Faller

Faller is a German model-making company founded in Stuttgart in 1946 by brothers Edwin and Hermann Faller. The company later moved to Gütenbach in the Black Forest, the brothers' home town, and developed into a specialist supplier for model railway layouts and miniature environments. Although Faller has produced a broad assortment of toys over the course of its history, its contemporary identity is primarily associated with detailed plastic scenery, architectural kits, transport accessories, and animated or functional systems for railway modelling. The company's principal products include scale models of railway stations, houses, commercial buildings, industrial structures, bridges, roads, terrain elements, and amusement-park attractions. Its catalogue serves several established model-railway scales, notably H0, N, TT, and Z. This scale coverage allows Faller products to be used by both mainstream railway hobbyists and builders of compact or highly detailed layouts. The range is designed not only to represent buildings but also to supply the visual infrastructure around a railway: streets, landscaping, urban façades, industrial sites, bridges, signs, and other scene-setting components. Faller's historical portfolio was broader than its current core. The company made model-airplane kits, die-cast model cars, and the Auto Motor Sport, or AMS, slot-car racing system. AMS was produced from the 1960s into the 1980s and used an electrical arrangement that enabled two cars to operate independently on the same track. The cars were made in approximately 1:65 scale, while their compatibility with H0 railway layouts helped connect the slot-racing product with the wider model-railway hobby. Another important part of the modern business is the Faller Car System, commonly abbreviated FCS. In H0 and N scales, the system uses battery-powered road vehicles, including vehicles made by other manufacturers, with a steering magnet that follows a steel wire concealed beneath the road surface. Unlike conventional slot-car systems, the vehicles do not require a visible slot or guide rail. The system can support realistic road movement, stopping, route changes, sensors, and working traffic lights. A digital version released in 2013 added computer-based control. The system has been used extensively at Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg, one of the world's most prominent model-railway attractions. Faller also has a substantial range of fairground and amusement-park models. These products represent rides and attractions in miniature, primarily in H0 scale with a more limited selection in N scale. The company has introduced more than one hundred fairground models over a period of more than two decades, with older designs being discontinued as new attractions are developed. Since 1997, Faller has owned the Pola brand. Pola is associated within the portfolio primarily with G-scale structures, giving the wider business a presence in the larger-scale garden-railway and outdoor-model environment. Overall, Faller's positioning combines industrial design, architectural miniaturisation, railway scenery, and layout functionality. Its products are sold to hobbyists and specialist model-railway users, while its systems and structures also appear in large public miniature installations.

Faller was established in Stuttgart in 1946 by brothers Edwin and Hermann Faller. The company subsequently relocated to Gütenbach in the Black Forest, the founders' home town. Its early and later history reflects the broad development of the European hobby-toy and model-railway industries: it made products for several forms of miniature modelling before concentrating more strongly on railway scenery and layout accessories. During its history, Faller produced model-airplane kits, die-cast cars, and other toys in addition to model railway products. One of its best-known historical ranges was Auto Motor Sport, usually called AMS. Manufactured from the 1960s through the 1980s, AMS was a slot-car racing system whose electrical design was based on existing patents and was comparable in concept to systems such as Aurora Model Motoring. Faller's controller and cars incorporated a small selenium rectifier, allowing two cars to run independently on the same track by using opposite half-waves of alternating current. The cars were approximately 1:65 scale but could be incorporated into H0 model-railway scenes. Over time, the company's focus increasingly shifted toward model-railway structures and scenery. Its catalogue came to include railway buildings, houses, commercial premises, bridges, amusement rides, terrain products, and other accessories. Faller developed products for H0, N, TT, and Z scales, covering both widely used layouts and smaller, space-constrained formats. This specialization made the brand part of the infrastructure of the model-railway hobby rather than merely a maker of individual rolling stock or toy vehicles. Faller expanded its functional offerings with the Faller Car System, a road-vehicle system available in H0 and N scales. Battery-powered vehicles use a magnet mounted near the front steering mechanism to follow a steel wire installed below the road surface. The approach allows buses and trucks to travel through a miniature street network without the visible slot associated with traditional slot-car systems. Additional components can stop vehicles, change their routes, and connect them with sensors and operating traffic lights. In September 2013, Faller introduced a digital version that allowed computer control of the system. The system became particularly visible through its extensive use at Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg. The company also developed a large assortment of amusement-park and fairground models. Over more than twenty years, it introduced well over one hundred designs, including H0-scale rides and a smaller number of N-scale products. As with many specialist model ranges, some designs were retired as newer attractions replaced them. In 1997, Faller acquired the Pola brand. Pola subsequently became focused exclusively on G-scale structures, complementing Faller's established railway-scene products with a dedicated offering for larger-scale layouts. Faller's present identity is therefore built around architectural kits, scenic accessories, functional road systems, and miniature attractions, while its earlier aircraft, car, and slot-racing products remain important parts of its historical development.

• 2013

  Digital Car System released

  [1]Falleren.wikipedia.org

  Faller released a digital version of its Car System in September, enabling computer control of road vehicles.

• 1997

  Pola brand acquired

  [1]Falleren.wikipedia.org

  Faller took ownership of Pola, which became focused on G-scale structures.

• 1960

  Expansion of the AMS slot-car era

  [1]Falleren.wikipedia.org

  Faller produced its Auto Motor Sport slot-car system during the period beginning in the 1960s and continuing into the 1980s.

• 1946

  Company founded in Stuttgart

  [1]Falleren.wikipedia.org

  Brothers Edwin and Hermann Faller founded the company in Stuttgart, Germany.

• Relocation to Gütenbach

  [1]Falleren.wikipedia.org

  The company later moved to Gütenbach in the Black Forest, the founders' home town.

A specialist German supplier of detailed scale scenery, structures, functional road-vehicle systems, and accessories for model railways and miniature environments.

• Functional model-road vehicle system

  Faller Car System

  The Faller Car System uses battery-powered miniature trucks, buses, and other road vehicles that follow a steel wire hidden under the road surface through a steering magnet. Available in H0 and N scales, it is designed to create moving road traffic without a visible slot or guide rail. The system can be expanded with stopping mechanisms, route switches, sensors, and working traffic lights. Its digital version supports computer-based operation and control.

• Model railway scenery

  Railway structures and scenery

  Faller's core range consists of scale kits for railway stations, houses, commercial buildings, industrial sites, bridges, roads, terrain, and related layout details. The products are offered in H0, N, TT, and Z scales, allowing hobbyists to construct complete railway environments across different layout sizes. The range emphasizes architectural detail and compatibility with broader model-railway scenes.

• Scale amusement-park models

  Fairground and amusement-park models

  Faller has produced a large selection of miniature fairground rides and amusement-park attractions for more than two decades. The range includes well over one hundred designs historically, with H0 as the principal scale and a smaller selection in N. Designs may be discontinued as the catalogue is refreshed with newer attractions.

• Slot-car racing system · 1960

  Auto Motor Sport (AMS)

  AMS was Faller's historical slot-car racing range, produced from the 1960s into the 1980s. Its cars and controllers used an electrical arrangement that allowed two vehicles to run independently on the same track. The vehicles were approximately 1:65 scale and could also be used with H0 model-railway layouts.

• G-scale model structures

  Pola

  Pola is a brand owned by Faller since 1997. Within the combined portfolio, Pola is devoted to G-scale structures, serving larger-scale model railways and related miniature environments.

• 2013

  Digital Car System introducedProduct launch

  Background

  Faller's Car System already provided magnet-guided, battery-powered road vehicles for miniature layouts.

  Action taken

  The company released a digital version in September 2013 for computer-controlled operation.

  Aftermath

  The digital release extended the system from manually or locally controlled road movement toward automated layout operation.

  Source

• 1997

  Acquisition of PolaM&A

  Background

  Faller expanded its brand portfolio through ownership of Pola, a brand associated with model structures.

  Action taken

  Faller acquired Pola and subsequently positioned it around G-scale structures.

  Aftermath

  Pola complemented Faller's established products for model railway scenery with a dedicated larger-scale structure range.

  Source

1. 1Falleren.wikipedia.org