Founded in 1833 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Bachmann Industries originally specialized in vanity products such as parasol handles and Spanish combs made of ivory horns. One of the first companies to experiment with plastic, in 1927 they became the first American manufacturer of sunglasses. At the end of World War II Bachmann entered the model railroading market with the Plasticville line of buildings and structures, a product line which would make Bachmann a household name. In the late 60's they started production of Bachmann N Scale and Bachmann HO Scale products and, after purchasing the Williams Electric Trains company in 2007, also produce traditional O Scale trains. In terms of volume, Bachmann is the largest model railroading company in the world.