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Model Trains & Railways Manufacturers
A curated directory of 24 toy and model train makers — from early clockwork floor trains to electric O-gauge, HO, and N-scale railway systems. Every maker below has a full profile covering its history, founding, notable toys, and collecting notes.
24 manufacturers listed.
A.C. Gilbert Company
Founded by Alfred Carlton Gilbert, an Olympic pole vaulter, A.C. Gilbert became one of the most beloved educational toy companies …
American Flyer
American Flyer was Lionel's chief rival in the model train market. Known for their realistic S-gauge two-rail track system, Americ…
Arnold Company
Arnold is a venerable Nuremberg toy house that produced tin clockwork toys in the early 20th century before specializing in the hi…
Bassett-Lowke, Ltd.
Bassett-Lowke was the premier British maker of high-quality scale model railroads, ships, and engineering models. Wenman Joseph Ba…
Carlisle & Finch
Carlisle & Finch produced what is generally accepted as the first electric toy train sold in America, in 1896 — four years before …
Dorfan Company
Dorfan introduced several technical innovations including die-cast zinc locomotives ('Locodite'). Despite their brief existence, D…
GAMA (Georg Adam Mangold)
GAMA was a significant Nuremberg-area tin toy manufacturer known for high-quality lithographed tin clockwork cars, trucks, and tra…
Gebruder Bing
At its peak, Bing was the largest toy company in the world, employing thousands in Nuremberg. The company produced extraordinary l…
Gebruder Fleischmann
Fleischmann has been producing model trains for over 130 years. Known for exceptional HO and N scale craftsmanship, Fleischmann tr…
Gebruder Maerklin / Märklin
Märklin is among the most prestigious toy companies ever founded. Its 1891 sectional-track clockwork railway established the idea …
George Carette
Georges Carette, a Frenchman operating in Nuremberg, produced some of the finest tin toys of the Edwardian era. His clockwork auto…
Girard Model Works
Girard produced lithographed tin wind-up toys and toy trains. Their toys were eventually made under a production arrangement with …
Hafner Manufacturing Co.
Hafner produced affordable lithographed tin toy trains, competing in the lower-price segment of the market against Lionel and Amer…
Hornby (Meccano/Triang Hornby)
Frank Hornby introduced his famous O-gauge tinplate train system in 1920, which became Britain's most beloved toy train brand. Lin…
Ives Corporation
Ives was one of America's earliest and most important toy manufacturers, producing clockwork mechanical toys, cast-iron horse-draw…
J.L. Hess
One of the oldest toy companies in Nuremberg, J.L. Hess produced clockwork tin trains and pull-along toys across more than a centu…
JEP (Jouets en Paris)
JEP was one of France's most important toy manufacturers, producing fine lithographed tin clockwork cars, trains, and mechanical t…
Karl Bub
Karl Bub was a long-running Nuremberg toy company known for high-quality lithographed tin toys including clockwork cars, trains, a…
Lines Brothers (Tri-ang)
Lines Brothers was Britain's largest toy company, trading under the Tri-ang brand. They produced an enormous range including tin c…
Lionel Manufacturing Co.
Joshua Lionel Cowen founded Lionel after inventing a battery-powered toy train as a store window display. Lionel became synonymous…
Louis Marx & Company
Louis Marx built the world's largest toy company by producing affordable, high-quality toys sold through Sears and Woolworth's. Ma…
Meccano
Frank Hornby invented Meccano as a system of perforated metal strips, plates, and rods combined with nuts and bolts to build worki…
Noma Electric Corp.
Noma produced electric toys and holiday decorations, particularly famous for their Christmas tree lights. It also made lighted ele…
Tyco Toys
Tyco produced HO-gauge trains, slot car racing systems, and action figure lines across 70 years. Their HO trains were a more affor…