Manufacturers come and go in model railroading, and the O gauge market is no exception – 2 or 3 rail, scale or semi scale. From vast offerings to specific products, let’s find out who is producing today for the customer.
If you know of a manufacturer not on this list, please contact us at editor@classictoytrains.com.
Vast offerings
Atlas Model Railroad Company, Inc.
Atlas might have a history of specializing in track, but it offers a broad range of products. This includes the O-scale lineup under Atlas O that continues to grow due to the acquisition of selected tooling from MTH in 2021, followed by a shared tooling deal with the manufacturer in 2023.
Atlas’ primary focus is highly detailed 1:48-scaled locomotives, rolling stock, structures, and scenery for both 2- and 3-rail operations with the company’s Master and [MTH tooling] Premier lines. However, its Trainman and Industrial Rail lines are sturdy products with molded detail parts for a more economic offering. Of course, Atlas continues to specialize in track with its 3 rail-only industrial road track, and scale track in both 2 and 3 rail.
It’s important to note that past, 3-rail command-control locomotives from Atlas used Lionel’s Trainmaster Command Control. Current products are now powered by MTH’s Digital Command System with Proto-Sound 3.0. Locomotives for 2-rail command rely on the traditional Digital Command Control though now include the option of DCS.
Bachmann Industries
Locomotives, rolling stock, track, and more in the O-gauge 3-rail market are offered today by Bachmann. Though keep in mind the different subsidiaries operating under the large distributor, and the specific products they offer to customers.
Williams was acquired in 2007 and rebranded as Williams by Bachmann. Its product line consists of limited scale diesels operating in conventional mode but with True Blast sounds, Eggliners, freight cars, E-Z track, and electronic accessories. Structures are available through Plasticville and Prices, while scenery is offered by SceneScapes.
Lionel Trains, LLC
Lionel is one of the oldest companies in the industry, yet still one of the leaders in electric toy train and model railroad manufacturing. Though now branching into HO and S scale (the latter under the subsidiary American Flyer), O-gauge 3-rail trains continue to be Lionel’s bread and butter.
The products in both scale and semi scale are vast with locomotives, rolling stock, structures, scenery, track (FasTrack with an added roadbed), electronics, and tools. Lionel offers products for beginners with LionChief Plus train sets, as well as products for seasoned experts, like the advanced Legacy and VisionLine locomotives. The company also partners with multiple companies for licensed branding on their own products, with the most popular being the Polar Express.
Command-controlled locomotives operate under the company’s own systems. They include Legacy, TMCC, LionChief, LionChief+, and FlyerChief.
Menards
Even though Menards has had its hat in the ring for a while now, it still might be strange to see a home improvement chain offering toy trains. But it’s refreshing to see the gap filled when it comes to products made affordable for the masses.
Menards’ O-gauge line comprises starter sets, rolling stock, vehicles, and structures in scale and semi scale. If you really want to talk about filling in gaps, the company also sells tubular track, which was once a staple in Lionel’s product line.
MTH Electric Trains
MTH was founded by Mike Wolf in 1980 as Mike’s Train House. The company was a powerhouse, known for its innovation and vast manufacturing of products in O (2 and 3 rail), HO and S scale, as well as Gauge 1 and Standard Gauge. Wolf’s retirement in May 2021 led to the downsizing of the company: liquidating the HO- and S-scale tooling to ScaleTrains, and select tooling in the O gauge line being sold to Lionel and Atlas.
MTH has since transitioned into three smaller companies with a condensed staff, and has relocated to Elkridge, Md. The company continues to produce O-gauge 3-rail products with announcements each month on the company’s website. The Premier series showcases scale models, while RailKing offers semi scale at an affordable price. Locomotives from both brands include ProtoSound 3.0 with the DCS command system. The system itself still is supported by MTH with the recent release of the WTIU for both Wi-Fi and traditional command base operations.
Sunset Models Inc.
For those looking to build a high-end 1:48-scaled fleet in 2 or 3 rail, Sunset Models will be up your alley. The built-to-order models will obviously come with high-end prices, but the level in detail will tout the items as priceless. It’s important to note the following subsidiaries under Sunset Models.
The 3rd Rail Division produces mainly brass diesels and occasional rolling stock. Production of steam locomotives was recently reported to be discontinued for the foreseeable future. Locomotives operating in 2 rail use ESU Loksound 5.0 for DCC and DC, while 3 rail counterparts are equipped with Lionel’s TMCC and Railsounds, along with cruise circuit boards by Electric Railway Circuits (ERR). Golden Gate Depot specializes in plastic- or aluminum-built passenger cars, in addition to accessories such as figures and truck assemblies.
Specific products
- Alexander Scale Models/Stewart Products – Structures and detail parts
- All Scale Miniatures – Figures and scenery
- Altoona Model Works – Structures and detail parts
- Ameri-Towne – Structures and detail parts
- Arttista Accessories – Figures and scenery
- Bar Mills Scale Model Works – Structures
- Better Than Scratch – Structures
- Blair Line LLC – Structures, billboards, and signs
- Bowser – Cal Scale detail parts, and foam work cradle
- Brennans Model Railroading – Ballast, natural ground cover, and structures
- Busch Railway Accessories – Scenery and electronics
- Caboose Industries – Rigid and sprung ground throws
- Cannon & Company – Detailed diesel parts
- Centerline Products – 2- and 3-rail track cleaning cars and accessories
- Chooch Enterprises – Rock, stone, brick and timber walls, and tunnel portals
- Daron Toys – Vehicles
- Design Preservation Models – Structures
- Detail Associates – Detail parts
- Downtown Deco – Structures
- Dwarvin – Lamplighters and accessories
- East Coast Enterprises – Structures
- Evemodel – Figures, scaled tank and shipping containers, lights, signals and other electronics, and scenery
- Firma Seuthe – Smoke unit generators
- Frenchman River Model Works – Boats, structures, vehicles, figures, and detail parts
- GarGraves Trackage Corporation – 2- and 3-rail scale track and switches, and layout building accessories
- GCLaser – Structures and detail parts
- Grand Central Scenery – Scenery and structures
Grandt Line – Structures and detail parts - Hi-Tech Details – Detail parts
- Itty Bitty Lines – Cork roadbed
- JT’s Mega-Steam – Smoke fluid and lubricants
- JTT Scenery – Scenery
- Kadee – Scale couplers and tools
- Korber Models – Structures and detail parts
- Micro Engineering – 2 rail track
- Microscale Industries – Decals
- Midwest Products – Cork sheets and roadbed
- Miller Engineering – Billboards, signs, and lighting products
- Miniatronics – Lighting and electronics
- Model Power – Figures
- Monroe Models – Tunnel portals and walls
- N Scale Architect – Building sheets and walls
- NOCH – Scenery
- Northeastern Scale Lumber – Roofs, floors, lumber, and kits
- Northwest Short Line – Stanton drives, mechanical parts, and tools
- PECO – 2-rail rolling stock, tracks, and structures
- Phoenix Precision Models – Structures and scenery
- Plastruct – Structures and detail parts
- Preiser – Figures
- Ready Made Trains – 3 rail scaled freight cars, and figures
- Rock Island Hobby – Lighting and figures
- Ross Custom Switches – 3 rail track and switches, roadbed, bridges, transfer tables, and turntables
- San Juan Details – Structures and detail parts
- Todd Architectural Models – Structures and detail parts
- TW Trainworx – Bridges
- Twin Whistle – Billboards, structures, and detail parts
- Woodland Scenics – Scenery, structures, and roadbed
