Regarding Status Of LGB

Here are answers t some of the most frequently asked questions...

What about LGB repairs, parts and customer service?

We have learned that Märklin, Inc., New Berlin, Wisconsion wil provide marketing and product/technical suppoort to Walthers and the North American market.

For more information contact:

Brenda Hensleigh, Marketing Coordinator Märklin, Inc. P.O Box 510559 New Berlin, WI 53151 (800) 321-8811

Kevin Copsey, V.P. of Sales Wm. K. Walthers, Inc. 5601 W. Florist Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53218 (800) 487-2467

The published contact info for the LGB division of Märklin is:

Gebr. Märklin & Cie, GmbH

Betriebsstaette Nuemberg (LGB)

Witschelstasse 104

D-90431 Nuernberg Germany

Phone: +49 (0) 911 83707-0

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

 

What happend to LGB?

          Ernst Paul Lehmann Patentwerk, the maker of LGB trains, filed for bankruptcy in late 2006. In mid 2007, Lehmann's remaining assets were acquired by Gebr. Märklin & Cie, GmbH of Göppingen, Germany.

          The Lehmann facility in Nürnberg, Germany is now effectively closed. Märklin has resumed some very limited production of LGB products, with some contract production in China and some production in Hungary. No LGB products have been produced for distribution to North America. No American-prototype LGB trains have been produced at all since Märklin assumed ownership.

 

 

What happended to LGB of America?

 

          LGB of America (LGBoA) was "spun off" as a separate company from Lehmann in mid 2006. For almost two years, the LGBoA team continued to provide parts, service and support for LGB products, but with no new LGB production available, LGBoA’s supply of critical LGB repair parts was rapidly depleted.

          Under those circumstances, LGBoA clearly could not continue normal operations, and it stopped providing LGB service in mid 2008. LGBoA’s remaining inventory of LGB products (considerable quantities of new-in-the-box merchandise) was purchased by Silvergate Distributors. LGB products currently available from Silvergate can be seen at Silvergate Distributors Inc.

          LGBoA is now closed, and the rights to the LGB name and LGB distribution have been acquired by Märklin.

 

What is Silvergate?

          Silvergate Distributors is an independent, American-owned company offering a growing family of fine hobby and toy products to its retailers. It is not a subsidiary or "daughter firm" of any other company. It is not connected to Lehmann or any of Lehmann’s previous owners.

          Silvergate distributes numerous brand lines of products – including PIKO, Bridgewerks, Hillman’s RailClamps and Schuco – and the list of those products is growing. Along with those many thousands of unique products, Silvergate is currently distributing some remaining inventory of existing LGB products, which Silvergate purchased from LGBoA.

          Silvergate Distributors does have its own "sister company", Silvergate Manufacturing, which manufactures some proprietary hobby products and also offers custom services for the installation of sound systems and decoders in model trains.

 

 

What does all this mean for G-Scale trains and the garden railroading hobby?

 

         Although the loss of Lehmann is very sad for the “LGB family,” G-scale trains and garden railroading are as appealing as ever. As a result, companies like PIKO are rapidly expanding their G-scale product programs to meet the needs of American G-scale fans.

 

 

 (C) 2008 Silvergate Distributors, Inc.  The Silvergate Distributors name and logos are registered marks of Silvergate Distributors, Inc.  Other names and marks are the property of their owners.