LGB Spares affecting decision to buy!

[Topogardenmike]

Looked at a lovely LGB RHB 4/4 SH at a retailers today.

I really like LGB and have a large collection. At one time , If I wanted a spare , I could email Germany and on the times I tried it I always obtained spares such as lamp discs etc free of charge (thats why they went bust some say!). Other routine spares such as contact shoes were plentiful. I now see a bit of a drying up of common spares and anything out of the normal seems difficult if not impossible.

Had a nightmare with my RHB Railbus and ended up wiring out the DCC for analog running. But looking at this 4/4 I had a sudden reluctance to spend a not inconsiderable sum on something I might not be able to get spares for. I have tried communication with Marklin without success.

I am reluctant to buy anymore LGB locos with the spares situation. anyone else feel like this or am I being unduly pessamistic?

Mike

 

[Neil Robinson]

I sympathise with the above post, however if decisions to purchase G scale items were based on the probability of purchasing spare parts in a few years time I fear the choice would be very limited indeed.

 

[Philbahn]

Think you're being too pessamistic. I,ve got three of them. Motors shouldn't be a problem and as for lamp lenses you could always turn some. As for chips there are enough suppliers. The only thing i am worried about is pantographs. Rare as rocking horse manure

 

[Philbahn]

Just changed this Arosa body over to a Zouz

 

[yb281]

I have some experience of such an event from a previous hobby - slotcar racing. Obviously if LGB is rescued, then you would hope that many spares will become available again. However, if LGB goes under, then some budding entrepenour MAY start producing certain spares - perhaps not always to the same standard, but better than nothing. Also, don't Massoth make a lot of LGB's electrics? Surely they'll continue doing this as long as a) there's a market for them and b) they can stay in business?

Going back to my previous hobby, you can now get pretty much any spare part for a Scalextric car made in the 1960's - and not from the current owners of the brand - Hornby.

Just a thought.

 

[Spule 4]

I just had a 1932 Lionel 259E mechanically restored. One can get about any bit for it, either from old stock, or modern reproduction.

 

[Dave Hub]

I undertand the reluctance to buy something if there are few spares around, but it is things like that which make items collectable, also there are always private companies like silvergate: http://www.silvergatedistributors.com/index.php/lgbinfo.html who may be able to help.

If people only brought things which had company manufactured spares there would be a lot less classic cars in the world.

 

[minimans]

If people only brought things which had company manufactured spares there would be a lot less classic cars in the world.

And don't I know it!!
I can build a new one with the amount of aftermarket bit's available but nothing would fit...................................

 

[KleineDicke]

If people only brought things which had company manufactured spares there would be a lot less classic cars in the world.

And don't I know it!!
I can build a new one with the amount of aftermarket bit's available but nothing would fit...................................

...and if you did get it all together, the Lucas electrical bits would go up in smoke the first time you twisted the key.

 

[Spule 4]

If people only brought things which had company manufactured spares there would be a lot less classic cars in the world.

And don't I know it!!
I can build a new one with the amount of aftermarket bit's available but nothing would fit...................................

Actually, wouln't there be points OFF in judging if you did have good panel fit on most 1960s cars?

 

[hornbeam]

Interesting one this.

One great thing about LGB had been the fact you could get parts- even if LGB tended to well last out product by the Chineese Manfactures. My attude to LGB is it could be almost for life, so worth paying the extra as you know there was good back up (feel the same about Roundhouse). I feel the same as you do now, and it concerns me as well. Bachmann is a clasic example of why. Once a model goes out of production little or no chance of getting parts. However, some of the common parts for LGB (carbon brushes, skates) were made available by Massoth.

 

[Doug]

I undertand the reluctance to buy something if there are few spares around, but it is things like that which make items collectable, also there are always private companies like silvergate: http://www.silvergatedistributors.com/index.php/lgbinfo.html who may be able to help.

If people only brought things which had company manufactured spares there would be a lot less classic cars in the world.

My 1982 US/California-spec Mercedes-Benz 380SL is about to be written off because there are no heater matrices in existence - to repair the one I have, and to fabricate the aluminium manifold that disintegrated, causing the problem in the fust place, is scheduled to cost around £1800 or so - this is just after a major engine rebuild last year [£3000] and five new tyres a couple of mumfs ago [friendly guy with nail-gun].

tac
http://www.ovgrs.org/ < Link To www.ovgrs.org
RLGSS Member

Have to sell it for the very rare spares tac. Got rid of my old Triumph 2500 when i could no longer easily get spares for it. Sad day.

 

[stevedenver]

i too understand the concern over spares
and i too have a healthy skepticism over post LGB LGB as i have heard less than stellar report on varying aspects of quality from screws to points to...RhB railbus issues 

but

it does not affect my seemingly endless lust for new trains by pre-marklin LGB 

1 LGB runs longer than mostand seems to often survive abuse
2 from ebay-theres a lot of it out in the world-so at some point a spares type loco might be purchased -even if a bit pricey, say, for an extra grab iron 

3 some bits may be fashioned-even by a less-than-talented guy like me-altho not as nice as the real part-but it can be done-and there ARE rather amazing glues out too-albeit not always a complete solution (a bit of a pun)

  4 the biggest change in my behavior since i too have the same concern-i run slower, i run shorter trains, and i carry one thing at a time, and im far more reluctant to leave anything outside at all unless its really mild weather and its somewhat protected in a shed or under the trees -im a lot more careful despite how robust LGB actually IS (same with my POLA stuff now)

But .... i love it and use it...if and when something goes ill have gotten lots of fun from it  

 

[minimans]

Ta

I undertand the reluctance to buy something if there are few spares around, but it is things like that which make items collectable, also there are always private companies like silvergate: http://www.silvergatedistributors.com/index.php/lgbinfo.html who may be able to help.

If people only brought things which had company manufactured spares there would be a lot less classic cars in the world.

My 1982 US/California-spec Mercedes-Benz 380SL is about to be written off because there are no heater matrices in existence - to repair the one I have, and to fabricate the aluminium manifold that disintegrated, causing the problem in the fust place, is scheduled to cost around £1800 or so - this is just after a major engine rebuild last year [£3000] and five new tyres a couple of mumfs ago [friendly guy with nail-gun].

tac
http://www.ovgrs.org/ < Link To www.ovgrs.org
RLGSS Member

Tac the Heater core for your car goes to a BMW Number Mercedes no longer supplies but try BMW and suppliers? or tryhttp://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Merc...temQQimsxZ20100124?IMSfp=TL100124153007r23329 < Link To http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaym...p=TL100124153007r23329 here........

 

[Dtsteam]

I bought a spare Buhler motor for my Stainz in 1978 as someone told me it would come in handy.

It hasn't.

I haven't opened the bag yet.

 

[yb281]

I bought a spare Buhler motor for my Stainz in 1978 as someone told me it would come in handy.

It hasn't.

I haven't opened the bag yet.

Brilliant .

 

[Spule 4]

I undertand the reluctance to buy something if there are few spares around, but it is things like that which make items collectable, also there are always private companies like silvergate: http://www.silvergatedistributors.com/index.php/lgbinfo.html who may be able to help.

If people only brought things which had company manufactured spares there would be a lot less classic cars in the world.

My 1982 US/California-spec Mercedes-Benz 380SL is about to be written off because there are no heater matrices in existence - to repair the one I have, and to fabricate the aluminium manifold that disintegrated, causing the problem in the fust place, is scheduled to cost around £1800 or so - this is just after a major engine rebuild last year [£3000] and five new tyres a couple of mumfs ago [friendly guy with nail-gun].

tac
http://www.ovgrs.org/ < Link To www.ovgrs.org
RLGSS Member

Hmm, a Merc parts supplier I have used in the past shows OEM Behr units for US market ACC system W107/380SLs in stock for $237.

 

[themole]

LGB spare parts can be found in Germany, Austria, and on German E-bay. I keep a good spares bin by keeping old chassis etc Pantographs are bought-in by LGB from Sommerfeldt. I will keep on running my LGB. Alyn

 

[Philbahn]

LGB spare parts can be found in Germany, Austria, and on German E-bay. I keep a good spares bin by keeping old chassis etc Pantographs are bought-in by LGB from Sommerfeldt. I will keep on running my LGB. Alyn

Dropped an email to Sommerfeldt. Looks like they only do z n tt & ho. time will tell. Thanks for the hint

 

[Spule 4]

LGB spare parts can be found in Germany, Austria, and on German E-bay. I keep a good spares bin by keeping old chassis etc Pantographs are bought-in by LGB from Sommerfeldt. I will keep on running my LGB. Alyn

Dropped an email to Sommerfeldt. Looks like they only do z n tt & ho. time will tell. Thanks for the hint

The catenary parts were assembled by a Swiss handicaped workshop, at least back in the 1980s.