Boucher Manufacturing Company
Encyclopedia
The Boucher Manufacturing Company was an American
toy
company that specialized in toy boats and toy train
s. It is best remembered today as the last manufacturer of Standard Gauge/Wide gauge
toy trains until the much smaller McCoy Manufacturing
revived the old standard in the mid-1960s.
Boucher entered the toy train business in 1922 with its purchase of the Voltamp
line of trains. Voltamp had been a direct competitor to Carlisle & Finch
, the inventor of the electric toy train. Boucher modified the Voltamp trains from Carlisle & Finch's 2 inches (50.8 mm) gauge to match Lionel Corporation's Standard gauge. The Voltamp/Boucher offerings were highly accurate and detailed and occupied the premium
end of the market.
For the duration of Boucher's life the market was dominated by the so-called "Big Four" of Lionel, Ives
, Dorfan
, and American Flyer
. Like all of them, Boucher struggled through the Great Depression
, and while it outlived all but Lionel, by 1940 the 2 1/8-inch Standard gauge had become an orphan standard that was priced beyond the means of most consumers. Without a smaller, more affordable product to sell, and with World War II
limiting what it could produce, Boucher went out of business in 1943.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
toy
Toy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
company that specialized in toy boats and toy train
Toy train
A toy train is a toy that represents a train. It is distinguished from a model train by an emphasis on low cost and durability, rather than scale modeling. A toy train can be as simple as a pull toy that does not even run on track, or it might be operated by clockwork or a battery...
s. It is best remembered today as the last manufacturer of Standard Gauge/Wide gauge
Standard Gauge (toy trains)
Standard Gauge, also known as Wide Gauge, was an early model railway and toy train rail gauge, introduced in the United States in 1906 by Lionel Corporation. As it was a toy standard, rather than a scale modeling standard, the actual scale of Standard Gauge locomotives and rolling stock varied...
toy trains until the much smaller McCoy Manufacturing
McCoy Manufacturing
McCoy Manufacturing was a small American toy train manufacturer, based in Kent, Washington. It specialized in Standard gauge trains reminiscent of Lionel's offerings from the 1920s....
revived the old standard in the mid-1960s.
Boucher entered the toy train business in 1922 with its purchase of the Voltamp
Voltamp
Voltamp was an early American manufacturer of toy trains based in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded by Manes Fuld , the son of a Baltimore stove dealer, Voltamp's trains utilized the same 2-inch gauge metal track as Carlisle & Finch, the inventor of the electric toy train...
line of trains. Voltamp had been a direct competitor to Carlisle & Finch
Carlisle & Finch
Carlisle & Finch is a producer of nautical equipment and searchlights, and the inventor of the electric toy train. It is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.-History :...
, the inventor of the electric toy train. Boucher modified the Voltamp trains from Carlisle & Finch's 2 inches (50.8 mm) gauge to match Lionel Corporation's Standard gauge. The Voltamp/Boucher offerings were highly accurate and detailed and occupied the premium
Premium segment
In marketing and advertising, premium refers to a segment of a company's brands or products that carries tangible or imaginary surplus value in the upper mid- to high price range. The targeted high income customer group is also frequently referred to as "premium". Premium brands are designed to...
end of the market.
For the duration of Boucher's life the market was dominated by the so-called "Big Four" of Lionel, Ives
Ives Manufacturing Company
The Ives Manufacturing Company, an American toy manufacturer from 1868 to 1932, was the largest manufacturer of toy trains in the United States from 1910 until 1924, when Lionel Corporation overtook it in sales.-Early history:...
, Dorfan
Dorfan
Dorfan was an American toy company based in Newark, New Jersey, specializing in O gauge and Wide gauge toy trains. It was founded in 1924 by Milton and Julius Forcheimer, two immigrants from Nuremberg, Germany, whose family was involved in the production of Fandor trains. The company is named for...
, and American Flyer
American Flyer
American Flyer was a popular brand of toy train and model railroad in the United States in the middle part of the 20th century.- The Chicago era, 1907–1938 :...
. Like all of them, Boucher struggled through the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, and while it outlived all but Lionel, by 1940 the 2 1/8-inch Standard gauge had become an orphan standard that was priced beyond the means of most consumers. Without a smaller, more affordable product to sell, and with World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
limiting what it could produce, Boucher went out of business in 1943.