Voltamp was an early American manufacturer of toy trains based in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded by
Manes A. Fuld (1863-1929), the son of a Baltimore stove dealer, in the 1890's. Voltamp's trains utilized the
same 2-inch gauge metal track as Carlisle & Finch, the inventor of the electric toy train.
Voltamp holds an important place in the evolution of the toy train hobby for its 1907 release of the first electric toy train that operated on ordinary household
alternating current. This was a significant advancement for toy train operation because earlier electric trains had used battery power. For the first time, the toy train world had wall current powered electric trains, instead of spring powered/clockwork, battery powered, and fire-powered steam.
Voltamp released its first toy train product in 1903. These trains were known for their surprising detail. The line included mostly B & O steamers, electrics and passenger cars that ran on two rail track. Early catalogs touted that "There is no trouble department with Volamp Railways", and boasted as to why two rail systems were superior to three rail model train systems. Having a two rail system enabled use of a relay for reversing the direction of the train. Its first locomotive sold for $10.
Although Voltamp outlasted Carlisle & Finch, its primary competitor, both
companies were eclipsed in the marketplace by the Ives Manufacturing Company
and Lionel Corporation, and Voltamp exited the market in 1922, selling its
tooling and line to Horace Boucher, who manufactured model boats at the time. Boucher modified the Voltamp line from 2" 2 rail to 2 1/8" 3 rail in order to be compatible with Lionel's Standard Gauge line.
Voltamp trains are highly sought after by collectors and antique toy dealers today. In October of 1997, three Voltamp engines and nine cars, manufactured around 1915, sold quickly at an auction in Baltimore, MD for $44,550. In November 2006, a Voltamp train set sold for $7,280 at an auction in Vineland, NJ. In 2008, a pair of Voltamp Interurban Trolleys made in 1914 was offered for $75,000.
