This continues (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.
Left: from left Wolfgang Richter, Klaus Baumann, Eberhard Richter presenting the very first LGB model of an American Mogul steam loco. It was to become a successful model (train). (about 1983)
- GBP: It stands out that many of the very early LGB models had Austrian archetypes just contrary to today. Did it coincide with the fact that Wolfgang Richter liked to vacation in Austria?
- H.-Jürgen Neumann: I don't think so. Back then in preparation for production when they were researching suitable archetypes they quickly came across the "Stainz". Even as an archetype she was just lovable and her proportions were typical for narrow gauge scale. And there were several similar locomotives, so they put 3 different types into their (initial manufacturing) program. By the way, there are currently some LGB collectors who collected all Stainz locos and their 'siblings'. I believe my LGB friend Gerd Buerger is pretty complete in this (regard)... Other than that there are just a lot of train lines in Austria: Zillertal line, Steiermärkische Landesbahn line, Salzkammergut Local Line, Pinzgauer Local Line, Murtal Line, Steyrtalbahn Line, Local Line Mitznix St. Erhard just to name a few. And back then for starters there were smaller engines on offer. Big Swiss locomotives and long coaches wouldn't have been technically possible at that time not even mentioning DB-Standard Gauge-Coaches.
- GBP: In 1987 the subsidiary LGBoA was established mainly to provide a local service station for the North American market namely the LGB fan. Later a distribution center was added and the location was at beautiful San Diego on the West Coast in California. Every year Wolfgang Richter spent several weeks over there and the rumor went that he wanted to retire there especially since he loved the American way of live. The first general manager in San Diego was Rudi Enners, born in Düsseldorf, who actually moved there. He once said that the mild climate over there literally presented him with 10 additional years of his life. Does Wolfgang Richter regret not to have moved there?
- H.-Jürgen Neumann: It is correct that he always liked the American way of life. Shortly after the war (WWII) he worked for the US-Army Administration in Munich where he experienced and liked their casual and straightforward way. Regarding our joint friend Rudi Enners he didn't have any more family (to take care of) when he moved to San Diego. Wolfgang Richter's roots in Germany and Nuremberg were different then. So he was commuting a bit between those worlds and those cultures. He did not want to completely break away from his German home front. And even after leaving his post of CEO and turning it over to his son about ten years ago he still was engaged in making decisions within the LGB factory and wanted to bring his experience to the table. Plus asking 'what if ' in light of present-day-events is moot
- GBP: Temporarily, allegedly San Diego (LGBoA) received up to two freight containers per day from Nuremberg being distributed to wholesalers and dealers. The American LGB-Club had several thousand members at one time. And Europeans who went to their yearly conventions could only admire wondrously the range of dimensions that took place in all kinds of areas. However, there were a lot of competing products. Unlike in Europe some suppliers of G-Scale models were already manufacturing in China and thus could offer them at low price. They weren't very pleased about this in Nuremberg where they?
- H.-Jürgen Neumann: "competition is good for business" as the proverb says. But when a company finds out that their products are copied on an identical scale then you are pretty annoyed. That's when LGB had to take action in full force against plagiarism. Then again, nice products by other manufacturers appeared on the market. Series were made especially for the American market that were very well accepted and sold in huge numbers due to the size of the American market. of course production capacity was limited in Nuremberg in regard to new models and building their molds. Somehow I have the feeling they didn't remain at the wheel. But it is moot to ask now why they came up with the 20th edition of a Mogul or Mikado instead of a new K 27. Mistakes were made and they overestimated their own market power. That led to the rise of their competition.+++++stop on page 16++++to be continued+++
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