I.M. Wolfgang Richter - Part 7

This concludes (a series of) an article/interview that was first printed in the  German magazine  "GARTENBAHN profi" , issue 1/2009, pages 12 through 18. You can also go to www.gartenbahnprofi.de and download this article then utilizing a translator from your Google or Internet explorer service. In remembering Wolfgang Richter, the co-founder of LGB (Lehmann Gartenbahn) who passed away in November 2012 at the age of  84, this German article was published again by GARTENBAHN profi as a download. Italic text in parentheses is background information about related topics in the article.

GBP: I would like to come back to the problems of the model train industry that we talked about in the beginning. Of course on one hand we have the continuous decrease in demand. But then we also have the problem with manufacturers and dealers where there are only very few left who represent that 'blood,sweat and tears' responsibility who have difficulties sensing those inner desires of their customers. And then we just had immense price increases in the last years. " Kids and young people have to be recruited for the hobby" they say. If  a loco comes with the same price tag as your laptop then you know what  young people want and what the parents are willing to spend.
H.Jürgen Neumann: Basically you're right. That's just what I think, too. But it is a more complex problem. For a while they tried to convince (the market) with the label ' Made in Germany'. You know just as well that they demand everything without wanting to pay for it. And be reminded that the reasonably-priced 'Lehmann' and 'Toytrain' product-line was made for this very target group, the young. Regarding pricing I think they should have better focused on how much the model trainer was able and willing to pay. They wanted to 'adjust the screw' with the eXtra-Shop and - staying with this image- they twisted it. People were disgruntled and turned away. They overrated themselves well and truly at Lehmann.
GBP: What could they have done differently? Give me an example what you would have done differently.
H.Jürgen Neumann: My thesis always was to utilize the old molds of the classic engines of the early years to offer really well-priced rolling stock. These molds hat made their money long ago; they were sort of pitching themselves. I know he who has to decide a lot makes a lot of mistakes. At Lehmann there were too many mistakes made in production planning which is simply not comprehensible. And before you're asking: Adding standard gauge models to their product range means taking the wrong turn in my opinion; that's when they digressed from their straight line.
GBP: Well, you know the reason for that. They said they were running out of narrow gauge archetypes for models that were in strong demand.
H.Jürgen Neumann: That's not the way I see it.  Narrow gauge is just better suited for ever smaller back yards. Who has space for high-speed trains? I think it was a mistake. And to move manufacturing to China I think was an even bigger mistake. Just think about recognizable differences in quality and delays in delivery that resulted from that.
GBP: Mr. Neumann, we could go on like this for hours. Let me end by returning to the cause of this interview: the beginning and the heyday(s) of LGB in their first 20 years (after WWII from 1960's to the late 80's). We were reviewing these times over the span of 6 magazine issues and gave a pretty good insight into the founding years and the 'Golden years' of LGB. There happened a lot in the next 20 years, too but that story has to be written in years to come.   Wolfgang Richter turned 80 in 2008 and we want to congratulate him belated. I'd like to thank him on behalf of the readers of the GartenBahn-Profi Magazine for his achievements. His model train hobby delivered lots of fun to people. Mr. Neumann thank you for this interview.
H.Jürgen Neumann: My pleasure. I enjoyed talking to you about Wolfgang Richter and LGB. I am sending my greetings especially to Wolfgang Richter : stay healthy, lots of success for your future plans and take care!

Honoring Klaus Baumann  (center) at the Modell Hobby Spiel- fair in Leipzig in 2003. Klaus Baumann was the longtime General Manager Public Relations for EPL Patent Plant (the LGB name before LGB was EPL Patentwerk for Ernst Paul Lehmann who founded the factory in Berlin in 1881)Left: Gerhard Bayer, Chairman of the Federal Association of German RailRoadFriends -BDEF- awarding Klaus Baumann the Golden Pin for his achievements in the model train(industry). This was a recognition for Wolfgang Richter (right) as well in regard to the significance of LGB(trains).