Beginning to the End of Lima Model Trains
Lima Model Trains
The appearance of model train railroading has been over 100 years ago. The world has seen many companies that manufactured these ultimate toys, come, and go. While a few of the bigger names seem to continue to thrive or at least hang on through the surging and waning interests of miniature railroad building, other companies have enjoyed, but a brief moment in the sunlight and then forever gone, forgotten. However, there is one model train manufacturer that survived for over 50 years, earning an excellent reputation and competing in the world market before going under forever. This company, Lima Model Trains, still have its fans today and some of the cars from this vintage railroad demand a high price on the market for those collectors seeking to add to their collections.
Lima Model Trains founded in 1946 to manufacture parts for the real Italian State Railway. However, its usefulness as parts manufacturing cut short when the Italian Railway decided to produce its own parts leaving the company without a contract or a product to produce.
In 1948 Lima Model Trains switched its aluminum casting capabilities and its attention to the building of toy boats, cars and trains. In 1953, the miniature railroads produced by this company considered quite primitive and little more than toys for young children. However, by 1962 the quality of their product had improved to such an extent that they began competing with models from France and Germany and a few other companies.
Lima Model Trains
By the early 1970s, Lima Model Train had broken into the world market selling in the United Kingdom, United States, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and South Africa as well as Australian and Scandinavian markets.
In less than thirty years this company became one of the best selling scale model railroad manufacturers in the world. Their success seemed almost assured, but such was not the case. Financial difficulties began to befall the company, and in an effort to continue to manufacture. They spent the next several years consolidating and merging with a number of other companies, but the end these consolidations failed and the company ceased forever in 2004.
Hornsby International purchased much of the companies tooling and designs and under their name produces some of the same miniature railroad products. It is not the same. Those who loved the original Lima train company and its products remain loyal. Many are hoarding their scale model railroads and still running them today. Other collectors who loved this model train spend hours each year searching for additions for their Lima trains, and hoping that individuals selling a car, locomotive or an entire set that they can add to their railroads.
While the company was thriving on many of these items, they are highly sought after collectors’ items, due to the small production orders of these Lima trains. It is these collectors and their love for this scale railroad manufacturer that will keep the name of Lima Model Trains alive for many generations to come.
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