Busch (model railway accessories)
The Busch GmbH & Co. KG, formerly Busch Model Toys , is a German manufacturer of model railroad - and model accessories, including partly also includes car and other models and toys, science kits or software and counted. In addition to companies such as Noch , Auhagen and Heki - in microelectronics today also alongside Viessmann - it is one of the leading providers in its segment and is known for its wide range of products.
history
The company was founded by Ernst Busch on October 1st, 1955 in Mannheim . Initially, it was active in the manufacture and trade of pyrotechnic articles. Due to increasingly strict regulations, this activity was given up in 1957. After moving to Viernheim , the company manufactured plastic items. Production began with egg spoons and parts for sewing machines for external companies.
Since the production was not profitable for other companies, own products were developed. For the first time, Busch presented an airplane model, the ME 109, at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in 1958 and soon developed further models. In addition, Timpo figures were driven out of England . Since this did not promise sustainable success, a market niche was found with the accessories for electric model railways. The first model railway accessories were deep-drawn landscape parts (1960), litter, sand and pebbles, a miniature water pump, ship models, H0 street lamps and the H0 overhead line system. The first electrostatically flocked terrain and terrain carpets with imitation grass followed in 1962. In 1965, for the first time, Busch produced realistic-looking model trees with trunks and branches that were manufactured using injection molding technology. Shortly afterwards, “super model trees” were developed, which consisted of up to eight individual sprouts.
At the toy fair in 1971, "Toporama", a model railway landscape from the roll, was presented and also sold in cooperation with model railway manufacturers. In the same year, the company acquired its own property on Heidelberger Strasse in Viernheim, and in the summer of 1973 the company moved into its first factory building. From 1972, further product lines followed: A puppet theater made of plastic, models of gliders and a recorder and cassette program for children, a table mini golf game and 3-D posters. In 1975 the Busch family left the company and it was taken over by the Vallen family after Hans Vallen, who had been responsible for purchasing, product development and sales since 1956, had already been involved in 1966.
Electronic experiment kits have been developed since 1976 and, based on this, the first microelectronic items for model railways were brought onto the market in 1977. In 1981 the Microtronic experimental computer was presented. In the non-technical area, Busch presented what was then the largest fairy tale and adventure program for children on records and cassettes with over 250 titles in 1976, and in 1977 rag dolls with an associated fashion collection.
In 1984 the company presented a special merchandise management system for the toy trade under the name Busch Data-Service at the toy fair at a very affordable price at the time . Busch Data says it now has most of the computer installations and cash register systems in toy retailers. Software for planning model railroad systems, PC-Rail , was also developed. In the 1980s, Busch was primarily a leader in the field of microelectronics for railway systems, whereby - instead of using light bulbs as is the case with other manufacturers - colored LEDs were used for signals, traffic lights or flashing circuits .
In 1994 Busch took over the bankrupt Praliné company with its model car range and delivered the first Busch 1:87 models from the summer of that year. These are still produced in our own branch in Schönheide in Saxony . In addition to its own tool shop, a plastic injection molding shop and a printing shop, there has also been a laser cut department since 2008 . The manufacturer is one of the first in Germany to increasingly rely on the latter technology for its models and, in addition to the continued production of microelectronics and other model construction items, has built up a range of model buildings for the first time in the past ten years.
Products
The company is currently active in the following areas:
- Model worlds , over 900 model items for the diorama and as accessories for model railways of baby powders to electronics products and computer programs.
- Car models , over 400 different types and variants in 1:87 and 1: 160 scales.
- Sound and radio , walkie talkies, CD and MP3 players for children.
- Toys for girls , including a made-by-you handicraft collection designed to encourage children to make something they can use in everyday life.
- Busch Data-Service , merchandise management systems for toy and other specialty stores with integrated cash register systems and software developed in-house.
- Distribution of CDs, DVDs and toys , over 3,000 selected items from children's radio play CDs and DVD videos, dolls and doll clothes from Heless and, since 2019, learning and construction toys from Engino.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ "A large and good offer from Busch, Heki, Auhagen and Noch ..." Rainer Albrecht, Thomas Albrecht: Professional tips for locomotive model making , Transpress 2016
- ↑ a b c www.busch-model.info