Aster and LGB -- # 2901

Aster had been at the International Toy Fair in Nuremberg for a few years already when Wolfgang Richter approached them looking for a collaboration. LGB had experienced great success with their line of product and was eager to expand their market. Wolfgang Richter had succeeded in the German, Swiss, Italian, French and Austrian market and had left an indelible mark in the American market. In some years the USA accounted for up to 40% of their sales volume.

So it was only natural to look for a product that could accompany the LGB philosophy in their G-scale hobby. And Aster had what it took: a wonderful metal loco built, manufactured in big quantity for a reasonable price while maintaining high quality, G-Scale size (!) or willing to adapt to 1:22.5 scale and a very good name in the market. And what is more authentic than live steam?

The collaboration decided on the Frank S, the archetype a military field loco often operated on narrow gauge lines.

The original Frank S  HC110- Jagsttalbahn - Courtesy of Wikipedia

To quote Aster :" E.P. Lehmann ....approached us with a proposal. Build a live steam engine in “LGB scale” using the simplest operational outline so it could be run by the average model train enthusiast.  Of course, making something simple .... meant...making a smaller and simpler engine required new engineering design and thought. 
After studying their choice of prototype, the “Frank-S,” it was decided the way to implement a simplified operation was to employ a reverser block and piston valves.  This was instead of our conventional D-slide valves and any of the various valve gears...  In this manner, we achieved a locomotive which was simple enough for the beginner but with appeal for the live steam veteran.(quoted from https://www.southernsteamtrains.com/manual/history.htm)

The result is the Aster/LGB # 2901 Frank S

LGB #2901 - Courtesy of Worthpoint.com

It came in a special box and made its market debut at the 1989 International Toy Fair in Nuremberg

LGB 2901 with box - courtesy of worthpoint.com

To emphasize the significance of the event, Klaus Baumann, VP of Marketing at LGB, made the impossible possible. He lived close to the Jagsttal Railway which had just ceased business (1988) and still had their  rolling stock and museum stock in the yard. The Frank D was one of them. He managed to convince the RR managers to transport the loco (over 60 miles) into the exhibition hall onto the LGB 'booth'. He then had an LGB loco operate around the REAL Frank S on a layout circling the archetype.

Thanks to 'You Tube" here is a photo:

You have to look really close in the right lower corner and will see the small black loco (a Mogul) coming out of the green plant with some cars on the right lower side of the green ficus plant. If you like to see the video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieh6lJdfFkw.
The fair was a smashing success for LGB and no TV station missed the opportunity of this stupendous sight.
The Aster Frank S was real live steam. Aster offered about 50% of their models as kits to be assembled by the buyer/hobbyist. For the LGB Frank S all was ready to go. In live steam. In G scale. With a joint Aster/LGB edition volume of 3028. Fantastic, right?

It was a flop. A disaster. Those who bought it had no idea how to operate it. The regular LGB fan was no live steamer. For the few and far between it was special and great. Not so for your average LGB patron. He wanted a loco ready for the tracks, switch on and off we go...But live steam doesn't work like that. Live steam requires handling of (in this case) gas and water. Live steam necessitates your watchful eye every second. Live steam is work. Period. And for that the LGB fan had to shell out  DM 3,000.00 or about US$ 1,500.00 which represented about a week's salary/wages.

Wolfgang Richter had to learn a lesson. Even though the model did sell here and there, the LGB Frank S ended up mostly in show cases at their owner's homes.
And learn he did. Two things came out of this steaming adventure - pun intended.
LGB added the Frank S as a model to their loco line-up and over the years published four Frank S models in regular LGB LURAN plastic: the # 20261, 21261, 22261 and 23262.
And LGB kept the alliance with Aster going while learning from loosing steam...The LGB Frank S was built (by Aster) until 1994. Then it was on to new horizons for this remarkable joint venture.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++ to be continued.....................