Spielwarenfabrik August Ottenjann (OJA)

The Spielwaren-Fabrik August Ottenjann (Toy Factory August Ottenjann) was founded in 1948 in Oldenburg (then US Zone West Germany) by August Hubert Karl Ottenjann (born 19 September 1913) and was active until 1956. In May 1951 the German trade journal “das Spielzeug” (“The Toy”) showed an OJA set with an 0-4-0 steam outline clockwork and three items of bogie rolling stock, a van, an open wagon and a refrigerator van (“Kühlwagen).  According to the caption, this was available as a set with 8 curved and 2 straight pieces of track. The bogies were near copies of those used by Kraus before the war. The couplings used were also of the same pattern as used by Kraus and its successor Keim. The same bodies (with a length over buffers of 17.5 cm) were also used to create four-wheel rolling stock, with the axle guards being separate items, riveted to the floor of the cars using the holes already there for the fitting of the bogies.

Later a slightly smaller four-wheel passenger car was added to the range, which has been found with buffers and without. It is surmised that the passenger cars without buffers were late issue, with the buffers being deleted as an austerity measure.

The rolling stock was marked with a logo oAo in rounded letters in the lithography on the ends of the cars and with the same logo pressed into the underside; the passenger car (invariably coloured red) had no less than three logos on the ends: the rounded oAo logo, the same in angular letters and, very small, a logo consisting of two smoking factory chimney stacks.

As for toy cars, a dump truck is known, with a plastic cabin and tinplate tipping bin and base plate.

The Spielwaren-Fabrik closed in 1956, but in December of the same year Ottenjann founded a new factory, Oldenburger Blech- und Metallwarenfabrik August Ottenjann  (Oldenburg Sheet Metal and Metalware Factory August Ottenjann), which as far as is known, no longer produced toys. This firm was dissolved shortly before his death on 18 November 1967.

In 1991 an electric 3-rail 0 gauge OJA locomotive surfaced, which had a streamlined body inspired by the Series 05 streamlined locos of the German Reichsbahn, but with a rather curious 0-6-4 wheel arrangement. The maroon body of this loco was lithographed, which indicates series production, but so far no other examples have been sighted.