The LGB Collector -- A Life Time Story Part 5

The following is a translation of "The LGB Collector", an article by H.-Jürgen Neumann from Spring 2006. Mr. Neumann published it in his own IIm-Online News web page. You can read the original article  at http://www.lgb-much.de/20406.pdf and use a Google translation or similar. To avoid mixing-ups in context with Yours Truly you will find "(HJN)", the abbreviation for H.-Jürgen Neumann,  in places were the original author refers to himself since the article is about his lifelong journey being a dyed-in-the-wool LGB fan.

In 1975 I moved back into my parent's house in Wuppertal, the city of my original upbringing. A garden shed was part of that property which I annexed instantly for my LGB purposes. There I established my first real layout on a plywood board. The LGB Depesche published photos in issue 31/32. Accessories at hand at that time are clearly recognizable. A train station and a freight shed by "Lindberg", loco shed, small freight shed and platforms by "Preiser" (who unfortunately did not continue with their product program). The ramps are by "Kibri" , they are displayed on the upper photo on the right. An oldtimer car by "Schuco" (which is now owned by the same people who now own LGB) is waiting at the railway crossing gate.

Top: View onto the first 'real' LGB layout. behind the turntable is the loco shed by Preiser
Middle: Lindberg- train station already w/ several  upgrade accessories. In front the platform by Preiser
Bottom: Small freight shed by Preiser on left. The train station lamps deliver a romantic light.

I won runner-up with this layout at a LGB at a LGB photo-competition! Again, the LGB Depesche reported about this see magazine # 35 from 1978, pages 18 to 21. By then the "Lindberg" trainstation was replaced by the 'Kleinbach' by "POLA", also a lineman shed by POLA, a coal silo and a small crane by HMB as well as many added LGB locomotives and cars.

clockwise from top left: the green "Waldenburg" steam loco waits at the platform. View of the train station area with BW-in the back a 2080 w passenger cars is approaching. Layout plan of the new LGB layout in the garden shed. The new OBB Diesel loco 2095 at work- in the front a little platform shed deriving from as loco shed addition by Preiser. The "Kleinbach' train station by POLA, the  wonderful old timer structure was something special back then;look closely and you can see a lot of additional accessories! Mr. Speedy hurries to the (POLA) train station to take the Fiery Eli into the city nearby.

In 1979 I moved from Wuppertal to Much. I worked in Cologne at that time and wanted to built a home-house. Via the "Koelner Stadtanzeiger" (Cologne newspaper) I found a piece of land in Much -until that time unbeknownst to me - about 30 (car) minutes from Cologne. The property measures 1,200 square-meter (roughly 1/4 acre) and would have been non-affordable within Cologne city limits. Right-away I told my architect that I needed a train-basement. So he planned a basement room covering the complete length and width of the house : 11 yards by 5 yards. But it took another 5 years until I could start building my layout. First, this room got used as storage room right after moving in and then I had other things to do, landscaping my backyard and other chores.

clockwise from top: atmospheric shot in the depot.- On the right the drive-up ramp by Kibri, dense housing with several buildings and a small crane - Coal silo (on right side in photo) by HMB made out of wood.- Drive-up ramp by Kibri (in front) behind that the gatekeeper shed by POLA.