 Karl Gölsdorf was an active member of the German Railway Administrations Union and also brought his expertise to bear as the co-publisher of the paper "Eisenbahntechnik der Gegenwart" ("Railway Technology Today").His collection of photographs earned special fame in connexion with this; it is owned today by the Deutsches Museum.Karl Gölsdorf died unexpectedly on 18 March 1916 at Wolfsbergkogel whilst staying in Semmering, Austria, of an acute throat infection and not, as incorrectly reported in media at the time, from the consequences of an accident with a locomotive.