Atlas Antiques

For sale is a set of 16 WW2 era 1931 to 1940 Trix construction manuals trix electro 12, 1, 1a, 1b and 1c. Trix metal construction system originated in Germany where it was manufactured from 1930 to 1999. it was also manufactured in several other countries. This entry just deals with the German based system. In the late 1990s the system was taken over by Märklin who then stopped production of it in 1999. These Construction sets, consisting of perforated strips, axles, wheels, pulleys, nuts and bolts, are common known as "Meccanosets", but the trademark Meccano is the most welknown, although not the only one. Manufacturer / Distributor Trix Vereinigte Spielwaren-Fabriken, Andreas Förtner & J. Haffner's Nachf. GmbH, Nürnburg, Germany. 

The beginning (1931-1940)

The history of the manufacturer company of the Trix metal construction kit begins with the company "Vereinigte Spielwaren-Fabriken Andreas Förtner & J.Haffner's Nachfolger KG", which arose from a merger in 1923.

In October 1928, former Bing Managing Director Stefan Bing succeeded in buying up the company Förtner und Haffner together with some former Bing employees. The engineer Siegfried Kahn became the new managing director. The company was converted into a GmbH.

The manufacturer's company was called "Vereinigte Spielwaren-Fabriken G.m.b.H." in the company magazines, sometimes with the addition "Andreas Förtner u. J. Haffner's Nachf. G.m.b.H.".

In August 1931, the first Trix metal kits appeared. Demand was also very high abroad, so they decided to issue licenses or start their own companies there. The first of these foundings took place on February 17, 1932 in London.

On January 15,935, the name TRIX-EXPRESS was registered as a trademark and on January 3, 1935, the model railway was first presented.

As part of the National Socialist "aryanization", Ernst Voelk took over the company far below value in 1938. He was then president of the Nuremberg Chamber of Commerce and owner of the company Johann Distler KG, which he had already arized. The company is now called "TRIX Vereinigte Spielwaren-Fabriken Andreas Förtner & J.Haffner's Nachfolger".

The company was always based in Nuremberg. The Trix information agency was in 1933 in Kobergerstraße 15, from 1935 in Schillerstraße 10, from 1939 Schillerstr. 7.

Extensive information about the company can be found in an article The history of the company TRIX. Bernhard Schwarz's Internet presence on company stories by Johann Haffner from 1813 to 2009, among others, provides a much further overview. I have taken facts from these sources and presented them here in a nutshell.

The name TRIX will be named on the 1st September 1930 registered as a trademark. The first patent (DE592063) for the Trix metal construction kit, which is for the flat strips, was filed on September 19, 1930. Another patent (DE555045) of July 24, 1931 describes the cord roller consisting of two grooved wheel halves and the eccentric disc. The next patent (DE559045), also from July 24, 1931, describes the two U-shaped temples from Box 1b. An additional patent (DE594781) to DE592063 from 11.6.1931 on flat ribbons with slotted holes was never implemented. On 2.3.1933, the patent (DE612110) for the sprockets of box 1c was finally applied for.

More information can be found online about these four kits, here you are purchasing all 16. Guaranteed original or money back. This will be sent via special delivery Royal Mail for and dispatched within 2-3 working days.