McCoy Manufacturing was a small American toy train manufacturer. This Kent, WA company produced
larger scale stamped steel trains. Between 1957-61 McCoy specialized in Standard gauge reproductions
of Lionel's 2 7/8 gauge line from the 1920s. It also made Standard gauge
parts.
In 1966 McCoy introduced its own Standard Gauge line eventually including steam and diesel
locomotives and freight and passenger cars. The operation was financed by making pulleys for rock tumblers.
McCoy ceased building reproduction Lionel Standard gauge items in 1965 after its owner 
learned
that people were artificially aging them and then selling them as originals. McCoy production differs from
earlier vintage production in its use of thicker steel and its use of silkscreening, rather than lithography,
decals, rubber stamps, or brass plates, which were the methods of lettering cars in the 1920s. However,
McCoy kept with the simplicity of the vintage designs, choosing not to add large amounts of detail.
Bob McCoy, the company founder, died in 1995. His wife and son ran the company until 
1998, when they
ceased operations.
Although not widely known, McCoy offerings have a following with Standard Gauge collectors,
particularly because the company often did very small production runs of its cars.
