Torsten Schirdewahn - About me and my alias

last update : JAN-08-2010

Just shortly after being born - at the age of 32 month - I saw "my" first TRIX EXPRESS Model Train underneath our Xmas tree in 1961. But this present wasn't actually destined for me. 

But how should I have realized. Well - finally the years came where I was allowed to play with that nice little 3-rail DC train for several years. And the train disappeared again on the attic of our house. And was discovered again in 1986 - conditions as being "banned" in 1974.

By visiting second hand shops and flea markets I completed and even extended the initial stock. But just until our 1st child was due to be born - housing space was too small at that time - and all the train display had to be removed again. So I decided to concentrate on collecting the TRIX EXPRESS. 

1998 - TRIX has ceased production of the EXPRESS series in 1995 - I changed the topic - collecting now Tin Toys produced by Johann Biller of Nuremberg.

Meanwhile I had finished school, made a short "intermezzo" as chemical assistant in a textile company and then went joining the German Air Force. Today I'm working as an Air Traffic Controller - in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR).  

My wife and our daughter don't really share my hobby, but our son does. However he prefers to play with his garden rail in gauge G (IIm) - because grandpa has built several life steam engines. Seven in total - named after the 5 grandchildren he has. 

Why Tichan ?

1993 I had the lucky chance to do a vacation trip on the Trans Siberian Railroad - starting in Moscow and ending 14 days later in Vladivostok. During this journey we met the brother of a friend and found out that the Russians were unable to pronounce the name Torsten - thus I was called Tichan until the end of our trip.

TICHAN was Metropolit (a kind of bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church) of the Moscow district in the 1920ies.

I liked this nickname and adopted it as my eBay alias.

Legal advice / disclaimer:

www.billerbahn.com, www.billerbahn.de, www.billerpedia.com, www.billerpedia.de and www.billertoys.de

are private projects made, possessed and maintained by Torsten Schirdewahn, OT Roggow, Neue Reihe 9A, D-18279 Lalendorf - Germany