| Students of US history know that following World | | | | The WWII baby boom was growing up and they |
| War II, the economy was poised to take off. | | | | were fewer children to replace them. As in any |
| Battles had not been fought on our shores and | | | | market correction, companies are closed and |
| men were returning home ready to start careers | | | | brands lost. |
| and families. To model life like trains after the | | | | The sixties were dismal. For the companies that |
| troop carriers was a natural, and the children | | | | survived the shrinking market, there were two |
| loved them. The manufacturers cranked out | | | | lessons learned. One was the realization that toy |
| electric train sets right and left. To entice the | | | | trains were actually sold to adults, the other, the |
| children, manufacturers and designers added more | | | | cost of production. For the scale modeler the |
| features, live steam and action cars. This was the | | | | trains were made more accurate and detailed. For |
| time the HO scale trains made their successful | | | | the collector the trains became objects in their |
| move for market share. | | | | own right to be collected. |
| When production restarted in Europe the HO scale | | | | To contain cost, a cheapening of the product was |
| won out with the exception of Britain where the | | | | needed. New sources for production were found |
| OO continued to reign. New players arose in | | | | in Hong Kong, China and Eastern Europe. |
| Europe: Fleishman in Germany, Rovex-Triang in | | | | Something worked for in Britain new |
| England and Rivarossi in Italy. Each grew to have | | | | manufacturers arose in the 1970 and established a |
| a large place in the European market and the new | | | | sizeable market. New gauges have emerged, the |
| ranges used 12v DC two rail standards from the | | | | N and Z for small scales and the G for the large |
| beginning. | | | | scale group. In the US where "Bigger is better" |
| In the 1950s, the toy train was recognized as a | | | | the large scales have a strong market, even the |
| major toy. They were manufactured in the tens | | | | old toy three rail gauge O standards. |
| of thousands. While the toy gained prominence | | | | Germany settled on two major two makers, so |
| the real railways were slowly sinking in popularity | | | | the toy train remains with a wider range than |
| with the advance of the plane and auto. The | | | | ever before. The model train industry of today |
| fifties became a transitional time for the toy train | | | | has clearly made items for the adult enthusiast |
| business. The imagination and desires of children | | | | modeler, the collector and thankfully still for |
| was changing and the whole market was shrinking. | | | | children. |