Wm. K. Walthers, Inc. was literally founded in Milwaukee in 1932 however the entire concept of the company really gave birth when Bill Walthers a seven year old boy, initialized and cultivated his hobby due to a wind-up toy train which is a gift for Christmas. After he wrote a series of articles on building train control and signaling systems, he got so many letters from other modelers that he began manufacturing them thus is the advent of Walthers trains.
It made a decent amount of money in its first year, even if it wasn’t a huge amount of money by our standards. However, during World War II the company also experienced its own version of depression. Through the years the Walthers company has proven again and again that it can come back from a hard time, and still offer the quality merchandise
During the war, model manufacturers were ordered to stop production in order to conserve critical metal supplies. Walthers produced from nonessential and trivial materials. The postwar era actually paved way for the rapid growth for this interesting hobby, however, smaller homes and new families are not amenable to the conventional O scale layouts, and many modelers following this trend eventually moved to HO Scale.
In 1958, Bill eventually retired and left the business for his son Bruce to take over. Leisure time then was only and solely spent in front of the television set, not the train set. Walthers became a full-line distributor and key figure of various manufacturers’ products while it continues its expansion of the Walthers products and services. By the start of the 1970’s, business was booming again, and Bruce’s son Phil joined the company.
Expansion and diversification continue under Phil’s tenure. The Walthers Importing Division was established and added several international branches as it paved the way for the modernization of its manufacturing plant. In 1990, the company unveiled its Cornerstone Series buildings. This series made it possible for the duplication of authentic operations and the conceptualization and enhancement of layout realism among others. In 1994, the Train Line Deluxe Sets and other locomotives innovation finally made its debuted. These amazing innovations featured the detailing of remarkable and affordable models, with those new in the industry, having the chance to make and build on their own sets without any replacements.
In contemporary times, Walthers continued its legacy with its expansion, improvement and development of products in a wide array of series and collections. The company is managed by the founder’s grandson, and they offer many reference books along with N scale trains. One of the outstanding products of the company, Walthers N scale trains are considered as one of the finest in the country, and these amazing products are truly worthy of any collector having them either on their shelves or even on their tracks.
The latest selection of Walthers trains can be found throughout walthers.com and printed catalogs, along with items from over 300 other manufacturers. From the minutest of materials to the most prominent of details and structures, there are literally hundreds and thousands of products especially made to ensure that your model railroading becomes easier and more fun. Behind the scenes, the company is constantly striving to provide excellent service to you and your local hobby shop, to ensure that model railroading will be fun for generations to come.
