Golden Spike(d)

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UK/US/ROW steam narrow gauge railways 1:1
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Following a thread on another LS forum this came to my attention Golden Spike Steam Locomotive Set | Märklin

From the people who brought you the £4K snow blower. Predictably, available from a certain UK retailer at a cost of £9,000. A snip at the price. But deliverable after the ceremony is long gone and past. Nothing like cashing in on a momentous event. Hey ! Where's my Archie commemorative G1 BR Mk1 Royal Train coach ? (No point spending the money on new tooling for a MkIII) Max


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While LGB (ok Märklin if you must) is looking to maximise revenue by offering the Collector Set. I could see some logic in the future if using the moulds to offer nice basic Engine to match the end of an era before the 2-6-0’s started to appear. A nice subtle Black would fit the bill nicely perhaps in D&RGW Livery to match the LGB Offerings. Would make a nice addition to anyone with such a Small Line US setup.
 
I can't see LGB being able to produce a "budget" 4-4-0 from how this is tooled, especially with Bachmann already inhabiting that market. Surprised now you mention it Jon that Bachmann missed that trick with their existing 4-4-0. Hmm, cost of legal rights to use logos associated with the event ?

Bachmann 2-6-0 Centennial £100 (NIB 10 years ago), Cat, Ezzie, priceless (2nd hand FOC 30 years ago) Max

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dunnyrail said:
While LGB (ok Märklin if you must) is looking to maximise revenue by offering the Collector Set. I could see some logic in the future if using the moulds to offer nice basic Engine to match the end of an era before the 2-6-0’s started to appear. A nice subtle Black would fit the bill nicely perhaps in D&RGW Livery to match the LGB Offerings. Would make a nice addition to anyone with such a Small Line US setup.
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I believe that the locos in this set are all metal (brass and steel), so there will be no plastic moulds to re-use.... at least, for Nine Grand I would HOPE they're not plastic! :eek:

Jon.
 
Zerogee said:
I believe that the locos in this set are all metal (brass and steel), so there will be no plastic moulds to re-use.... at least, for Nine Grand I would HOPE they're not plastic! :eek:

Jon.
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For that I'd expect them to be 1:1 scale too
 
Sadly, if you have a Bachmann ANYTHING in 20.3 scale, you have a collector's item. Now that Riley has gone, there is no driving force in Bachmann's operation to engender any new models in that scale.

They arrived back in '99 with a crash - the wondrous two-truck Shay - at that time THE most complicated mass-produced model railroad locomotive ever made, and went on to produce some great locos and cars to suit. I have six of their beautiful 20.3 scale locos and I'm dreading the day that they become shelf queens from lack of spares.

Back to the LGB models - can't quite figure out who REALLY made them. After the disastrous co-operation with Aster, culminating in a recall for many of the first couple of hundred White Pass mikados for a transmission rebuild [I had three, two went back the Lehmann, and the last one I still have], I'm betting that these locos were actually made in Hongpan, like most mass-produced large scale stuff is these days - even Kiss.

But £9000?

Gimme a break.
 
Also, I believe these are 'models' of the rebuilds used in the centenial ceremony?

Would be nice if they were models of the original loco's, perhaps? :nerd::think::think:

As for the genuine, copy, plastic(?) golden-spike! :rolleyes::shake::shake::shake:
 
PhilP said:
........As for the genuine, copy, plastic(?) golden-spike! :rolleyes::shake::shake::shake:
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As I understand it the replica spike is cast metal, and gold-plated.

I don't think these sets are aimed at the likes of us for a moment. They will sell, I guess, to the sort of folks who already have a couple of Ferraris in their garage(s), and to whom nine grand is pocket change.... the "1%" of Garden Railway hobbyists! :eek:

Jon.
 
As you say - the kind of 'railway people' who have a few Fine Art trains on the shelves of their 'train house'.

Hold on a minute there!!! I, too, have a 'train house'! Trouble is, me and Mrs tac also live in it...
 
I'm coming to the party :devil::devil:

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Bought for a song as a grottily weathered all black non-runner >:)>:)>:)
 
I'll have you know our Mr Rhino is it bit of a chorister.. - Though I have not heard a performance.
 
It will look nice on the LGB/Marklin CEO's office wall.
What, prey tell, would be the magic scale? Would a serious museum quality collector pay such exorbitant prices for an inaccurate gummy scale?
Surely you get to be fussy for that amount of money. :nod:
 
Paradise said:
It will look nice on the LGB/Marklin CEO's office wall.
What, prey tell, would be the magic scale? Would a serious museum quality collector pay such exorbitant prices for an inaccurate gummy scale?
Surely you get to be fussy for that amount of money. :nod:
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Collectors do odd things
 
I can't see LGB being able to produce a "budget" 4-4-0 from how this is tooled, especially with Bachmann already inhabiting that market.
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The Bachmann 4-4-0 is a model of a narrow gauge engine. The 2 in the LGB set are standard gauge - they'd probably look quite small sitting next to the Bachmann. However, who knows if LGB made them "to scale". They could be 1/29th or even 1/26th!

Rumor has it that they are selling out fast over here, mostly to museums. Which makes sense - a complete commemorative set that you don't have to commission from a model-maker.
 
Fred2179G said:
The Bachmann 4-4-0 is a model of a narrow gauge engine. The 2 in the LGB set are standard gauge - they'd probably look quite small sitting next to the Bachmann. However, who knows if LGB made them "to scale". They could be 1/29th or even 1/26th!

Rumor has it that they are selling out fast over here, mostly to museums. Which makes sense - a complete commemorative set that you don't have to commission from a model-maker.
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I suppose you can't expect museums to worry about accuracy :D:D:D
 
This was my "Golden Spike" ceremony in 2009, the joining of two continents :D

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Rhinochugger said:
I suppose you can't expect museums to worry about accuracy :D:D:D
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I don't quite understand what you are suggesting? Isn't the product an accurate scale model? [Ah - you are being cynical about the scale, as I was!]
Does anyone know if it is 1/32nd scale? I would imagine a museum would be very concerned about accurate scale!
 
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