Club Activities
As announced in issue No 1 of the "Spur II Nachrichten" the first club field day was a visit to the LGB manufacturing plant in Nuremberg.
The agenda:
Friday, Oct. 25th
Departure at 2.00 a.m.(!) from Much
Arrival at 7.00 a.m. in NurembergViewing of the plant
Discussion (w/ coffee and pretzels)
Afternoon: visiting the transportation museum in Nuremberg
Strolling the historic district
Dinner and 'Gemuetlichkeit' (good cheer)
Saturday, Oct. 26th
visiting the model train exhibition at the convention center
Departure around 13.00h ( 1.00 p.m.)
Those had to be definitely serious LGB'ers willing to leave from deep sleep in soft feather pillows to go see the cradle of their joint hobby ( trying to be poetic, here).
All in all 9 club members had registered for this trip with 2 members from the southern region meeting us right at the LGB plant.
The bigger group started on time; in a mini bus provided by the local cabinet maker Wolfgang Schurig. Thank you again, Mr. Schurig for your generous donation!
With a little detour to Bonn-Bad Godesberg where we picked up our last travel companion we traveled right on to Nuremberg - pausing only for gas and a smoke. Nuremberg is the seat of Ernst Paul Lehmann patent plant, Industrial Zone 2, Saganer St. 1-5.
Entering the complex was impressing already: several huge buildings to the left and right of Saganer St. connected by a covered bridge.
Mr. Steinl, Senior Export manager, was expecting us already and was our guide through the plant. (We started) at the injection moulding hall where plastic is heated under high pressure and injected into forms/molds. The molds then open and eject the molded part into a vat.
Bigger parts are picked up ghost-like by a robotic arm and stacked on to a pallet-- you couldn't be more precise with a compass and a straight-edged construction.
Here they make the boiler for the "Mallet" , over there the driver's cab for the "Stainz", further on they inject the spokes into the metal wheel for the "Mogul". Oh, how many parts could I use for my hobby tinkering had I just brought a wheel barrel and might do as I wished to...(Then we went on) to the mold design and construction - probably the most important department of the plant.
Even a layman will recognize the precision work done by highly trained professionals here.With reverence we picked up a car box of the new RhB passenger car 3067 ( scheduled delivery in 1986) and examined all sides. That was one terrific piece!. On we went passing a location where Mr. Steinl told us" Don't look"- of course we didn't listen. Since we got to see a new item which was yet to be presented at the next Toy Fair 1986. What it was? I don't tell.Just this much: it will be another highlight!
Next came the warehouse, distribution, administration and finally the conference room where coffee and fresh Nuremberg pretzels were waiting for us already. Mr. Rolf Richter , junior CEO, was there to answer all our questions. It was a great experience to get information first hand. Thank you again, Mr. Rolf Richter, having fulfilled our request for a specialty visit and spending all that time with us. We ended the visit with a group photo. Mr. Steinl is front center, Dr. Wilkes who took the photo is of course missing in this. On we traveled to the city center of Nuremberg where we had scheduled a visit to the transportation Museum.
After that we encountered good cheer while strolling through the historic district, visiting the model train store "Schweiger", had a coffee at the "Marktplatz" and bought some fresh gingerbread cookies for our loved ones at home at the Otto E. Schmidt store ( remember, the 'father' of the gingerbread train by LGB) and then had dinner together.
We went to bed pretty early that night since we started noticing getting up very early that same morning. The previously scheduled video about narrow gauge trains was canceled due to the hotel not having a video recorder though they did have a TV set in the breakfast room.
After an extended breakfast the next morning we traveled on to the Nuremberg Convention Center where they had a model train expo within the "Consumenta" fair. Of course we favored the LGB and Magnus booths but also ventured to see other gauges.
Herr Hoehne, proprietor of the Magnus Co., instantly agreed to give us a tour of his plant and company as well. Maybe we will accept his kind offer thankfully by next year.
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