Thomas Industries was formed in the late 1940s by ex Mantua founder Jim Thomas, Wenonah, New Jersey. Thomas produced a General style locomotive (before Lionel) in various versions together with a series of cars, the Pioneer passenger car, combine car and baggage car.
Freight cars include a pulpwood car, steel flat car, crane car, various tank cars, gondola and 4 wheeled bobber caboose, some of which are illustrated below.
Thomas acquired Scake-Craft's line of 0 scale freight cars in 1951, and relocated the business to Shawnee, Oklahoma, where nine ex Scale-Craft models were produced, including a box car, stock car, hopper, gondola, milk tank car, refrigerator car and maintenance car. Thomas therefore produced a slightly unusual mix of scale and tinplate models, two and three rail, ready to run and kits.
A passenger waiting room, lamp posts and other accessories were also produced by Thomas Industries before 1959 at which point owner Jim Thomas passed away, following a heart attack. The tooling for production was destroyed in 1964.
Thank you, as ever, to TCA Western Division for the Thomas Industries history.
Thomas Industries 4-4-0 loco and tender, wood burning smoke stack |
Thomas Industries 4-4-0 loco and tender, wood burning smoke stack |
Thomas Industries 4-4-0 loco and tender, wood burning smoke stack |
Thomas Industries 4-4-0 loco and tender, wood burning smoke stack |
Thomas Industries 4-4-0 loco and tender, coal burning smoke stack |
Thomas Industries 4-4-0 loco and tender, coal burning smoke stack |
Thomas Industries 4-4-0 loco and tender, coal burning smoke stack |
Thomas Industries 4-4-0 loco and tender, coal burning smoke stack |
Thomas Industries die cast loco and tender, tinplate cars |
Thomas Industries die cast loco and tender, tinplate cars |
Thomas Industries Pioneer coach, green livery, red trucks, Pioneer name, 1869 date |
Thomas Industries Pioneer coach, red livery, green trucks, Pioneer name, 1869 date |
Thomas Industries Pioneer coach, red livery, red trucks, Pioneer name, 1869 date |
Thomas Industries Pioneer coach, yellow livery, red trucks, Pioneer name, 1869 date |
Thomas Industries baggage/mail car, green livery, red trucks, Express US Mail, 1869 date |
Thomas Industries baggage/mail car, yellow livery, red trucks, Express US Mail, 1869 date |
Thomas Industries combine car, yellow livery, red trucks, Pioneer name, 1869 date |
Thomas Industries combine car, red livery, black trucks, Pioneer name, 1869 date |
Thomas Industries Juniata Falls passenger car, green livery, red trucks, 1869 date, added C&O plate? |
Thomas Industries Washington View passenger car, yellow livery, red trucks, 1869 date, added C&O plate? |
Thomas Industries catalog TP-1003 combine in yellow |
Thomas Industries catalog TP-L37 scale passenger coach, available in red, yellow and green |
Thomas Industries 0-4-0 switcher loco and tender, two rail |
Thomas Industries 0-4-0 switcher loco and tender, two rail |
Thomas Industries 0-4-0 switcher loco and tender, three rail |
Thomas Industries 0-4-0 switcher loco and tender, three rail |
Thomas Industries 0-4-0 switcher loco and tender, three rail |
Thomas Industries 0-4-0 switcher loco and tender, three rail |
Thomas Industries brass interurban trolley car |
Thomas Industries brass interurban trolley car |
Thomas Industries brass interurban trolley car |
Thomas Industries brass interurban trolley car |
Thomas Industries pulpwood car |
Thomas Industries pulpwood car |
Thomas Industries pulpwood car |
Thomas Industries pulpwood car |
Thomas Industries tinplate pulpwood car |
Thomas Industries tinplate pulpwood car |
Thomas Industries tinplate pulpwood car |
Thomas Industries tinplate pulpwood car |
Thomas Industries crane car |
Thomas Industries flat car, grey (missing stakes or stanchions) |
Thomas Industries flat car, maroon (missing stakes or stanchions) |
Thomas Industries flat car and Frisco gondola |
Thomas Industries Wabash gondola |
Thomas Industries 4 wheeled bobber caboose |
Thomas Industries loco tender kits |
Thomas Industries various street lights (two on the right, no. 14, 7 inches tall) |
Thomas Industries station with light, Wenonah |
Thomas Industries station with light, Wenonah |
Thomas Industries Collector Shoe |
Thomas Industries catalog, Shawnee address, date unknown |
Thomas Industries catalog, Shawnee address, 1952 |
Thomas Industries original box, Shawnee address |
Unusual Thomas Industries card kit to build Pioneer locomotive |
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