Home >> Hobbies >> Model Railroads

The History of LGB Trains

Eberhard and Wolfgang, the descendants of the original Ernst Paul Lehmann Patenwerk business owner, invented the LGB train. The design for LGB trains comes from the engineering of real trains. Legacy Station says that LGB trains are the best-selling trains in the world, and The Train Collectors Association says they are the highest sold garden railway train. LGB stands for Lehmann Gross Bahn, which translates into Lehmann's Big Train.

Origins
- The first LGB train came from Nurnburg, Germany, in 1968. The original toy-making company from 1881, Ernst Paul Lehmann Patenwerk of Brandenburg, Germany, still makes the LGB trains today, despite the East German government taking control of the company in 1948 and a move to West Germany. The trains now are made in Nurnburg, Germany, as well as San Diego, California, and New Jersey.
Trains
- LGB Trains manufactures different types of trains, but all come with a G-scale engine. According to The Train Collectors Association, the first LGB train was an Austrian make called "Stainz." The first American prototype train, "Mogul steam loco," was released in 1984 and, three years later, the San Diego branch opened.
Recent History
- In 2006, another German toy train company, Marklin, took control of LGB of America (LGBoA) so that LGB wouldn't have to file for bankruptcy. In June 2008, Silvergate Distributors took control of LGBoA. LGB trains still are sold in North America, but now they are sold by Silvergate Distributors.

Model Railroads