Last week, the model railway community was surprised to learn of the closure of Hattons Model Railways, a renowned United Kingdom-based model railways manufacturer and distributor. In the ensuing days, questions have arisen regarding the future of M.B. Klein, also known as Model Train Stuff. It was announced in September of 2023 that M.B. Klein had been acquired by Hattons. A representative from Hattons has issued the following statement to Model Railroader regarding the future of Model Train Stuff:
“At this present time, the company is undergoing reorganization and we will share further news as to the outcome of this in due course. Hattons does own M.B. Klein; However, the two companies are operated as separate entities.”
Since the announcement of Hattons closure, the status of Model Train Stuff’s website changed to reflect the current status of the company. A statement on their homepage reads:
“We have stopped accepting orders, pending a company reorganization.
Customer service agents are still available to handle order queries.
We will provide more information as soon as it is available.”
Originally founded in 1913 as a hardware store known as M.B. Klein, the company has since evolved into a model train distributor operating out of Maryland.
The exact date of Hattons closure is not known yet, but an announcement is expected in the coming weeks. A customer FAQ page can be found here.
