Agenda

~ 2025 ~

Latest News:

April, 10

Which really made my day: Julian has found another collector of many models from Micro Metakt and Gebhard Reitz. Some of them are meant for the calendar to come.

From noon to sunset I sat behind my camera, shooting some 40 gems out of four of his cabinets... still 6 more cabinets to go, but that's for just another time. New friends are being made...

Trix/Reitz

Lemaco H0-060

Lemaco H0-034/1

Brawa 815.1 | Hofzug Salonwagen

April, 10

Dortmund Intermodellbau... this year rather disappointing. I had written to Mr. Peschel (Märklin) for again the opportunity to shoot some models on diaplay. He agreed most kindly.

However, the ponytail guy at the Märklin Stand didn't agree by all means and was only capable of opening the cabinet door... which resulted in very poor quality pictures.

One day later, Mr. Peschel appologized per mail on my notice and he will respond Monday accordingly.

Märklin 38950

Brawa 40396

Märklin 38059

Brawa 70116

ESU 31651

Märklin 81221

March, 21

Most kind words by Christian Hruschka (aka Bahngarfield) on Stummiforum, after he modified one of my photos for his article (as he did in the past, with my permission):

March, 20

Working on the Storchenturm-Story

March, 10-11

On Monday, March 10th, a shipment form DIT Modell arrived, containing one of Gebhard Reitz's unique models of a S 10.1 for photoshooting and filming.

This model is one of the Rare Prusians that will appear in the Calendar 2026. On Tuesday I made a video clip of this model on the Cochemer Bahn for publication.

March, 5

Starting with Kibri's B-8480, a kit which was given to me by my dealer for permitting him using one of my pictures for his shop. 'still don't know whether I use it on the COchemr Bahn or will make a small diorama like Yuri Kovalev's. All buildings are part of the Old City aka Cochem Altstadt for many years.

Kibri B-8480

February 22, 2025

Neuzugang of 4 Brawa models

Brawa 45619

Brawa 50648

Brawa 50791

Brawa 50969

February 22

Photoshoot at my dealer with a.o. the gray Flying Scotsman

Märklin 39969

Märklin 37086

Märklin 37939

Roco 79096

February 14-15

Working on both the Lustgarten and the Abyss. A flower bed to fill in the final open space, as well as vegetation on the lower part of the Abyss and creating a miniature like 'the cave'.

February 12-13

Today I received a shipment from Julian with several models he worked on. To start with the BR 89 by Westmodel on Fleischmann basis with wheels designed by DIT Modell.

Westmodel 10064 | © Osterthun Photography | 12.2.2025

Trix Fine Art 22535 | pretty damaged (stairs, handles and bars) by the previous owner | © Osterthun Photography | 13.2.2025

TFA 22535 on the Cochemer Bahn

Weinert 4098 | model from collection Prof. Volker Krämer | © Osterthun Photography | 13.2.2025

February 12

From Flexwebhosting migrated to Versio with permanent SSL certificate.

February 6

Perfect shot...

January 20-23

Working on all information that Westmodel provided - f.i. the website of Andreas Lange, moreover all CD's and leaflets I received from Karin Wirtz-Bachmann from 2004-2011 - I feel humble gratitude but also a sort of pride that I wrote to so many companies in the earlier days, companies that do not exist anymore today. In a certain and unforeseen way they made me the heir to special photographic material. The firm Westmodel, run by Klaus and Karin Bachmann, released several models from 1973 to 2016.

In mid-2016, toolmaking and the production of plastic models were relocated from Vienna to Altdorf, to the Rietze company.

Since 2017, the Westmodel company has also been part of Linie8 GmbH as an independent product line.

I wrote on Facebook (23.1.2025):

Als ich in meiner Bibliothek stöberte und nach Informationen zu besonderen preußischen Altbau-Elloks suchte, stieß ich auf zahlreiche Umschläge, die ich im Laufe der Jahre über Karin Wirtz-Bachmann (die Frau von Klaus Bachmann) erhalten hatte.
Sie schickte mir nicht nur die Neuheiten-Broschüren, sondern auch mehrere CDs mit sämtlichen Originalfotos im Großformat. Diese Fotos wurden von Klaus Bachmann selbst aufgenommen.
Dankbar darf ich feststellen, dass ich durch meine Recherchen, die ich vor Jahren durch Anschreiben verschiedener Firmen erhielt, in einmaliger Weise zum Erben von heute verschwundenem Original-Fotomaterial diverser Kleinserienhersteller geworden bin. Aus diesem Grund bin ich auch Frau Wirtz-Bachmann zu großem Dank verpflichtet.
Gleichzeitig sehe ich dem Treffen mit der Fremo in Cloppenburg, zu dem ich eingeladen bin, mit großem Interesse entgegen, um dort als Gastfotograf verschiedene handgefertigte, größtenteils einmalige Lokomotiven abzulichten. 2025 wird ein sehr interessantes Jahr.

Herbert Schmidt wrote a nice comment on this issue: