LGB in the USA -- 1985 -- Part 3

The following is a translation from "Spur II Nachrichten" ( 'Gauge 2 News) magazine No 2 December 1985. The magazine was published in Germany - in German only- from 1985 to 2005 by H-Jürgen Neumann .You have met Mr. Neumann through our previous articles. H.-Jürgen Neumann was the founder of one of the biggest and later the most influential LGB Club in Germany ;" Club der LGB Freunde Rhein/Sieg" ( LGB Club LGB Friends Rhein-Sieg). Mr. Neumann was contacted by Yours Truly in February 2013. He is doing very well and was truly happy to be contacted about LGB matters, again. Mr. H-Jürgen Neumann gave us permission to translate all previous articles from his magazines as well as those from his web site LGB Much. So come and join us through a ride through history, the LGB history from 1968 to 2005.Part 3 concludes this article by Dr. Baltzer about the very beginnings of LGB in the USA, quite some time before LGBoA was established.

In 1984 the US Dollar climbed to DEM 3.40 (it wobbles around Euro 1,30 for the last 2 years with comparable buying power ) which brought a solid price-reduction to the market situation for LGB products sold in USA; inspired seemingly by a positive economic background of the Reagan administration the US LGB fans got increasingly into shopping mood. LGB Scale was gaining so much ground that even the publisher of the Model Rail Roader believed he had to jump on that LGB train: Russ Larson condescended an editorial in the February 1984 issue of the MRR - " At The Throttle" -- all the while making it quite clear that while he would love to see articles coming in about G-Scale but regarding the minority role of it he wouldn't be able to publish that many articles.
The Big Train Operator Newsletter mirrored the increasing variety of G-Scale material. The published photos displayed increasingly Kalamazoo and real live-steam locos adjacent to LGB cars.
In 1983 The LGB Club due to changing into a non-profit chapter had to review and change their club by-laws. Triggered by the new members they wanted to change the club name to better represent other model train groups  (like 1-Gauge) . Behind the scenes Kalamazoo seemed to have engaged heavily into such a name change to do away with the ad-strong name of LGB - a German based company at that! That shipwrecked due to the club's 'Old-Timers'  leaving the official name at LGB Model Railroad Club.
The majority decision at the annual Club-Member Convention in Strassburg, PA left the Denver LGB-Club dissatisfied; 15 Denver club members then established the "Garden Railway Society of Denver", a new club. They didn't want to be confined to LGB alone but wanted to take on other big train fans. One of the main actors in this split-off was Marc Horowitz the current publisher of the "Garden Railways Magazine" and the "Sidestreet Banner". The (Denver) Garden Railway Society does a lot of public awareness work and is especially active in the design of transportable modules in G-Scale, corner modules (4 x 4 feet), made in team work and remain club property while straight modules ( 2 x 5 feet) by single members can be integrated in any order. The outer dimensions of the modules have been chosen so that they will fit into any regular car.
Other US magazines that might be of interest for LGB fans or Gauge1 friends:
The Gauge One Journal , The Sidestreet Banner, The Narrow Gauge Digest, Narrow Gauge and Shortline Gazette.
The biggest challenge for these small magazines - issued quarterly and coming into existence due to the growing G-Scale market- is the small number of articles they receive. Mr. Daniel Henon, the publisher of the Gauge One Journal told me that especially Russ Larson, the publisher of the Model Rail Roader is pursuing a ruthless policy in competing for articles and ads. Articles offered to MRR are bought and paid for immediately and then 'frozen'. This way many very interesting articles 'simmer' in immense editorial stocks, many only for few groups like the LGB'ers, are never published and thus elude the MRR-competition in their fight for more ad sales. As a model train fan one can only regret those 'rambunctious' business methods. It is just the small magazine like BTO-Newsletter or the Gauge One Journal which publish very interesting articles  and design tips for do-it-yourself'ers. They deserve our support.
And as the new LGB catalog with its many new US items shows the 'ready-to-play' products by Lehmann are going to enjoy us and our American LGB friends for a long time to come. We as citizens of the "LGB World" thank you, "Lehmänner" !(politely poking fun at the plural of the name Lehmann in German)
Addresses:

H-J.Neumann: 3rd from left, Dr. Baltzer: 3rd from right, visiting the LGB factory in  October 1985

LGB-Model Railroad Club
Secretary-Treasurer
PO BOX 7282
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302
USA
President: Ralph Wilcox ( succeding Al Lentz who retired following heart surgery)
Annual membership fee: US$ 12.00
Friedrich Balzer / LGB (USA) Member No 489
(Dear blog Reader: please remember that this article dates from 1985!! The above listed address is NOT for current use but was part of the translated article )

LGB in the USA -- 1985 --Part 2

The following is a translation from "Spur II Nachrichten" ( 'Gauge 2 News) magazine No 2 December 1985. The magazine was published in Germany - in German only- from 1985 to 2005 by H-Jürgen Neumann .You have met Mr. Neumann through our previous articles. H.-Jürgen Neumann was the founder of one of the biggest and later the most influential LGB Club in Germany ;" Club der LGB Freunde Rhein/Sieg" ( LGB Club LGB Friends Rhein-Sieg). Mr. Neumann was contacted by Yours Truly in February 2013. He is doing very well and was truly happy to be contacted about LGB matters, again. Mr. H-Jürgen Neumann gave us permission to translate all previous articles from his magazines as well as those from his web site LGB Much. So come and join us through a ride through history, the LGB history from 1968 to 2005.This is part 2 of an article about the very beginnings of LGB in the USA, quite some time before LGBoA was established.

(This change in the Club structure) brought real collector-experts to the BTO newsletter generating for the first time from within the club membership. They completely dwarfed all the expertise I had so far with their detailed knowledge about single variations and material- and color-combinations of locos and cars. Joe Hyvla's little brochure, out-of-stock by now, for US$ 10.00 leaves behind clearly and decidedly the first German collectors catalogue by Christmann in regard to describing each and every single model version. Apparently there were a whole slew of  loco and car modifications (made) that were never listed in any (LGB) catalogue. There is -currently- a rumor going that two American LGB fans are working on a downright encyclopedia for LGB stock transcending far beyond Joe Hyvla's work. (Dr.Balzer - you guessed it  is talking about the book by John R Ottley and Joe Hyvla "Greenbergs Guide to LGB Trains" from 1989, which is out of print, no longer available, and considered a historic artefact today).

This work is supposed to include absolutely all known and until now unknown model details regarding color and signage and shall have colored photos. (Remember to print precision colored images in a book back in 1985 was considered very complicated and expensive). 

They also had to implement the influence of the geographical spread of the LGB friends ranging from the New England States in the East to sunny California in the West. The solution was establishing two club regions: the East and the West Region each managed by a "Vice-President" and a "Director". Regarding the fact that 'In the Land of LGB' the sun never sets they allocated the rest of the world as well: Australia, Pacific and SouthAmerica were managed by the California management named "West Directorate"; us East Coast dwellers on the Atlantic border found ourselves to be in a group with Africa and (all) US States east of a line of Winnipeg (Manitoba) - Kansas City-Houston (Texas). In the meantime this 'Carolingian Allocation' has been modified by a Mid Western Region including the eastern and western States bordering the rivers Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio. It is pretty clear that the positive development of the US LGB Clubs is based upon the business success of Lehmann Garten Bahn (Lehmann Garden Train). The slowly increasing US$ Dollar exchange rate quickened exports of the now price-reduced LGB items considerably. It was also foreseeable that you had to expect upcoming competition; the G-Scale sector showed the highest growth rates in the model train market. This competitor arrived in the form of Kalamazoo Toy Train Works in 1981; They launched a starter set consisting of a US loco Type Reno 4-4-0 wood-fired, a coach and a "combine"-car (named Mountain-Central R.R.). The cars had four axles.
The Kalamazoo scale is Gauge One. She can be coupled with LGB material. The quality of the new LGB competition couldn't match LGB not in regard to drag force nor regarding technical detail: safe coupling didn't work all the time, coupling on the smallest curve radius was purely a matter of luck and the double-axle car trucks did not always match with the connecting truck mounts. It wasn't until ownership changed in 1983 and  a new, more effective management improved Kalamazoo's quality on the outside and the functioning. The spare parts supply left no wishes unfulfilled either. The loco and cars product line increased color-wise as well as in car types.
Originally this G-Scale market was dominated by LGB. Märklin's Gauge 1 obviously couldn't pack any public relevance. Now small 'work-out-of-my-garage'- manufacturers started to accumulate which mostly offered parts like trucks etc. Japan's Aster Live Steam model in Gauge 1 entered the market welcomed and 'appropriated' by the "steam-freaks" who were willing to shell out the required cash for those super-brass-models.+++++++++++++++++++++to be continued++++++++++++++++++++++

LGB in the USA -- 1985

The following is a translation from "Spur II Nachrichten" ( 'Gauge 2 News) magazine No 2 December 1985. The magazine was published in Germany - in German only- from 1985 to 2005 by H-Jürgen Neumann .You have met Mr. Neumann through our previous articles. H.-Jürgen Neumann was the founder of one of the biggest and later the most influential LGB Club in Germany ;" Club der LGB Freunde Rhein/Sieg" ( LGB Club LGB Friends Rhein-Sieg). Mr. Neumann was contacted by Yours Truly in February 2013. He is doing very well and was truly happy to be contacted about LGB matters, again. Mr. H-Jürgen Neumann gave us permission to translate all previous articles from his magazines as well as those from his web site LGB Much. So come and join us through a ride through history, the LGB history from 1968 to 2005. 

Today we are starting with (the first part of) an article about the very beginnings of LGB in the USA, quite some time before LGBoA was established.

LGB in USA:

In our first Magazine we already announced that Dr. Balzer from Aachen, being the expert for the American LGB market, agreed to report about the American LGB Club.
As a preface to the following report we'd like to thank Dr. Balzer for all his wonderful work and his following article. So please read on:
Every LGB fan reading carefully through the article in magazine No.1, page 9 will notice the high percentage of  'Made-for-USA-only specialty series'. In 1984 6 out of 16 specialty products were made for the USA. Especially worth mentioning are the "Buffalo Pass" (20301 BP) and the "Marshall Field" (20301 MF). The pleasantly constant large offer of US-related driving stock in the past years matches the importance of the US market for the Lehmann company. As LGB fans we can only be very happy about this development since only successful marketing, big lot sizes (in manufacturing) and profitable sales in the US- market facilitate the existence of Lehmann-Groß-Bahn ( LGB stands for Lehmann-Groß-Bahn meaning Lehmann Big Train). We, the LGB fans benefit from success like that by enjoying reasonable prices.
Now, who are those people across the Atlantic proving themselves as persistent LGB fans - so far away from the LGB(native) home? On the occasion of visiting the US in 1980 I first learned about the existence of a group of LGB (friends) from an American model train dealer. This group (was said to have) had an overwhelming success with their model train layout displayed during the NMRA convention that year while running their trains in the pouring rain. Quite to the displeasure of some higher NMRA charges. They had insisted that the layout would NOT be shown during the official program but in an unofficial motel since one did not want to have any "toys" among the 'serious model railroaders'.
At this point in 1980 the LGB Club was 3 years old with Al Lentz as its founder and leader (Member "#1"); and the Big Train Operator (BTO) Newsletter first published  in 1978, purely hand-made, was celebrating its 2nd anniversary. (for more historic background information about Al Lentz please visit this link to BTO. Yours truly finds it very telling in many aspects.....enjoy: 

http://bigtrainoperator.com/btoc/history.shtml

article continued: As often in life frustration was the impulse to new beginnings. Al Lentz reported in his memoirs of the anger that got the better of him when  he got completely overlooked by the judges; back then, still in N-track, he was displaying his 'carnival-module' complete with carousel, roller-coaster etc and the judges so ignored him - just because they found the carnival-module despite all its very fine technical sophistication displayed had no parking lots.
Only Jim Conway, owner of CON-COR, who thought of Al Lentz' module as totally prize-worthy awarded him his own very first-time-commissioned "Special N Track Award". Still carrying quite a grudge Al Lentz returned home. Here he got the advice from a dealer friend to take a look at the newly arrived LGB trains. This was the beginning of the new friendship between Al Lentz and LGB which eventually led to the founding of the LGB Club with Al Lentz as their first president.
In 1983 the American LGB Club had 400 members with a focus on families with children. The low priced annual membership (family) fee was, US$ 15, US$ 12.00 for singles. In addition to the annual meeting, mostly in Pennsylvania (Al Lentz' home State) in the early years, the BTO newsletter strengthened  the connection among club members. Some problems arose for the editorial department; due to the small number of LGB friends the 'influx' of adequate articles was small, too.
Within the first 5 years the interests of the members and the driving stock was pretty uniform which changed with growing membership. In addition to (pure) train operators "fraction(s)" of The Collectors, of  DIY'ers and of Live-Steamers were forming.      +++++++++++++++++++++to be continued++++++++++++++

Klaus Baumann -- Trailblazer Part 5

This is a translation of an article/interview published by GARTENBAHN profi in  magazine 5/2008, pages 16-21. The original magazine is available under http://www.gartenbahnprofi.de/Gartenbahn-Profi-Magazin/Jahres-Inhaltsverzeichnisse.  Italic text in parentheses is background information about related topics in the article. Part 5 concludes the interview/article.

During the 70's celebrities loved to be shown with LGB
as shown on the front page of this old LGB Depesche
Headline: Celebrities driving a celebrated train...
 when will you indulge into the fun of  owning an LGB

GBP: Back to LGB. What still fascinates me is the story about the handmade locomotives by Christian Höhne which were sold as specialty series by LGB as early as 1977 and were high priced. I do remember quite well the 1976 International Toy Fair Nuremberg where the first model was offered. And I do remember the proud price of DEM 5,000.00  (the equivalent of 2 months salaries for an average worker/clerk). Especially because that was beyond my own means and I just think that that was the same for many LGB fans. How did you manage to sell those locos year after year and even under the pressure of ever increasing prices?
Klaus Baumann: LGB(loco) itself did already impress just by her size. But these handmade steam locomotives of different types had a special wow factor. They were made out of metal, therefore were very heavy, were elaborately packed in wooden boxes, were limited in production to 100 pieces, and of course there were offprints of high gloss brochures. And everybody was convinced that those would increase in value even though that didn't prove true over the years. Any way there were quite a few collectors who put several of the same series on their (basement) shelves immediately. And maybe it was a way for some entrepreneurs out there to 'invest' their money... The final series didn't sell that well any more. Obviously they had hit the ceiling price wise plus meanwhile it proved that they weren't suited well to withstand 'tough' LGB operation (on the layout) - quite contrary to initial beliefs. Standard LGB motorblocks were too weak for the heavy metal bodies. And the fact that during production the parts were painted first and then glued in place led to them falling off after years of usage. 'Superglue' as we have today wasn't invented yet.
GBP: Following hitherto articles in GBP it shows that back then LGB really went into high gear. Continuously there were new models and series were extended. How were 'the good ol' times' at LGB?
Klaus Baumann: One was enjoying one's own success. And we wanted to show off a bit towards Märklin. That was one of the reasons for the many annual new items. Back then they made it a big secret every year at the Nuremberg Toy Fair what new items (models) there would be. Later I ensured to ease up on that. Why shouldn't we grant access (in) to the booth (it was common on German industrial fairs to keep the main part of the booth closed to general visitors and grant access only to by-appointment-only high profile guests). After all we could be proud of what we had to show.   And then, the LGB team was simply 'the right stuff'. It is undeniably commendable what the brothers Eberhard and Wolfgang Richter achieved. They also had the luck to find good employees, the Master Craftsmen (Meister) of the various departments, Robert Münzing as technician or the well functioning repair department which also fulfilled almost each and every tinkerer's wish  for component parts. Don't forget Wolfgang Zeunert who - for many years - was responsible for the LGB Depesche and many other things. There was no "Public Relations Manager", no "Key Account Manager" - we managed well without those titles...

Small but effective: LGB management  of the 70's:
 (from left):Robert Münzing Technical Adviser, Wolfgang Richter,
 Klaus Baumann, Eberhard Richter and his wife Karin

GBP: That luck to find one Klaus Baumann as Vice President of Sales - you "forgot" to mention that. You had an integral part in evolving from DEM 3 mill in sales in 1968 to about DEM 65 mill during the heydays of LGB... I could ask another million things. The "100 Years of LGB" anniversary was a special event in a positive way; the sudden death of Eberhard Richter in 1984 was very sad and in long term view quite fateful. From the beginning you were against the "eXtra-System" which probably sped up the final end of LGB. You entering -well deserved-retirement in 2003 in a way - how shall I put this- not working as well as it should have was surely also among the increasing problems LGB already had back then.  One more question: here in your backyard I don't see any LGB and inside I just descried two lonely locos. Is that like the guy working in a chocolate factory not liking chocolate anymore?
Klaus Baumann: Yes, that is a good example. For me LGB was my profession. And I viewed everything associated with that purely business. And that is quite alright. (In) Earlier (years) I had more (LGB trains) but now my grandchild plays with that.
GBP: Herr Baumann, thank you very much for this interview and also for the coffee and the yummy cake.
Klaus Baumann: It was my pleasure, thank you for coming.

(The original German article contains additional 'boxes' with fun stories shown here in  a grey shade)
The Deal with Playmobil --- Ending a vacation on Ibiza island Klaus Baumann met the young owner of Playmobil, Horst Brandstätter at the airport. They had a lot of time since air control was on go-slow strike once again. The Faller company had offered their "Play Train" but (LGB) wasn't satisfied with that. On the spur of the moment Klaus Baumann proposed a co-operation. (Playmobil) Should manufacture the engines themselves, nicely with rounded edges and thick grab bars matching the Playmobil figurines and Lehmann would provide the tracks and motor blocks. While Mr. Brandstätter took a while to warm up to the idea back at Lehmann they were not amused. How he could feed the enemy? - Wolfgang Richter accused him. But he turned around quickly realizing that this train (which by now is known pretty well) wasn't a real competition but rather the entry for children into trains and later to LGB. In addition LGB enjoyed another plus from this deal: the monthly check from Playmobil for the track production was a boon for the profit situation. Nowadays one could admit to it , smiled Klaus Baumann with a wink in his eyes: track production at Lehmann was never unprofitable.

Klaus Baumann -- Trail Blazer Part 4

This is a translation of an article/interview published by GARTENBAHN profi in  magazine 5/2008, pages 16-21. The original magazine is available under http://www.gartenbahnprofi.de/Gartenbahn-Profi-Magazin/Jahres-Inhaltsverzeichnisse.  Italic text in parentheses is background information about related topics in the article.

Clockwise from top left: Klaus Baumann right and Udo Juergens, singer, left; top right: Comedian Ernst H Hilbich holding a Stainz, Klaus Baumann on right;bottom right: Friedrich Merz w/Bavarian TV Station center, left: Klaus Baumann, right:Wolfgang Richter; bottom left: Klaus Baumann, left, with Dieter Thomas Heck (German game show host) holding a Ge 2/4.

Klaus Baumann (...continued): All those contacts became very useful. That was also how the LGB Tv appearances came to happen. At Peter Frankenfeld's show "Musik ist Trumpf" the LGB carried the quiz-questions and at the end of the show champagne for the participants. And most of the time I was back stage operating the train. After those show episodes they were talking about the "TV train" and customers wanted to buy them in stores the next day and retailers then ordered them with us. That's how it worked!---Peter Frankenfeld was a big LGB fan in his personal life. He had a trestles-LGB train layout in his landscaped back yard. This system that you will often see in England allows for easy viewing the operating train on eye level. Accompanied by his wife Loni he came to the LGB factory one day and of course got a personal tour of the house.

Always welcomed at the LGB factory: Peter Frankenfeld and wife Loni (2nd from right and 3rd from right), Klaus Baumann(right), Wolfgang Richter (left), Eberhard Richter with wife Karin and daughter.

GBP: Leafing through older issues of "LGB Depesche" (German issue of LGB Telegram) one notices a special relationship between manufacturer and their customers marked by the magazine itself, contests and conventions. Of course the main reason for that was the articles themselves being for the hobby market; but also these products were marketed with their heart in it not just their business mind. You yourself were at the front gate almost all the time being "Mr. Lehmann" for many a LGB fan. Wasn't that a  very particular sense of achievement?

From left: Wife of Governor of Saxonia, Klaus Baumann, Prof. Kurt Biedenkopf  Governor of Saxonia, Wolfgang Richter at the Toy Fair Nuremberg 1993 presenting a new unloading feature with a proud Klaus Baumann in the back.

Klaus Baumann: Yes, indeed. But there are always two sides to a coin. I had less time for a private life because of that. Being at a convention through a weekend was work, not fun like it was for the visitors. I am also a member of several consulting committees and I was an active board member of the "Deutscher Spielwarenverband" (German Toys Association), "IGEMA" (International Alliance of Model Train Suppliers),"Deutsches Spielzeug Institut" (German Toys Institute"), "Fachgruppe Modelleisenbahn" (Section Model Trains) and "Spiel Aktiv" (Play Active). Doing a TV show with Peter Frankenfeld took a whole week; the show itself was aired prime time on Saturdays. My wife can tell a story or two how often she had to master things herself because I was on the road.----Later attendance at the LGB Club (events) was added. Whether it was in Switzerland where an LGB layout had a ribbon-cutting at the Arosa-Kulm Hotel or whether the LGB Friends Rhein/Sieg had their anniversary party. If I could make it happen I did make it happen to attend. It was a lot of fun for me, too. Quite a few friendships have evolved out of that - just like the two of us are sitting here today. And back then it was very interesting, quite frankly, to get to meet all those celebrities like Udo Juergens, Wim Thoelke, Dieter Thomas Heck, Peter Kraus, Dunja Rajter, Caterina Valente just to name a few. (compare to Jim Peck, Richard Dawson, Alex Trebek, Barbara Mandrell, George Jones etc). Not to mention a real 'Miss Germany' and rock singer Peter Maffay who I met while I was board member of DSI honoring him for his activities.++++to be continued

Miss Germany 1986 (Anja Hoernich) at the LGB booth and Klaus Baumann

Klaus Baumann - Trail Blazer Part 3

This is a translation of an article/interview published by GARTENBAHN profi in  magazine 5/2008, pages 16-21. The original magazine is available under http://www.gartenbahnprofi.de/Gartenbahn-Profi-Magazin/Jahres-Inhaltsverzeichnisse.  Italic text in parentheses is background information about related topics in the article.

GBP: When you started out (Lehmann) still offered small toys. Did you have to sell that as well?
Klaus Baumann: Yes, of course. During my beginnings (at Lehman) Lehmann still made more sales with the Patented-Toys than with LGB. It changed quickly then but sales from "Stainzys" and her siblings kept being a  nice fill-in in manufacturing.
GBP: Back, once again, to the former LGB. Actually, shouldn't have the customers snatched those new, extraordinary locos out of dealers' hands? I myself remember my own beginnings with the LGB hobby very well. The "Globus" in Siegen (compare to a Walmart in the MidWest) sold them and while shopping for groceries each week we added at least one (freight) car. With prices at DEM 20.00 - 30.00 ( about US$ 8.00- 12.00) that wasn't a budget problem at all. Today with current Euro prices things have gotten more difficult for most LGB hobbyists.
Klaus Baumann: The problem was that a broad audience just wasn't familiar enough with the train product. Hence the subsequent efforts to get into the toy department of the big department stores. People usually didn't stray into a model-train-specialist-retailer to find  LGB and get exited. Our very first success in that was the "Lehmann 74" and LGB (brand) itself became well known through fairs and by being presented to a big TV audience.

"TV"-Big Train in action.; in the second half of the Seventies the TV show "Musik ist Trumpf" delivered the stage for LGB to be seen  by millions. TV host Peter Frankenfeld (center) had an LGB train layout in his backyard. April of 1978 a '99 6001' delivered the envelope and champagne glasses...all that had to be delivered...The next show to be aired in October 1978 was to present the new LGB crocodile which was to pull the 'TV Train' but Peter Frankenfeld was  already too sick to present the show, a colleague filled in. Peter Frakenfeld - the godfather of German TV shows- passed away in January of 1979 and LGB surely owed him a lot.

GBP: How did you manage do get that many (national) TV appearances for LGB back then? TV hosts like Peter Frankenfeld and Hans Rosenthal (compare to Bob Barker and Dick Clark), TV shows like "Musik ist Trumpf", "Vergiss mein nicht", "Der Goldene Schuss", and "Dalli Dalli" (compare to "the Lawrence Welk Show", "Truth and Consequences") were  having a very broad audience and (delivered advertising) free of cost. (LGB) probably couldn't have afforded (to buy) advertising time....
Klaus Baumann: Well, once there was the Transportation Fair in Hamburg where LGB had set up a huge layout and of course such a fair draws a huge crowd. There you get to know the Mayor, the Secretary of Commerce, VIP's and TV-celebrities. And TV producers always are looking for new ideas for their shows. So the big train which was easily visible was lending itself (to this format). She was utilized in ability&skill game shows or was delivering envelopes with quiz-topics or prizes. And then there were personal contacts. Once I was sitting next to Peter Frankenfeld at Berlin airport due to a late flight. And as you'd expect it didn't take long until we were talking about LGB. Another time I met Peter Frankenfeld after an Anniversary Party at the Kudamm in Berlin (compare to Times Square in New York) at night; he sat in a cafe with Fritz Schoenfelder and they were looking for the 'Third Man' for a game of skat. It got pretty late that night....++++++++++++++++to be continued+++++++++++++++++++++

Klaus Baumann - Trailblazer Part 2

This is a translation of an article/interview published by GARTENBAHN profi in  magazine 5/2008, pages 16-21. The original magazine is available under http://www.gartenbahnprofi.de/Gartenbahn-Profi-Magazin/Jahres-Inhaltsverzeichnisse.  Italic text in parentheses is background information about related topics in the article.

She was important to get LGB into retail stores and to the customers: the battery train "Lehmann 74"  priced initially  at DEM 49.50 for the complete starter set. (The 40-year logo is part of the article and not related to the product)

GBP: Even if I don't convert that into Euro right now it still seems a pretty low price. As is well known starter sets have been priced below costs again and again as an incentive to buy into the product. Did the battery-pack train set fulfill these expectations?
Klaus Baumann: Yes, definitely! Back then the toys-wholesale-trade still played an important role and they were to offer the hesitant retailer a basic offer with that "Lehmann 74" (train set). It didn't exist at all, then, since 'Playmobil' didn't enter the market until Christmas 1980. But even the robust LGB seemed too complicated for a lot of retailers. So, the "Lehmann 74" was a foot in the door. But sadly, they made the mistake at Lehmann - as would be done again and again later on- to include more and more (stuff) into this set and it got more and more complicated technically. Consequently the battery pack train set almost matched the price of a regular LGB (train/loco). After about 10 years in 1985 they eventually abandoned the battery-pack train set product line.
GBP: The new battery train was offered in big department stores and wholesale chains like 'Metro' and 'Handelshof' (compare to Macy's and Costco). LGB trains were not available at these stores at first. Why did Lehmann not make use of these expanded retail possibilities? What strategy were they pursuing?
Klaus Baumann: They would have but- they had to protect the specialist retailer (specialist retailer in Germany was/is a distinction/award given to a retailer by the Federal Retail Association when the retailer fulfills certain distinctly set rules). That was a balancing act! Therefore they tried to use a two-track policy; get the attention of the prospective customer at the department stores and at the whole sale chains and at the same time have the complete product-line offered at the specialist retailer while 'coercing' him to deliver an expert service covering the complete LGB program.
GPB: Did LGB have enough market coverage back then; did the specialist retailer trade realize how much money they could possibly make?
Klaus Baumann: This insight was growing very slowly. Often space problems in those retail stores hindered   the placing of the big LGB boxes. (The average German specialist retail store space was 500 sq ft) and then the retail trade just dreaded the (required capital) investment for a complete (LGB) product-line. You just depicted what was already offered  in the early Seventies. And that was all cutting into the piggy bank already.---Later that changed at the big department stores. (By then) they offered only those products that had been assigned (to them) by their operational headquarters. And it was one of my tasks to get them (headquarters) to list LGB. And for that it was especially important to be able to offer a simple,basic product- not only for the consumer but also for the sales person.+++to be continued++++
(The original German article contains additional 'boxes' with fun stories shown here in  a grey shade)
Customs Control: --- Eberhard Richter and Klaus Baumann were jointly travelling in Austria in the Seventies to visit a model train fair and present the LGB brand. To forgo pesky customs formalities at the border they tried to wing it. Well, that didn't work. Eberhard Richter was asked to move to the side maybe because of his big Mercedes. He had to open the trunk which of course was filled to the top with red LGB boxes. That's when he showed his quick wittedness and his acting abilities. In front of an audience of puzzled customs officers he started to wildly berate Klaus Baumann why for heavens sake he'd forgotten to empty the trunk the day before. They were just about  to attend a meeting and  did not at all plan to import any merchandise whatsoever.
It worked. They were able to proceed unchallenged. 300 ft into Austria Eberhard Richter apologized profoundly to Klaus Baumann....