Company Profile: Wiad
History in a Nutshell
Founded in 1955 by one of the most prolific and influential figures of the day, Wiad-Modellspielwaren- und Werkzeugfabrik Fahrion & Co. was the first of several companies in which Mr. Willi Ade was involved. But despite considerable documentation on Mr. Ade, who had been a kit designer for Kibri and Vollmer, ironically there's not much to be found on Wiad other than the fact that, four years after starting the company, Mr. Ade founded the ill-fated Röwa in 1959, to be followed by others; meanwhile, Wiad continued making structure kits and scenic accessories for HO, TT and N Scales through the late 1960s, when it was sold.
N Scale Products
Wiad was an early adopter of N Scale, hitting the market in 1965. Like so many of their competitors, they initially offered little tunnels, which were all the rage at the time; a year later, they'd added plastic kits.
