I’m wondering who the biggest manufacturer of S gauge trains is in the US? Any thoughts?
The big 3 are Lionel/American Flyer, American Models, and MTH. MTH recently bought the S Helper Line and is getting it back into production. With Lionel/American Flyer’s recent increase in products, it’s difficult to say who the largest, but I think they are still behind American Models. Until MTH gets the full S Helper Line going, they are in 3rd place, but I expect that to change quickly.
Both MTH and American Models offer scale versions of their trains as well as HiRail. Lionel has recently started to offer some scale versions. The S Scale Model Railroading page offers a good place to learn about S manufacturers. The NASG also has information.
Enjoy
Paul
Enjoy
Paul
Clairification Please.
Who is the largest manufacturer in the Uniuted States of America, which manufacturers their respective products in the United States of America, using American Labor?
And or…
A American based company, owned by a American and or American’s, the utilize the services of a government run industry, The People Republic of China, using extremely low wage Chinese Nationals, to produce the product and making A KILLING on profits per unit and or batch?
Run Eight,
Your post has a lot of politcal over tones to say the least.
I suggest you re-read the forum rules as our host does not allow discussions of geo-politics, even if it relates to model trains.
Hardly any company, regardless of ownership, makes model trains, of any scale, in the US - I suspect you would not like the prices if they did.
And, if we could discuss this, I would suggest that that you offer some proof regarding the accusation that any company is making excessive profits on items produced in China - there is considerable evedence to the contrary.
How much profit is a “killing”? Have you ever run a manufacturing business?
But since you have this all figured out, I suggest you open a factory and make some model trains in the USA - let us know how that works out for you.
But what could I possibly know, I only started working in my first hobby shop job in 1970, and later managed a train department in a successful full line hobby store.
Sheldon
Thanks Sheldon.
These people that whine and complain never seem to offer up a solution, or want to pick up the torch and run with it. Like I tell my kids,“don’t come to me whining unless you have a solution for the problem”.
Volunteering at things like three day Hockey tournements for the kids, you hear from a few whiner parents, complaining about some little thing. It is funny how fast they shut up and leave you alone when you tell them you are doing it as a volunteer and you suggest they volunteer next year to put in all the hours.
LION was downtown Manhattan (two years ago) and was watching the cars as the emerge from the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel. Way more than half were of foreign manufacture, not that all Ameracan cars are of US manufacture or that there are foreign cars that are made in America.
From places like New York and New Jersey, bastians of liberal thought and ideas, more than half the people buy foreign when they could have bought American just as easily.
Go Figure, it is beyond the ken of a LION to figure it out. But here in conservative mid-America, most vehicles are still American made.
ROAR
American made is relative. I keep reading that the most American made vehicle is the Toyota Camry.
As a rail fan I have mixed feelings I also read that the Chinese made goods coming into the US by container are is boom to U S railroads.
Having said all this I do try to buy American when I can.