Large Scale Central

Wolfgang Richter Fired

General Discussion
#1

I received a messsage from a very reliable source that the new owner of E. P. Lehmann in Germany fired Wolfgang Richter even though he had a valid work contract. He was also instructed to remove all his belongings from the Nuremberg factory by March. I really hope that this is not true. If true it makes you think what other contracts the new owner is willing to break or what we can expect/ not expect in products. I am starting to wonder what the future of E. P. Lehmann will be.

This is indeed sad news in LGBville.

And it is probably true, because in German Law after an INSOLVENZVERFAHREN all contracts of employment can be cut off without any waiting period.

The New Owner wants to earn money - nothing else.

#2

It would seem to me that booting him would be business as usual. I doubt if it means much as far as the general workers go. May even be one or two other heads roll. After all they are the ones responsible for the bankruptcy in the first place. I definately would give the upper management the boot. The bottom line is that the company needs to be profitable.

#3

Warren,

I doubt if Wolfgang is responsible. He retired over 10 years ago, but was retained as an advisor. However, he is in his late 70s and probably did not advise a great deal. Plus if Wolfgang had not taken the gamble in 1968, there would be no G Scale Hobby as we currently know it.

And he is a personal friend.

The Lone Railroader

#4

Warren,

In the past years there was a flow of information from reliable sources; but never mind how reliable the sources are, it is better to note and keep quiet 'til the same info shows up from an official “quotable” source.
I’ll be checking the Nürnberg papers.

Of course as I mentioned right after the sale was announced, the interesting parts will be

  • who mans the LGB display at the Nürnberg Fair

  • who is registered as the shareholders of the new limited company (GmbH)

  • who is registered as the officers of the GmbH.

#5
The Lone Railroader said:
...............................

Plus if Wolfgang had not taken the gamble in 1968, there would be no G Scale Hobby as we currently know it.

…


Marvin,

Don’t forget Eberhard!!

There are those in the “very longtime” LGB Fan community (in Germany) who are firmly convinced that LGB would never have ended up in the dire position in the new millenium, if Eberhard would have been around.

But you’re quite right, perhaps today we would have a IIm hobby - not a “G - wie Gummi” hobby . The Polks would have thought that Gauge 1 had plenty of WOW factor for SG etc. etc. etc.

Alas… we got an “improved” Stainz on the incorrect track gauge and the rest is history.

#6
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:
The Lone Railroader said:
...............................

Plus if Wolfgang had not taken the gamble in 1968, there would be no G Scale Hobby as we currently know it.

…


Marvin,

Don’t forget Eberhard!!

There are those in the “very longtime” LGB Fan community (in Germany) who are firmly convinced that LGB would never have ended up in the dire position in the new millenium, if Eberhard would have been around.

But you’re quite right, perhaps today we would have a IIm hobby - not a “G - wie Gummi” hobby . The Polks would have thought that Gauge 1 had plenty of WOW factor for SG etc. etc. etc.

Alas… we got an “improved” Stainz on the incorrect track gauge and the rest is history.


I didn’t forget Eberhard…He & Wolfgang would both be retired now, even if he did live (He was Older than Wolfgang)…It is the sons of these men that caused the dire position and that is usually the case when you don’t do the hard work to bring the company from the ground up as they did at the end of WWII. It does not mean as much to you when it’s handed to you on a silver platter.

#7

Good News: There is a plan to hire Wolfgang, the Father of LGB, as a spokesman for LGBoA in North America.

#8
The Lone Railroader said:
Good News: There is a plan to hire Wolfgang, the Father of LGB, as a spokesman for LGBoA in North America.
Interesting!

And his title will be??

Gummibahner emeritus?

That said, apart from a nice fuzzy feeling for Wolfgang and his many fans in NA, what will it do for the Large Scale hobby in NA?
Is Wolfgang going to tell them: “Order less of that fantasy stuff (Disney, Coke etc)!” or is he, as a spokeman, going to tell us all “Everything is just fine and going according to plan.” or perhaps “We are still the Best in the West and all our stuff runs on R1”? :confused: :confused:

#9

HJ

There ya go with them Negative Waves again, Man…Ya just gots to loose those Negative Waves…They’re a Bummer, Man.

Now if it wasn’t for Wolfgang, we would not be exchanging electrons on this and several other web sites because there would be no Biggie Size Trains as we know them…and you would have limited things, if any, to rant about on the Biggie Size Train Websites, if there were actually any in existence.

Verne Pitts
Just a Passenger on Life’s Railroad

#10

Oh Lonesome One ,
“Thou dost kick against the pricks” to quote one W. Shakespeare .
Let him wallow in his schadenfreude , it’s his only enjoyment in life .

Mike

#11

Gotta love the “negative waves” quote, I think it was Kelly’s Hero’s right, it was the crazy tank driver, Oddball, played by Donald Sutherland. I belive the quote is: “Why don’t you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don’t you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don’t you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?”

Gotta love it… Regards, Greg

#12
Greg Elmassian said:
Gotta love the "negative waves" quote, I think it was Kelly's Hero's right, it was the crazy tank driver, Oddball, played by Donald Sutherland.

I belive the quote is: “Why don’t you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don’t you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don’t you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?”

Gotta love it…

Regards, Greg


Greg, there is no one more righteous and hopeful than Marvin the Magnificent.

(BTW, I would insert a smilie here but I can’t figure out how to).

#13

The only information I have so far is that it looks like the “reliable source” is the author…

EDIT: oops…not the author here, rather the author that broke it on another site…

#14

Tony, just find a web site that has smilies, right click on one, get the properties, which will be a url, copy the url and paste in your post! take the following line, and delete the blanks: http: //mazeguy.net/ expressive/huge.gif

Regards, Greg

#15

Greg Elmassian said:
Tony, just find a web site that has smilies, right click on one, get the properties, which will be a url, copy the url and paste in your post! take the following line, and delete the blanks: http: //mazeguy.net/ expressive/huge.gif

Regards, Greg

Make sure however that you are not cut and pasting from a copyright site! You can cut and paste the path to the smiley face here on this site.

#16

Tony: Just hit a parentheses, then a colon. :slight_smile: :slight_smile: or :frowning: :(. Do it as you type your response. No cutting and pasting needed, unless you want a fancy one.

Shift/colon/parentheses. One parenthese smiles, the other frowns. jb

#17

Larry Otis sent the “firing” memo out to a few of the LGB inner circle and posted it on some websites. However, I am the one that learned of the plan for LGBoA to hire Wolfgang as a spokesman in North America and posted it here and other places.

And both, Larry & I, know who the reliable source is.

Some just can’t get away from those “Negative Waves”.

#18
The Lone Railroader said:
Larry Otis sent the "firing" memo out to a few of the LGB inner circle and posted it on some websites. However, I am the one that learned of the plan for LGBoA to hire Wolfgang as a spokesman in North America and posted it here and other places.

And both, Larry & I, know who the reliable source is.

Some just can’t get away from those “Negative Waves”.


Marvin,

This is so topical; yesterday CBC Radio1 started a new series regarding PR and journalism. Spin Cycles: a century of spin.

While I don’t take everything dished up by the journalists for the gospel truth and while I haven’t been around for the full century of spin … by and large over the years I have learned that certain sources are suspect, more sources are even more suspect and then there are sources which have (in my eyes) no credibility whatsoever.

The “Firing of Wolfgang” source looks like it belongs in the third category. :wink: :slight_smile:

#19

But, we shall see.
Even respected sources need to be confirmed.

That’s being worked on.

I have a feeling, at this point in the game, that some information may be…different to different folks, especially if they were told to “keep it under your hat”, to see where the leak is…

Or something along those lines.

Wonderment, too, since WR sold his house in sandy eigo and the Lincoln, and shipped the other car back to The Fatherland just to return…

#20

"You know I watched that rotten box
Until my head begin to hurt
From checkin’ out the way
The newsman say they get the dirt
Before the guys on channel so-and-so

And further they assert
That any show they’ll interrupt
To bring you news if it comes up
They say that if the place blows up
They will be the first to tell,
Because the boys they got downtown
Are workin’ hard and doin’ swell,
And if anybody gets the news
Before it hits the street,
They say that no one blabs it faster
Their coverage can’t be beat "

nabobs, I hate them.