in a relatively short span of time. It only makes economic sense!


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## BNGP10 (Jan 4, 2008)

It was discussed many times, if you check out the small articles from Dave Watts, he talks about the current issues with Marklin/LGB. For now the point is moot till they get things sorted out. From what I have heard, you should see atleast some stuff from LGB before the holidays. Distribution will be thru Walthers, which handles Marklin now here in the states is what I am hearing on several different levels. Just have to sit back and watch. For now Dave gets in more than I can afford to buy thru his collections and what I find on ebay. I just want to see fresh track here state side. I have run nothing but LGB track and dont plan to change that on my line. Cheers Mike


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## Great Western (Jan 2, 2008)

You could fill a dumpster with what has been written on this Forum and the others, about the demise and subsequent events concerning LGB. 

I am certain that other manufacturers have not been slow to fill the void. 

In the UK there has been a small amount made available and some warehouse clearance items. Even so there still seems to be a fair amount on offer on the on-line auctions sites. 

I think that one of the functions of Garden Railways is to bring us news and show us new models. If there are no new LGB models they can hardly mention them.


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## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

When you think about it, the C-16 wasn't given much thought until LGB started having trouble. Perhaps it was mere coincidence that Aristo put some money in to that line and redid the drive train and lowered the C-16 back to where it was when Delton had it. At least the 1.22.5 folks can get some new motive power. I know I have not been running my LGB trains nearly as much lately. Especially the moguls. The 2019S sound died and the 24182 smoke unit needs to be replaced, but the baloon stack keeps breaking off... 

Mark


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Building on what Steve said, the molds are too valuable to collect dust. You'll notice that many of the "fallen flag" manufacturers' molds are still in production by one manufacturer or another. A manufacturer with existing molds can almost print money with them. They've got no tooling costs to amortize, so their only expense is the plastic they shoot through, as well as labor and packaging. Not a bad way to do business so long as people are still buying. Note also that while Marklin as yet has no distribution plans in North America, they do have a solid network in Europe, and have not said they won't be producing US prototypes for that market. They're listing the Minnesota ore jimmies for release this year (though lettered for DB). Coincidentally, Piko is offering the same thing, evidently using MDC's old ore jimmy molds. Go figure... 

Later, 

K


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## thekollector (Jan 2, 2008)

Yep! The hobby is in great shape. Nobody is going to miss LGB. Especially G.R. The old line will be back eventually. But all the optimism in this thread is offset by: 

http://www.mylargescale.com/Community/Forums/tabid/56/forumid/4/postid/39905/view/topic/Default.aspx 

What happens when all the cheaper online sellers stop advertising in the print medium?


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

http://www.mylargescale.com/Community/Forums/tabid/56/forumid/4/postid/39905/view/topic/Default.aspx 

Wish ya guys would remember to add the brackets, sheesh!
[img]/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/plain.gif[/img]


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