Ignaz and Adolf Bing were Jewish and by 1900 their factory was the biggest toy factory in the world. The 1st WW and consequent trade levies on German goods caused the company to decline.

Model trains first appeared in the late 19th century as simple tinplate toys, often crafted by hand. Companies like Märklin in Germany and Lionel in the United States were pioneers in this space.

HO scale model trains are a significant part of model railroading history, and we can partially credit the overall popularity ...