three years into Marklin take-over and excellent LGB program 2011!

metzbahner

metzbahner

Registered
It looks like i will always hear bad news about marklin no matter what lgb forum i am on, but once again, seeing what Team Marklin is doing with LGB this year (as well as with Trix and their smaller lines) proves the naysayers wrong....

Who would believe that just 3 years after the demise of Saganer Strasse 1-5, that beautiful "Christmas Box" red and green factory being taking away from the world's most passionate toy train lovers...we now get a plethora of old American narrow gauge LGB "mainstays" back in the LGB line up?

How many times did I hear "Marklin won't make American prototype LGB at all!" with such confidence over that short 3 years? Or "Marklin won't sell LGB in the USA anymore!" with a mingled contempt and pleasure at "being right" about something they know nothing about.

My favorite items for 2011 are the Sumpter mallet and the 6-6 Alco diesel engine. The pre order prices for these are very reasonable, but just think of all those Veteran LGBers that own older versions of these mechanical animals that would like spare parts and service?

By building the new versions, Marklin will have wheelsets, spares and gears available to repair the old. This doesn't seem to deter .01% from Wolfgang and Eberhardt's philosophy about healthy-heart trains running for decades....perhaps even generations.

Marklin: the world's greatest company.

(woops, i was suppose to put "toy" company but i am partial to toys in general)
 
Problem is it's taken such a long time for something that is new to appear that can be reviewed, not just a re paint.
 
metzbahner said:
It looks like i will always hear bad news about marklin no matter what lgb forum i am on, but once again, seeing what Team Marklin is doing with LGB this year (as well as with Trix and their smaller lines) proves the naysayers wrong....

Who would believe that just 3 years after the demise of Saganer Strasse 1-5, that beautiful "Christmas Box" red and green factory being taking away from the world's most passionate toy train lovers...we now get a plethora of old American narrow gauge LGB "mainstays" back in the LGB line up?

How many times did I hear "Marklin won't make American prototype LGB at all!" with such confidence over that short 3 years? Or "Marklin won't sell LGB in the USA anymore!" with a mingled contempt and pleasure at "being right" about something they know nothing about.

My favorite items for 2011 are the Sumpter mallet and the 6-6 Alco diesel engine. The pre order prices for these are very reasonable, but just think of all those Veteran LGBers that own older versions of these mechanical animals that would like spare parts and service?

By building the new versions, Marklin will have wheelsets, spares and gears available to repair the old. This doesn't seem to deter .01% from Wolfgang and Eberhardt's philosophy about healthy-heart trains running for decades....perhaps even generations.

Marklin: the world's greatest company.

(woops, i was suppose to put "toy" company but i am partial to toys in general)
Click to expand...

nice post , but as a biased LGB fan (snob) I would say that , and with the Kof up and rolling and good :bigsmile: lets hope the the future's bright and comes in a big red box:thumbup::thumbup:
 
:thumbup::bigsmile:
 
I'm not so sure about Marklins marketing.
I fancy a Christmas coach but in no way to I want an American box van to go with it.
How many out there want to buy their expensive RhB coaches in a four pack.
Going this way is not the best way to encourage sales.
 
dutchelm said:
How many out there want to buy their expensive RhB coaches ..............
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That's probably a more pertinent question.

£400 for a coach seems a bit extreme to me :-
 
Doesnt matter any bit to me anymore, at the new prices they are asking, I am priced out completely. I could buy highly detailed brass models from Accucraft for the prices they are asking, mind you, not that I can afford Accucraft any more than LGB... :impatient:
 
Cheeky Monkey said:
Quote 'LGB is the greatest garden railway'

To know it is to love it.
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Not sure I love it, but I do admire it *but cannot afford it!).

Mick
 
My G scale collection is now mostly LGB but I wouldn't say I can buy with the confidence I did five years ago due to numerous quality control issues. Between Neil and I there's not been one item from the Marklin stable that didn't have a fault. Bits fallen off like handrails, very stiff wheelsets on two coaches, failed sound unit on a Ge4/4 and the airpipes on the RhB flat that didn't have the locating dimples even moulded in so we had to drill out the end of the pipes.
So you aren't going to see a glowing report everywhere because things have slipped although I am grateful that they kept it going. Pricing these days would also unfortunately prohibit me from starting in LGB as it takes so long to afford enough to get a reasonable collection in what interests me. I also can't accept that there's not been a bit of brand profiteering added as their prices rose by 80% while the rest of the model train market has risen by 40-50%, is this because they had under priced to compete before the crash or trying to re-establish the brand?
 
The few shops I've spoken to have said they are not selling anywhere near the volumes of lgb that they used to. I have also had issues with quality and I feel that for the price and the fact it's no where near hi tech there is no excuse for quality issues. I'm glad they are back but it's still not a brand I buy into and never will. Re the pricing aristro have shot up in price as well. It's good for the hobby they are back but feel marklin look at lgb as a low volume high end brand, and in my eyes it isn't.
 
Cheeky Monkey said:
Secondly I don't think anyone would regard LGB as a high volume low end mass market product.
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I wouldn't disagree with this, but I think that the Stainz starter sets came close in the Lehmann days and look at how many of us were drawn into the hobby (and LGB) as a result? I think that Marklin would do well to remember that.
 
I think it's great the Marklin seemed to have turned the corner and LGB looks to be very much back on the up. But it is just becomming too costly.

The beauty of LGB was that it got folks into large scale and out into the garden for a reasonable financial outlay, I no longer think that this is the case and that's a shame. How do we attract new folks and youngsters into the hobby if they/their parents simply can't afford it.
 
3Valve said:
The beauty of LGB was that it got folks into large scale and out into the garden for a reasonable financial outlay, [style="color: #000080;"]I no longer think that this is the case and that's a shame.
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Steve,
as far as I am concerned that was true for me FIVE years ago. Had LGB been the only choice then I certainly would not be a large scaler today. I have Bachmann Big Hauler stock and Annies to thank for my initial start in the hobby. I laid Aristo track and have only bought Aristo stock since. I now have as much as I need - too much 'er indoors often says. :bigsmile:
 
Had LGB since the late 60's;....the days of "growler" locos, the Primus range, and ally track (locos from £17) LGB does what it says on the tin. But since the Marklin takeover quality remains an issue;... the new company must get it right. Alyn
 
Cheeky Monkey said:
I don't think anyone would regard LGB as a high volume low end mass market product.
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Agreed - but the LGB I started out with in the 1990s had the ToyTrain sub-brand for that very purpose. Otto and the "shortie" wagons were just perfect for getting youngsters (and oldies like me!) into G Scale. Cheap, but not shoddy. In 1998, ToyTrain vans & wagons were priced (in France) at 60% of the "mainstream" DR boxvan.

Lets not forget too that there's a serious quantity of second-hand LGB stuff out there. In many ways, LGB is now having to sell against its own brand. Yes, a tribute to quality and longevity, but also a reminder that prices of new items have to be realistic. Every LGB item I have bought since 2005 has been second-hand stuff, most commonly in recent times from German or UK eBay. The new items are simply not good value in my perception.
 
the market will decided what sells, be it top end quallity, mild off the road ,or cheap and chearfull... you pays your money. you make your choices..
 
mike said:
the market will decided what sells, be it top end quallity, mild off the road ,or cheap and chearfull... you pays your money. you make your choices..
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Mike , I agree if you look at the Brawa loco and coaches/ wagons , not many people complained about the price (as I remember), only about the bits falling off and in the end Brawa knocked it on the head , as the unit sales didn't cover the start up cost. Fair play to them they have gone into the O gauge market with some wagons that look rather nice I.M.H.O
 
yb281 said:
Cheeky Monkey said:
Secondly I don't think anyone would regard LGB as a high volume low end mass market product.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't disagree with this, but I think that the Stainz starter sets came close in the Lehmann days and look at how many of us were drawn into the hobby (and LGB) as a result? I think that Marklin would do well to remember that.
Click to expand...
Mel , nail hammer head , still remember it was at one of the model railway exhibitons in London at the royal horticultural halls in westminister at easter , being a lazy council worker we used to get the extra day's holiday and I had to take the wife :( and I was looking for the bachmann branchline class 2 tank loco and Kim said to me 'that looks cute' and it was a stainz on a circle of track , the set was £85 . Job done.
 
spurs123 said:
yb281 said:
Cheeky Monkey said:
Secondly I don't think anyone would regard LGB as a high volume low end mass market product.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't disagree with this, but I think that the Stainz starter sets came close in the Lehmann days and look at how many of us were drawn into the hobby (and LGB) as a result? I think that Marklin would do well to remember that.
Click to expand...
Mel , nail hammer head , still remember it was at one of the model railway exhibitons in London at the royal horticultural halls in westminister at easter , being a lazy council worker we used to get the extra day's holiday and I had to take the wife :( and I was looking for the bachmann branchline class 2 tank loco and Kim said to me 'that looks cute' and it was a stainz on a circle of track , the set was £85 . Job done.
Click to expand...
Exactly mate. Lehmann probably lost money selling starter sets at that price, but how much have we spent on LGB stuff since then? .............................. No, don't answer that! :rolf::rolf::rolf::rolf:
 
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