Fleischmann (model railroads)

The Fleischmann GmbH and Co. KG is a toy manufacturer based in Heilsbronn in the district of Ansbach. They only produced model trains and is in Europe to Marklin, Hornby and Roco 's fourth largest supplier with a market share of about 10% at present 18.2 million Euros annual turnover (in 2009 ). Approximately 20% of production is exported. Since 2008 Fleischmann is a subsidiary of the German - Austrian model railroad holding.

History

The company was founded in 1887 by Jean Fleischmann and produced initially, especially tin toys such as ships, aircraft or magnetic floating animals. 1889, the factory at 13 church road in the district of Nuremberg St. Johannis was purchased. 1938 took over Fleischmann during the linearization the company Doll & Co. Nuremberg from their Jewish owners at a fraction of their market value. This model railways track 0 and steam engines were added as new production priorities. Even in winter 1938/39, they began to develop their own true to the original railway models. Until the war-related, by law, setting the toy production and the track -0- program of Doll was continued. After the war the steam engines and drive models of Doll were largely continued to be produced, first under the name Doll, later under his own name. In 1969, the production of steam engines was adjusted.

In 1949 Fleischmann turned first, before a track -0- model railroad in the two-wire direct current system. Until that time, model trains were operated with different three-wire systems. The production was set back in 1959 but due to the success of the on the market since 1952 H0 gauge. This used Fleischmann initially a scale of 1:82, then 1:85 later. Meanwhile, the entire H0 market has practically agreed on 1:87. After the Arnold in 1960 in Germany presents the first major auto manufacturer, the gauge N, Fleischmann moved to with his piccolo range on the same scale in 1969.

1967, Fleischmann car racetrack system " car rally" to the range, later called " Rallye Monte Carlo", which was the market leader, " Carrera Universal" equal. Until 1969 models were built at a scale of 1:24 and 1:32, from 1970 only concentrated on the nominal size 1:32. The rail system corresponded to the international standard two-wire and was wider than the Carrera, but offered less radii and special lanes. The rail connections were better and more durable. The wiper system offered significantly better contact, and the model quality surpassed the competition with the exception of the racetrack "Sprint" by Märklin. Against the cheaper competition from Carrera, however, Fleischmann could not prevail. The system was launched in 1989 by the market.

In early 2008 Fleischmann was taken over by the German - Austrian model railway Holding, the owner of the competitor Roco and its headquarters were transferred from Nuremberg to Heilsbronn. Since then the company will be restructured, which is associated with a loss of jobs formerly of 340 (as of 2007) to 180 currently (as of 2010 ). A further reduction in personnel to 130 employees is announced. The Nuremberg property has been sold, the factory buildings have been converted for residential use and built on the free surfaces of new buildings.

In October 2012, the 125th anniversary, the company Fleischmann managed the production of the longest H0 model railroad track in the world and brought her so that an entry in the Guinness Book of Records.

Product range

Fleischmann offers full ranges with stock, track and accessories such as hubs or engine shed in the following nominal sizes:

• Magic Train, 0e, Scale 1:45, a robust game train, which runs on H0- tracks and is now no longer produced.
• H0, 1:87 scale, primarily two-wire dc system
• Piccolo, N, scale 1:160

There was also a hub an attempt to enter the TT market. In contrast to most of the major competitors only a small part of H0 locomotives for the three rail AC system is offered by Märklin.

The range is characterized primarily by a very long even for the more leisurely model train industry product availability. About the 50th series Even the older of the two track systems with 2.7 mm profile height dates back to the 1960s - so some locomotives and cars in scale 1:85 are still available. The newer is against this are visually improved, but has also 2.5 mm high rail profiles - some competitors have brought in by this time two or three new rail systems on the market. The coaches are now offered in a length scale of 1:93, so are usually 282 mm long ( 26.4 - m- cars). For longer models the length scale is maintained, while the competitors limit their 1:100 models usually have a length of 264 mm.

The long-standing slogan " The Fleischmann - web, this distinctive you do remember, the Federal Railroad is in small " is reflected to this day against the range. Vehicles foreign rail companies are hardly offered in Germany compared to most competitors. However, there are many countries special, only available there series. It does not recognizable role, whether the role models go to Germany or not - on the one hand, there are locomotives that ran only in Sweden, in the standard range, on the other hand, especially internationally, running freight cars are just to get in their home countries. Also locomotives of private railway companies are generally provided only as a single series, while self Federal Railroad individual pieces, such as the blue / beige series 194, are available in the long term.

In January 2010, the Model Railway Holding announced that Fleischmann in H0 focus on historical models until about 1950, in N, however, the full range will continue to operate.

Digital Control

In 1986 Fleischmann presented the digital multi-train Fleischmann FMZ. However, this system was not compatible with other digital systems. Not even a use of FMZ locomotives on an analog system is possible. The system could not prevail on the market and was supplemented in a row by the twin decoder and the Twin Center, both supported by both the FMZ and the DCC protocol. This can also products from other manufacturers that use the DCC format, can be controlled on a system with the twin center simultaneously and Fleischmann vehicles with twin decoder can also be operated on DCC systems. Meanwhile Fleischmann features increasingly in pure DCC products that are no longer FMZ - compatible.

Exhibition

In Schwabacher City Museum is located on 800 m², the world's largest Fleischmann exhibition.

The Nuremberg Transport Museum also has a demonstration plant that is taken every hour for 10 minutes in operation. The plant is 80 m² in size, was built between 1960 and 1970 and is controlled by relay 5000.