issues . please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . learn how and when to remove these template messages this article contains content that is written like an advertisement . please help improve it by removing promotional content and inappropriate external links and by adding encyclopedic content written from a neutral point of view . november 2012 learn how and when to remove this template message this article does not cite any sources . please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . unsourced material may be challenged and removed . september 2011 learn how and when to remove this template message learn how and when to remove this template message wm. k. walthers inc. type private industry toys and hobbies founded 1932 founder bill walthers headquarters milwaukee wisconsin united states products model trains and accessories website www.walthers.com an sw8 made by walther s division life like wm. k. walthers inc. is a manufacturer and distributor of model railroad supplies and tools . contents 1 history 2 acquisitions expansions and vertical integration 3 products 4 references 5 external links history edit wm. k. walthers inc. was founded in milwaukee in 1932 though it started years earlier when seven year old bill walthers got his first taste of the hobby with a small wind up toy train for christmas . he continued with the hobby and eventually had an attic layout composed primarily of his own scratch built creations . after he wrote a series of articles on building train control and signaling systems he got so many letters from other modelers that he began manufacturing them . the first ad in the may issue of the model maker offered a 24 page 15 catalog that listed rail couplers and electrical supplies . sales were over 500.00 for the first year and the fledgling company was off to a strong start . by 1935 the catalogs were over 80 pages . 1 within five years walthers had grown so much that larger quarters were needed . space was found on erie street where everything from milled wood parts to metal castings to decals was made in house . 1937 also saw a new line in ho scale featured in its own catalog . bill brought operating layouts to the 1939 world s fair which gave the hobby a big boost . soon though the growing possibility of war overshadowed these successes and supplies were becoming increasingly difficult to obtain . the next twenty years brought great change . in 1958 bill retired and his son bruce took over . just as full size railroads were being hard hit by new technology so too were model railroads . leisure time was spent in front of the tv set not the train set . in 1960 walthers became a full line distributor of other manufacturers products while continuing expansion of the walthers lines . by the start of the 1970s business was booming again and bruce s son phil joined the company . acquisitions expansions and vertical integration edit expansion and diversification continue under phil s tenure . the establishment of the walthers importing division added several international lines . the company made agreements with several european companies to become the exclusive north american distributor for many famous european brands . the manufacturing plant was modernized . code 83 track was introduced in 1985 giving layouts more realistic proportions . in 1990 the cornerstone series buildings were unveiled . combining a freight car with a related industry the cornerstone series makes it possible for modelers to duplicate authentic operations enhancing layout realism . the train line deluxe sets and locomotives debuted in 1994 . these sets feature the detailing of serious models and an affordable price allowing newcomers to get started and then build on to their first set rather than replacing it . in 2005 walthers purchased life like from lifoam industries . with this purchase walthers acquired the proto lines that have become the backbone of their locomotive and rolling stock segments . the proto 2000 line allowed walthers to start offering its full passenger train subscription sets with all in house products . these sets have become some of walthers most recognized marketing tools and have recently been adopted by several of their competitors . in recent years changes in american retailing have hit the hobby industry particularly hard . many have blamed companies like walthers that have become increasingly vertically integrated with putting many of the small suppliers and local hobby shops out of business . however the retail trends were more the result of the evolution of mail order into on line retailing and less from direct marketing by distributors . the large distributors like walthers and horizon hobby started on line shopping sites more as a response to large internet retailers bypassing traditional distribution chains . walthers and horizon have both made efforts to protect their network of small local retailers by using msrp on most products on their websites which allow the small retailers to remain price competitive . today walthers continues to expand improve and develop a wide range of products . the latest selection can be found throughout walthers.com and the printed catalogs along with items from over 300 other manufacturers . from tiny screws to large structures there are literally thousands of products to make model railroading easier and more fun . behind the scenes walthers is constantly striving to provide excellent service to you and your local hobby shop to ensure that model railroading will be fun for generations to come . on july 16 18 2010 walthers was part of milwaukee s celebration of the national train show presented by the national model railroad association nmra which was founded in milwaukee in 1935 . products edit walthers is a large manufacturer and distributor of model trains . as of the company itself it produces mostly ho scale locomotives and rolling stock . walthers is also considered the main manufacturer of passenger cars from the 1930s to the present . citation needed new walthers brands waltherstrainline makes it easier than ever to discover model trains with an extensive selection of ho scale locomotives and cars fully assembled and ready for fun set up requires no special skills or tools and the easy to use instructions will have you running a train in just a few minutes . walthersmainline cars and locomotives are perfect for any railroad . they are built for frequent use and handling and will provide years of dependable service . ready to run right out of the box these products are fully assembled and beautifully detailed . walthersproto engines passenger equipment and freight cars build on the tradition of excellence established by the proto 2000 series walthers platinum line and walthers passenger cars . each walthersproto model is superbly detailed to match its prototype . references edit walthers w. k. data and price book for model railroaders 1935 . see also walthers w. k. the model railroad data and price book 1935 which may be an even earlier catalog . the former states that the 1934 bound volume of model railroader is available while the latter simple says back issues for 1934 are available . external links edit official website retrieved from https en.wikipedia.org w index.php title wm. k. walthers & oldid 743559325 categories companies based in milwaukeerail transport modellingmodel railroad manufacturershidden categories articles with a promotional tone from november 2012all articles with a promotional tonearticles lacking sources from september 2011all articles lacking sourcesall articles with unsourced statementsarticles with unsourced statements from january 2011 navigation menu personal tools not logged intalkcontributionscreate accountlog in namespaces article talk variants views read edit view history more search navigation main pagecontentsfeatured contentcurrent eventsrandom articledonate to wikipediawikipedia store 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