VINTAGE 1970S LOQUAI HOLZKUNST GERMANY 5 PIECE WOODEN FREIGHT TRAIN SET

VINTAGE LOQUAI HOLZKUNST ORIGINAL TINY WOODEN TOY TRAIN SET MADE IN ERZGEBIRGE (ORE MOUNTAINS) GERMANY NEAR THE CZECH GERMAN BORDER IN THE 1960S TO EARLY 1970S.
 
IT IS HARD TO FIND MINIATURE WOODEN TRAIN SET HANDMADE BY LOQUAI HOLZKUNST DURING THE LATE 1960S / EARLY 1970S.
 
THIS TINY TRAIN CONSISTS OF AN ENGINE PULLING 3 TINY PASSENGER CARRIAGES WITH A FLATBED IN TOW. TOTAL 5 PIECES, CAN ALL BE CONNECTED. THE WHEELS TURN.
 
REMARBLE VINTAGE MINIATURE WOODEN TRAIN SET.
 
THE LOCOMOTIVE MEASURES 7CM LONG 4.5CM HIGH, THE 3 PASSENGER CARRIAGES IN THE CENTER MEASURE 6CM LONG 3.5CM HIGH, AND THE FLATBED AT THE END MEASURES 4CM LONG.
 
CONDITION: COUPLING FROM ONE CARRIAGE BROKEN. IN GOOD CONDITION
 
MARKINGS: LOQUAI HOLZKUNST GERMANY
 
THE COMPANY LOQUAI-HOLZKUNST WAS FOUNDED IN 1934 BY RUDOLF ARWED LOQUAI IN THE SMALL ERZGEBIRGE TOWN OF AUGUSTUSBURG.
He registered his trade as a painter, graphic artist and sculptor. He soon became a popular supplier of commercial graphics, designs for catalogs, carved signposts and company signs for many Erzgebirge wood and toy companies. As early as 1936, due to the high demand from all over Germany, he organized a mail order business, which soon became the largest branch of the young company.
The first expansion of the business took place in 1938 on a neighboring property and through the purchase of a carpentry shop. This development was abruptly interrupted when Rudolf Arwed Loquai was drafted into military service in 1940. It had to be closed in 1943. The operating rooms were confiscated, used as warehouses and occupied by evacuated and bombed-out people. All business relationships expired and it seemed unthinkable at the time that they would ever be able to start again. As a soldier Rudolkf was taken prisoner by the British but was later released.
At the beginning of 1946 he opened a workshop for carving, turning and Christmas decorations in Velburg germany. He started with machines taken from the scrap heap. In 1947 he employed 20 people again, and in 1948 there were 55 people again. Now the production was sold exclusively to resellers, also to wholesalers and exporters.
In 1950 the company suffered another severe blow of fate. On January 26th, a fire destroyed almost the entire business. The ambitious entrepreneur made his third start into self-employment via intermediate stops in Bad Bergzabern, Erfweiler in the Palatinate Forest and finally Inchenhofen in the Aichach district in Upper Bavaria. 
On his 50th birthday, December 2, 1958, he finally purchased the former Hofwirt property in Pöttmes, the current location of their company. Despite various difficulties, some modifications were made and the foundation stone was laid for our current company in Pöttmes. The production of precious wood toys and gift boxes now experienced an unexpected upswing.
The founder Rudolf Arwed Loquai died on November 18, 1967. His eldest son, Andreas, took over sample production, sales and customer service. The youngest son, Albrecht, joined the company and took over production. The youngest daughter, Christina, was given power of attorney and from then on was responsible for shipping at home and abroad.
With the new range of products, the company flourished to new heights in the 60s and 70s. This in turn required ongoing investments in structural and mechanical expansions. However, despite the rapid technical development, production still follows the old Erzgebirge traditions. 
SINCE 1955 ALMOST ONLY MINIATURES AND TOYS HAVE BEEN MADE FROM NATURAL PRECIOUS WOODS, ONLY A SMALL NUMBER ARE COLORED.
In 2014, Loquai Holzkunst was able to exhibit for the 65th time at the 65th International Toy Fair in Nuremberg. 
 
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