Maker record
Wilesco
Wilesco is a German maker of live-steam models, including stationary engines, mobile steam rollers and tractors, and drive models. Its parent metalware factory, Wilhelm Schröder GmbH & Co., began model steam-engine production in 1950, alongside a wider range of metal goods. The models use working boilers and cylinders to drive flywheels and connected accessories. Wilesco’s mobile range includes the Old Smoky steam roller, introduced in 1966, and later steam vehicles.
- Founded
- 1912
- Locations
- Germany
The story of Wilesco
The metalware factory Wilhelm Schröder GmbH & Co. was founded in 1912. The Wilesco name derives from Wilhelm Schröder & Co. The company began as an aluminium foundry making cutlery, badges and furniture fittings. In the early 1920s it added aluminium doll’s cutlery and small toy pots. The company says exports of this household playware to the United States helped it weather the economic crisis of the 1930s.
The factory expanded its die-casting operations, adding zinc and aluminium die-casting in 1939. Its product range included metalware as well as toys, and it continues to list weighing scoops and hooks alongside industrial cast components. Model steam engines and drive models entered production in 1950. The stationary engines were followed by mobile models: the Old Smoky steam roller joined the range in 1966, followed by a steam tractor and a steam fire engine based on a 1904 Magirus vehicle. Wilesco’s models use working steam boilers and cylinders, with flywheels and drive connections for operating accessories.
