Maker record
Hobby Train
Hobbytrain is a model railway brand whose early N-gauge range included German and Swiss locomotives, railcars, passenger coaches and freight wagons. Dr. Kurt Moser introduced the first model samples at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in 1984; the Baureihe 86 locomotive followed in 1985. Production involved Japanese manufacturer Kato for early models, while later products also came from European manufacturers. Lemke acquired Hobbytrain rights in 2002 and continued the brand, with models in N and H0 gauges.
- Founded
- 1952
- Countries
- United States
- Locations
- Chicago, USA · Toronto, Canada
- Founders
- John Robert
The story of Hobby Train
In 1984, Dr. Kurt Moser of Innsbruck presented the first Hobbytrain samples at the Nuremberg Toy Fair: a Class 86 locomotive and the SVT 137 “Fliegender Hamburger” railcar. Japanese manufacturer Kato made the models. The Class 86 appeared in 1985, distributed in Germany by Schreiber of Nuremberg and in Switzerland by Bänninger of Winterthur. Lemke took over German distribution in 1987.
Moser took over Lima’s N-gauge range in 1988 and sold those models as minibahn. The third Hobbytrain catalogue appeared that year. The 1990 catalogue announced further models that were not released. Spur N Datenbank records that Hobbytrain had to cease operations in 1991. In 1999, Sachsenmodelle acquired Hobbytrain molds and rights and announced reissues. Lemke acquired the rights in 2002; Kato again produced models whose tooling remained in Japan, while Tillig made the wagons. Lemke subsequently continued to develop and sell models under the Hobbytrain name in N and H0 gauges.