LGB Streetcars until 2006

 Starting in 1977 to offer the first LGB streetcar, a European type, LGB built/offered a total of 35 (!) streetcar (varieties) including five 'types' of rail cars, and passenger cars. Below are the LGB numbers in numerical then historical listing (first year of publication), followed by a detailed description w/image. Italicize numbers indicate Märklin/LGB production 

2035 (1977), 2035-1, 2035-2/5,
2035 AU (1978)
2035 CT  (1995)
2036 ( 1978) 2036-1, 2036-2/3
2065 (1980)
2066 (1981) - "Anteater"
20202 (1990)
20202 CT (1995)
20355 (1992)
20380 (2004)
20390 (2002), 20390-1/2
20660 (1993)
21355 (1996)
21360 (2002)
21382 (2004)                                             
21390 (2005)                                             
21392 (2005)                                                
21393 (2005)                                                   
21650 (2000)                                         
21660 (1998)                                      
22355 (2000)
22357 (2006)
22382 (2004)
22390 (2008)
22660 (2003)
23355 (2006)
23360 (2011)
23390 (2009)
23660 (2010)
24355 (2006), 24355-1/2
24380 (2005)
24390 (2011)
27380 announced for 2006, never manufactured - Coca Cola design not approved
3500 (1977), 3500 AU
3600 SU (1979)
35005 (2006)
and
Special Editions # 1988 (1988) and # 1988 KE (1992), #21000 (2010)
 

We have included the rail car series 2065 ff and  2066 ff since both were no trains but originally made for local public transportation between suburbs or villages to the city or county seat.
 

LGB manufactured the very first street car # 2035 in 1977. It was built/offered in this version until 1991.

The LGB # 2035 is a 2-axle motorized street car, base in black. Lower body housing in yellow with black decorative lines and yellow crimp. Upper part in white with 4 windows w/brown deco frames. Roof in gray imbued plastic with removable 'billboards', revolving direction boards and round board for line number. Pantograph in red, embossed LGB logo on long side. Lights change according to driving direction and a plug for the trolley lighting. It came with a conductor and 2 passengers. The archetype of this street car was one very prominent and often utilized in German cities up until the late 1960's.
These first AEG/Siemens type street cars were built and operated first in Berlin in the late 1890's and then in quick succession built and/or operated in all bigger German cities from Hamburg, Hannover, Bremen, Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Nuremberg to Munich. Yours Truly and Your Famous Klaus both rode in versions of them as children.
 

The 2035 street car was initially sold for DEM 275.00 which equals roughly
US$92.00 in 1977 or about US$155.00 today. Market value of this very early street car is around US$250.00 today.
 

The 1977 catalog also offered the # 3500 trolley car in the same color scheme to accompany the #2035.

 

The # 3500 was not motorized and served as a pure passenger car. It came with 2 figurines
Today's value ranges around US$90.00. Both, the actual street car 2035 and the trolley car # 3500 are beginning to show on the 'estate' market. Note that every year the #2035 was offered there were slight changes to the original version: details were decreasing and in the end the LGB loco was not embossed anymore. The color scheme for the wheels changed over time as did the color for the roof. "Newer" models that are sometimes marked with 2035-2 to 2035-5 are less valuable if only marginal.
 

Two special editions were made: The # 2035 AU which was painted in red above the yellow original color scheme. Only 150 were made and sold only in Austria.
 

The other one was made in 1995 LGB # 2035 CT as a specialty model for the 17th annual MRRC meeting in 1995 in Collinsville, IL. Limited edition of 300.
 

With the same 1977 LGB catalog a red street car model, LGB # 2036, was announced for the next year 1978. It is also a 2-axle motorized street car. Chassis black with lower body in red with yellow decorative lines, black crimping. Upper body white, gray imbued roof removable 'billboards' along the long roof sides. Revolving direction boards and round board for line number. Pantograph in red, embossed LGB logo on long side. Lights change according to driving direction and a plug for the trolley lighting. It came with a conductor and 2 passengers. Shifts between aerial line and lower line, rear lights without function, rectangular hook and metal spring (which was changed in later models to a plastic spring). It was built/offered until 1984. The red streetcar had only three windows and an open conductor platform in front and back.  As with the Yellow 2035 version the two later versions (2036-2 and 2036-3) showed lesser detailed workmanship.

A matching trolley car was also offered starting 1978 /announced in 1977, LGB # 3600. It also features the open conductor platform, 3 windows and the matching color scheme. Today's value is on a roller coaster with prices ranging from US$45 to US$100.00.

 In 1981 LGB introduced the Wismar Diesel Rail Car(s) with the twin rail cars LGB # 2065 and LGB # 2066, aka the "Anteater".

The #2065 is a twin set of railcars, both motorized, chassis black, lower  housing in red, upper housing in beige with circular black+light-beige lining. Roof light gray. Labeled "VT 2065" above the first window and "Raucher" (Smoking) and "Nichtraucher" (Non-Smoking) above each number "2"; both cars electrically aligned, directional headlight control, "EAV" (electronic start delay).
Price in 1981 was DEM 690.00 (was US$240.00) which is  equivalent to US$680.00 in today's money.  Market value is  below that value as of 05/2019, even in mint condition.
 

The LGB 2066 or "Anteater" is a 2-axle Diesel rail car with a front end motor on both ends. Chassis, baggage cage and bumper in black, housing in red/light beige, circular black+light beige lining, roof silver grey, labeled "VT 2065" and "T/41" and "DEV" on the chassis, directional headlight control, top lighting 3x white, back lights 2x red,  "EAV" (electronic start delay), loco wheels in black. Price in 1981 was DEM 415.-- (or US$145.00 in 1981) equals US# 390.00 in today's value. Market value for the collector is around US$300.00.
 

The same model was released again in 1993 with the LGB # 20660.
 

LGB 20202 was first built in 1990. Its archetype was the Siemens Streetcar from 1914 operated in various German cities. This streetcar set contains the motorized car and a non-motorized trailer car, color is blue (lower part) and beige, pantograph in red. Less than 2000 were made of this model. Current collector's value in mint condition is about US$500.00

 

Then in 1995 LGB made about 200 of the  LGB 20202 CT, an uncatalogued specialty model for the 17th Annual MRRC Meeting in Collinsville, CT.
 

Both models are starting to come on to the market. The CT set has a collector's value of about US$700.00 Depending on how much historic value is put on those MRRC meetings and their specialty series made for them, this collector's value may either increase slightly or fall sharply.
 

In 1992 LGB took the European/German   street car model and painted it in a Christmas scheme offering it as the LGB 20355. It was made for the US market only in a limited edition of 750 sets. The set included the motorized street car and the identical looking trailer. The roof side boards show "SEASON GREETINGS" and the car and trailer display Christmas motives. These sets have come onto the market recently for resale and have sold below market/ collector's value which should be around US$400.00  
 

    In 1996 LGB took another approach to market the German Streetcar and made another streetcar set, named the "ELECTRISCHE STRASSENBAHN WEIMAR 3" LGB # 21355.  Power pickup by Lyra hanger,  directional light change, color scheme was green/beige. It originally sold for DEM 720.00 and has an approximate market value of US$500.00 today.
 

In 1998 LGB marketed the green/yellow LGB # 21660 Anteater in a limited edition of 500. especially made for and sold only within the specialty shop line "Idee + Spiel", it was never published in a  LGB catalog. They are hard to find in the USA and are often named the "Jagermeister Rail Car". Expect  a price range of US$750.00 for mint condition.
 

In 2000 LGB issued the # 21650 VT 133 2-axle Diesel bus as a Twin-Rail-Car DRline. Color scheme was black chassis, red-beige housing w/black line, roof dark gray,directional light change. Sales price was DEM 799.00 or US$649.99.
 

In 2000 LGB also issued the  LGB# 22355 trolley set w/ tower work car. Chassis, doors and roof in black, pantograph in red, superstructure in grey, white-red-white line is printed on, interface, directional light change.
It was initially sold for US$540.00 and has a market value of about US$450.00 to 500.00 today.

 The LGB 2003 catalog presented the  LGB # 20390, the Bernina Rail Car. It was the 4-axle electric rail car ABe 4/4 of the Rhatian Line. Pilot in black, housing in red, doors, roof and roof structures in silver grey, 2 motors, directional light change, built-in decoder, driver's cab and passenger area furnished, labeling: "32" (front) and "1" / "RhB"/"2" on sides. The 2004 version continued with No."34".
 

The year 2003 also saw the special edition of the LGB # 21360, the Cologne Street car w/ open platform, issued to honor the 100th anniversary of the Cologne Street Car Corp. Chassis and roof in grey, Lyra power pick-up, housing greenish with golden labeling (BAHNEN DER STADT KöLN / "438"/ Cologne's city arms) and trimming, directional light change.Expect prices of US$550.00 to $600.00
 

The LGB catalog 2003 offered another Anteater with the LGB # 22660. The archetype was the  2-axle rail car VT 133 525. It came with a decoder. 3 x top light with directional light change white/red.
Price range today is between US$500.00 and $550.00
 

It took LGB until 2004 to offer various American Street Car types. The LGB# 20380 or New Orleans car is a 4-axle truck motor streetcar with black chassis and green housing, roof light grey with 2 pantographs /power pick-ups. 2 motors, directional light change, decoder (digital). First published in the 2006 catalog the collector's market remains hot for this beauty and prices range around US$700.00. Expect increasing values.

Another great example is the LGB # 21382,New York Street car, technical data as above with the # 20380 but color scheme in black chassis and red/beige housing, grey roof.
 

Prices are around US$600-$800 and rising for digital-no sound and up to US$900 for versions with sound decoder.
 

The 2004 catalog saw the 22383 Christmas Streetcar, technical data as the 21382.  Expect to pay prices beyond US$650.00.
 

Also in 2006 the LGB # 24380 was presented - the "Chicago Surface Lines". Technical data is equivalent to # 20380. Current collector's prices range between US$750 to $850.00
 

For questions, ordering or installations (sound, digitizing etc) call Klaus at 770-886-6670 or email at klaus@traincraftbyklaus.com

slide show with streetcar images to follow mostly in order of publishing date