Model/Toy Train Manufacturers

1969 or Earlier
O-Gauge or Larger

(Years indicate approximate dates large gauge trains/accessories were manufactured.)

198 and counting...

Please note that this list is far from complete – for a number of reasons. First, I'm sure there are dozens of manufacturers I haven't discovered – yet. But beyond that, to keep the task manageable, I've deliberately limited its scope in several ways.

For the time being, I've only included companies that made running stock that was powered and ran on rails and/or associated rolling stock. That's surely excluded hundreds of suppliers, dealers, distributers, parts and accessory manufacturers, as well as the makers of many charming wooden trains, pull toys, floor trains and the like. I've also tended to exclude companies who marketed just one train or set as a one-off or specialty item, though I'm not sure I've been entirely consistent in this. (Apologies, for instance, to Leland-Detroit...)

Add to the above all I've excluded because they came into business after 1969 or make only HO, N, Z, etc. and it becomes obvious what a tiny portion of the whole toy/model train world over the past century-and-a-half I have listed below...

I've tried to be as complete and accurate as possible, but... Additions/corrections are welcome: clint@clintjefferies.com

* An asterisk indicates you can find photos of an item or two, or perhaps some paper from the company, with the appropriate search on my "Collection" page.

Toy/Model Train Manufacturers
Manufacturer Country In Operation Scale/Gauge
A
All Nation Line Manufacturing Co* American 1950 – 1972 O
American Flyer* American 1906 – 1966 O, Standard
American Miniature Railway Company* American 1907 – 1912 O, 1
American Model Railroad/Railway Co & Alexander Scale Models/E.P. Alexander* American 1927 – 1981 O
AMT (American Model Toys/Auburn Model Trains American 1948 – 1954 O
Archangel Models (Stewart Browne) British 1968 – Present O, 1
Arco British O
Astra Pharos* British 1922 – 1975 O
Athearn* American 194? – Pres. O
Atwater American ? – 194? O
David Auld New Zealand 1966 – 1989 O
Austral Railway Models Australian 1949 – 1965 O
B
B.P.R. Australian O
Baldwin Model Locomotive Works American 194? – 196? O
Bar-Knight British c1915 – c1935 O, 1
Bassett-Lowke* British 1898 – 1965 O, 1, 2, 15”
Heinrich (Heino) Becker German 1910 –? O
James Stanley Beeson British 1924 – 1990 O, 10mm, 7.25"
Eugene Beggs* American 1871 – 1907 1-7/8
Betal O
Francisco Biaggi (Giocattoli Eletto Meccanici [GEM]) Italian 1945 - 195? O, 1
Betts & Betts* American 1920's Transformers
Bing (GBN)* German 1880 – 1933 O, 1, Standard, 3
Bing British British 1933 – 1936 O
Birmingham Model Engineering Company
(James Bedington) (Tessted)		 British 1892 – 1912 1, 2, 3, 4 & non-standard
BLZ French 1947 – 1952 O
Bonds o' Euston Road* British 1887 – Present O
Boucher Manufacturing Company* American 1922 – 1943 1, Standard
Bowman Models British 1923 – 1935 O
Boxcar Ken American O
British Metal & Toy Manufacturers British 1914 – 1923
Brimtoy British 1923 – 1932 O
Bub (KBN)* German 1903 – 1966 O, 1
Bub British British 1920 – 1939 O
Buco* Swiss ? – 1958 O
Burnett Ltd. British 1914 – 1939 O
Butcher & Company British 1910 – 1916 O, 1, 2, 3
C
Georges Carette* German 1893 – 1917 O, 1, 3
Carlisle & Finch* American 1896 – 1915 2”
Jacques Caron French 1858 – 1892
Carson British 1905 – 1913 O, 1, 2, 3, 4
Central Locomotive Works American O
Chad Valley* British 18?? – 1978 O
CCW Model Manufacturing Co. British 195? – ? O
Chester Industrial Arts American 1950's O
E Chomeau French 1889 – ? O
Classic Model Corp American 1969 – ? Standard
Clyde Model Dockyard Scots 1879 – 1914 Probably only commissioned from other manufacturers
James Cohen American Standard
Comet New Zealand 195? – 195? O
Crovan Railroad Models/Minton Cronkhite American 1924 – 1939 O, 1
William J. Clauser American 1953 – 1965 O
Cragstan O
Cranko New Zealand 1946 – 1957 O
D
Darstaed Swiss 1966 – Present O
Dayton-Dinky American 1922 – 1925 4”
Johann Distler German 1938 – 1968 O
Doll & Co.* German 1920 – 1938
Doggenweiler Chilean 1933 – 1960 2, Standard
Dorfan American 1924 – 1934 O, Standard
Ferdinand Duclos French 1895 – 1902
Duvaz Argentine O
E
Edobaud French 1928 – 1939 O
Elektoy* American 1910 – 1917 1
Elettren* Italian 1946 – Present O
Exley British 1922 – 1962 O, 1
F
F.V./D.S. (Jules Faivre) French 1867 – 1895 Near O, O, 1, 2
Josef Falk* German 1895 – 1934 O
Fandor* German 1910 – 1936 O, 1
Ferris Australian 1946 – 1958 O
Figeura and Puig (Ardilla Trains) O
Fischer Model Railroads American
Fleet Australian 1950 – 1976 O
Fleischmann German 1938 – Present O
Fournereau-Marescot French 1928 – 1952? O
G
Jehu Garlick American 1895 1-7/8”
General Models Corporation* American O
General Trains American 1933 – 1934 Standard
Gils Belgian 1945 – 1965 O, 1
Girard Model Works (Joy Line) American 1920 – 1934 O
Max Gray/Perfection Scale Models* American 1935 – 1966 O
GMP* French 1955 – 1959 O
Gunthermann German 1877 – 1965
H
Hafner Manufacturing Company* American 1907 – 1951 O
HAG Swiss 1944 – 1957 O
Hallmen Australian O
Hawk Models American 1936 – 1941 O
Heller und Schiller German 194? – ? O
Herkules Austrian 1948 – 1952 O
Hermes O
Hines Lines* American 1946 - 195? O
Hirth Hobbies American 1950's O
Hobby Den Australian 1951 – 1953 O
Hoge* American 1931 – 1939 O
Hornby Railways* British 1920 – 1963 O
Howard American 1904 – 1907 2”
Hubley American 1892 – 1965
Heinrich Wimmer of Nuremberg (HWN) German 1928 – 1979 O
I
Issmayer* German 1861 – 1932 O, 1
Ives Manufacturing Company* American 1868 – 1928 O, 1, Standard
J
Jouet en Paris (JEP)* French 1899 – 1965 O
W. H. Jubb, Ltd. Sheffield (JLS)* British 1915 – 1922 O
K
Kasiner American 1947 O
*Katsumi Mokeiten Company (KTM) Japanese O
Henry Katz & Co. American 1929 – 1931
Kay Models (Kaymo) British 1923 – 1925 O
Keim German O
Kemtron Products American 1958 – 1972 O
Kibri Kindler & Briel* German 1895 – 1955 O, 1
David O. King American 1960 - 198? S, O, Standard
Kusan* American 1954 – 1961 O
Knapp Electric Novelty Company American 1904 – 1912 2”
Joseph Kraus and Company German 1910 – ? O
Kris Model Trains American 1967 – 1990 O
L
Leeds Model Company* British 1912 – 1967 O
Lehnhardt GmbH German 1966 – Present O
Carl Liebmann Metallwerke German 1945 – 1951 O
Lionel Corp.* American 1901 – 1969 O, Standard, 2-7/8”
Lobaugh American 1932 – 1983 O
Louis Roussy (LR) (Le Rapide Trains)* French 1926? – 1956 O
M
Charles Maltete French 1866 – 1876
Maltete et Parent French 1876 – 1912
Mantua American 1935 - ? O
Marklin* German 1891 – Present O, 1, Standard, 2, 3, V
Louis Marx and Company* American 1938 – 1975 O
Marescot French 192? – 1928 O
Mattarazzo Argentine O
Mattarazzo Brazillian O
Maurlyn Australian 1948 – 1957 O
McCoy Manufacturing American 1957 – 1998 Standard, 2-7/8”
Meccano Ltd.* British 1920 – 196? O
McCredie Australian 1942 – 195? O
Merkur* Czechoslovakian 1930 – 1968 O
Mettoy British 1933 – 195? O
Milbro (Mills Brothers)* British 1919 – 1962 O
Miniature Reproduction Company British 192? – 193? O
Minor Czechoslovakian ? O
Model Engineering Works American 195? – ? Standard
Model Structures Company* American 1940 – O
Montessano & Vinuesa (Movi Trains) Argentine O
O
O Gauge House Australian 1937 – 1958 O
P
Paya Hermanos Spanish 1910 –? O
Penzverde (PéVé) Hungarian O
Phoenix Model Company Australian 1953 – 1985 O
Pioner Expressen Danish 194? – 195? O
Pittman American O
Ernst Plank German 1866 – 1900 1, 3
Leonard Pluck Australian O
Georges Potier French 1876 – 1878
Prototype Model Railways Australian 1935 – 1941 O
Q
Quality Craft (Weaver)* American 1965 - 2015 O
Quierolo (Electro Trains) Argentine O
R
Radiguet & Massiot French 1889 – 1900
Railcraft American ? – 1951 O
Le Rapide (Louis Roussy) French 192? – 1954 O
Heinrich Rehse German 1914 – 1958 O
Renown Australian 194? – 195? O
Rico S.A. Spanish 1922/30 – 1984
Rivarossi Trains Italian 1968 – 2001 O
Robilt Australian 1946 – 196? O
Charles Rossignol French 186? – 1962 O
Rovex/Tri-ang British 1966 – ? O
Rock & Graner Nachfolger German c1870 – 1904 O, 1, 2
S
Sakai* Japanese 194? – 195? O
Emile Sander (E.S.) French 1892 – 1895
ScaleCraft* American 1934 – 195? O
Schoenner* German 1875 – 1912 O, 29”
Adolf Schumann German 192? – ? O
Scorpion Australian 1948 – 196? O
Seki Japanese 1935 – 1938 O
Smith & White American 1901
Stadtilm (VEB Metallwarenfabrik Stadtilm Thüringen) German 1951 – 1955 O
R F Stedman & Co Ltd British 1928 – 1931 O
Stevens Model Dockyard British 1843 – 193? various non-standard
Superior Models American 1946 – 1955 O
T
Tantet, Manon et Berton French 1879 – 189?
Thomas* American 1965 – 1969 Standard
Thorley Hoople* American 195? – 1959 O
Arthur Trimingham Australian 1929 – 1956 O
U
U & R Hobbies American 1949 – 1952
Unique Art American 1949 – 1951 O
USSR Soviet Union 1951 – 1969 O
V
Verdú, Rico y Cia Spanish 1910/15 – 1922/30
Victor Australian 1930 – 194? O
Voltamp* American 1904 – 1922 2”
W
Walthers* American 1931 – Pres. O
Weeden* American 1888 – 193? O, 2-3/16
A. Wells & Company British 1919 – 1932 O
Wells-Brimtoy British 1932 – 1970 O
Whitanco British 1915 – 1922 O
Jerry White American 193? – 1939 O
Wittrock Danish O
Wyandotte Toy Company* American 1921 – 195? O
Y
Ypsilon German 1920 – ? 1
Z
Zeuke & Wegwerth German 1946 – 1951 O

For a MUCH more complete list of O-gauge manufacturers including parts and accessories, past and present:
Binns Road