Well it is hard to say. One hand, yeah LGB/Marklin screwed there people over, like you. You have supported them by purchasing there product for years. Have you seen a rise in price of them?
Now, what is MTH going to do..... Are WE Safe?
Toad
Remember the Veterans. Past, present and future.
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Proud New Member Of The NRA
well I might seem like a sales rep (I'm not!) but I like telling people how good the features are on MTH products. I was leaning toward O scale but could never get used to three rail. I think if you like what you've seen on MTH products, you will be happy with their quality. I still am impressed the most by the steam engine's smoke system and I'm a diesel nut. I just ran four diesels pulling 30+ cars and it took seconds to create a new consist lashup. One engine would have worked but I like the look of power! The MTH control system upgrades for free!
I also believe there are plenty of people running LGB that will buy your equipment. Are you running on MTS digital? How do you like it? Do you run on regular dc? Is it track power? It sounds like you have an awful lot of equipment. I run the rolling stock brands that I previously purchased with the MTH engines. Next I'm going to try a conversion of another brand engine to dcs. You can start on regular DC but it sounds like you will run alot of equipment and you should go with their (MTH) control system.
I am going to hold on to my meager LGB collection until they no longer run.
However, I have been considering MTH. I have one MTH O scale set that I am very pleased with and I am considering going with MTH going forward. I have two MTH freight cars that are very nice. I am confused on their loco's though. Do they only run on their proprietary digital system or can they run on analog?
I may have missed something here, but why do you need to get rid of any of your LGB? I have equipment from just about every manufacturer, (except MTH and LIONEL) because I have a limited budget and only buy what suits my era and locale. BUT, I have found that LGB is the best of the lot for quality. I have never needed spare parts for LGB locos, in the 20 odd years I have been running outdoors, and some of my LGB locos are that old! By comparison, my Bachmann Shay needed a new set of bogies within a year of being bought new. My Climax has needed re-wiring to be reliable, etc etc.
Apart from the coupler issue, I would keep your LGB and run it alongside other rollingstock which matches for size and style of your existing stock. Especially if you are running DC, like I do.
Mick
Chief Operating Officer
Northern Timber Company - Mt Beenak
I have only been in this hobby a short time compared to others. I have seen prices increase but then again so has my income. There are also some very competitive prices in the U.S. I mean, who pays full retail? Marklin will discover this fact soon enough. You have a good collection of reliable products, why sell them? Give this whole LGB/Marklin thing time to shake itself out. Dennis
As most, I started with LGB. I now love the MTH DCS system and I have 10 of there 1/32 locomotives. I have added DCS to 3 of my Aristo-Craft 1/29 locomotives and will do another.
BUT, a Big BUT, I have sold off most of my LGB as it looks TOO big next to MTH, Aristo-Craft, and USA Trains.
I now think we have two types of "G" gauge. 1/20, 1/22, and 1/24th Narrow Gauge (LGB, Bachmann, Hartland) and 1/29th, 1/32nd Scale Heavy Rail (Aristo-Craft, MTH, and USA Trains).
Don U. TCA 73-5735
If I can I'll try to answer some questions from my experience. The MTH G scale engines run on ac or dc in analog (conventional track power) fine. Under ac power you can access more features using the bell and whistle buttons on the transformer. Under MTH DCS you can power under ac or dc and each has some advantages in theory. I've heard ac travels farther so I went this route with a single 180 watt power brick, $75.00. I think if you have a good dc power source it would be equal but probably cost more, like bridgeworks. If you want to run some engines in conventional mode with dcs,the tiu has variable conections that can turn up or down track voltage to control engines that aren't DCS equiped. I think thats for ac engines only so please ask. I have also heard that each TIU has two channels but you run them both on ac or dc but not both.
I run larger radius curves with the larger steam engines (Challenger = r3 min curve)and usa cars because it looks and operates better. A MTH dash 8 will work on r1 curves. did I miss something else? Joe Paonessa
DMU in CT wrote about scales and I agree. Some bachman equipment that I have and seen seems to be very large like 1/20 or close. My two lgb box cars are similar in size to the aristo, and I still run them. I don't own their engines because of $, sticker shock! Couplers and coupler height are always the main problem I run into. I like KD, MTH, and Aristo. For some reason the USA coupler doesn't work well with others so I change them. They also seem to be mounted lower than most others on the market. I'm starting to like the stock MTH as they seem to be working reliably after 4 years now.
Do you have any issues with current draw on the Aristo or USA brand engine conversions?
LGBtrains1963 wrote:Here is my problem, I have been collecting LGB since 1986, I have 26 engines and over 200 cars, I went through Hurricane Katrina and did not lose any of them, but the rest of the year of 2005 and most of 2006 was a bust for me to purchase any more LGB items, shortly after that the whole LGB (Marklin takeover)thing started and as well as all of us know it still is going on and looks to go all the way to 2009, I now know that parts are going to be hard to get and service on them is going to also be hard to find and no new fresh products will be out there for us to buy also, it has made me start to think about selling my LGB's and to make the move to MTH Gauge 1.. What is your thoughts about this move from LGB to MTH. Let me know the pros and cons of this and would you do it? This will help me make up my mind on to sale or not.... Thanks, Mark
Hey Mark,
Well for starters, MTH markets a smaller engine overall that LGB, whereas they focus primarily on 1:32. I think it will be harder to find buildings accessories in this scale as oppossed to a larger scale like 1:20.3 or 1:22 etc...I also feel that running a MTH Triplex or Big boy for example would look silly next to larger narrow gauge.
Most of my engines are 1.20.3 scale and I have found this to be a more universal and enjoyable.My biggest challenge is trying to find a manufacturer who will produce a standard gauge engine in 1.20.3
Anyway - good luck
to Enginear,
The MTH "G" upgrade kits (Different for Steam and Diesel) for ProtoSound 2/DCS are based on twin mortored locomotives. No operational or current problems.
The MTH 6 wheel Diesel truck mounts a motor over the center axle with a steel worm on each end of the motor driving a bronze gear on axle 1 and 3.
The AristoCraft RS3 is twin motored so I mounted the Fly Wheel (from NWSL) on the motor shaft extending out of the gear box.
The Aristo -9 and SD45 are 6 axle diesels with 2 smaller motors per power truck. I removed one motor and mounted a Fly Wheel on a dummy motor shaft.
Hi Mark,
My worth here maybe.....With the way the economy in general seems to be going as of late, I'd go with the biggest bucks......That seems to be Mike at MTH.....He must'a had plenty of $$$$, to go up against the UP brass..... Their product line seems really nice to me also, mind you now, your asking for personal opinions here.....What would I do.... OK.
First off, I'd not be, TOOOOO quick, to get rid of all my LGB collection, if I were you.....especially if you have the $$$$$$, to buy new stock.
One thing about Mike's though, he doesn't offer much in the way of the line I have chosen, The Great Northern RR....But as already noted, the DCS system can be installed/up-graded, into most any other manufaturers product lines, so I am led to believe.......Haven't done any myself to date though.
That being understood than, I am seriously considering shifting everything of mine to the MTH, DCS system, I have just not fooled with it enough yet, to get it fully operational using the Stainless Steel Aristo track, as I do for now. I do intend to, and will eventually, get it all figured out though.......I'm a hands on person, and it's a bit hard for me to grasp reading about something only, and how to make it work.
So as I've said, to me, it looks like Mike has the $$$$$, and I don't think they will be going anywhere, to soon......Also, I might add, this GOOD little tid-bit of information.......I have had warranty dealings with the fine folks there at MTH, and you can't beat the way they handle things.....Anyway they have been great towards me, as well too, the folks at Aristo also.
So now you've gotten my .
Later, Byron C.
I would have thought Buckso whould have given us his !?
Buy PIKO.
How's that?
Bucksco wrote:Buy PIKO.How's that?
Aw, C'mon Jack. I bet you got a couple hundred of these in the warehouse you could give us a deal on -
-Brian
Was going to get this...but prices went way high, now stock on parts 0.
Now thoughts have went to
altterrain wrote: Bucksco wrote: Buy PIKO.How's that?Aw, C'mon Jack. I bet you got a couple hundred of these in the warehouse you could give us a deal on - -Brian
Bucksco wrote: Buy PIKO.How's that?
I'll keep this in mind this fall when your club is looking for showstock.
Let me relate a story about "Peanuts" trains. This past Christmas LGB of America received the remaining Peanuts Christmas boxcars from Nuernberg. Like a dummy I didn't buy one for my daughter's Peanuts train set while they were in the warehouse figuring "Hey all the dealers will have them for a while." Well I called just about every dealer I could think of and guess what? Not a single one to be had!
I had plenty of 50 foot boxcars, ACF tank cars, centerflow hoppers in all kinds of road names at dealers and in the warehouse but couldn't get a single Peanuts Christmas car- Go figure!
I want to thank everyone for there post on this subject, Well, after the post here I going to take a few months to look this over before I make a move and sell the LGB's... As far as the PIKO brand, Until they get U.S. models I will not purchase them, the PIKO track maybe? A lot of you have posted great info on the MTH's and they would seem to be the one brand I would buy if the LGB's are sold.. Toad, I have a track cleaning loco and like you said where do you get the parts (cleaning wheels) for this loco? I know there will be a scale change from 1:22.5 to 1:32 and some of my buildings will look out of place, I'll work that out as I go. What will give the green light for the sell of my LGB's is if Marklin does not try to do anything here in the states in the next few months.. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way! Again, Thanks for you thoughts and Happy Railroading..... Mark
LGBtrains1963 wrote: Toad, I have a track cleaning loco and like you said where do you get the parts (cleaning wheels) for this loco? Thanks for you thoughts and Happy Railroading..... Mark
Toad, I have a track cleaning loco and like you said where do you get the parts (cleaning wheels) for this loco?
Thanks for you thoughts and Happy Railroading..... Mark
Mark,
I do believe you can get most of the LGB, after-market, parts you might need from these folks in Cumming GA. here at Massoth Electronics. www.massoth.com PH: 770-886-6670
Byron C.
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