Dorfan Company
10 years in operation (1924–1934)
About Dorfan Company
Dorfan introduced several technical innovations including die-cast zinc locomotives ('Locodite'). Despite their brief existence, Dorfan trains remain collectible. The Great Depression ended the company.
Founding
Milton and Julius Forchheimer, cousins of the Kraus family of Nuremberg, who brought the Fandor toy-train business to Newark, New Jersey and named the American company Dorfan — an anagram of Fandor.
History of Dorfan Company
Dorfan's decade in business produced two genuine firsts in American toy trains. It was the first to use die-cast metal for locomotive bodies rather than lithographed tin or cast iron, giving sharper detail and better proportions than anything Lionel or Ives then offered. And it built take-apart locomotives designed to be dismantled and reassembled by the child, with the motor accessible — an educational selling point the company pushed hard.
The trains were good and were well received. What killed the company was the Depression, which removed the market, and a technical disaster that has become the defining fact about Dorfan: the die-cast alloy was contaminated, and the locomotive bodies are subject to severe zinc pest. They swell, crack and crumble from the inside out.
The result is that Dorfan is now studied almost as much for its metallurgy as for its trains. The company closed in 1934, and an undistorted Dorfan die-cast locomotive is a genuinely uncommon object regardless of how many were made.
Timeline
- 1924The Forchheimer cousins establish Dorfan in Newark, New Jersey
- 1926Dorfan introduces the first American die-cast toy locomotive bodies
- 1928Take-apart locomotives are marketed as an educational feature
- 1930Depression conditions collapse demand
- 1934The company closes
Notable & Best-Selling Toys
- Dorfan wide-gauge electric sets
- Dorfan die-cast Locodite locomotives
- Dorfan passenger car sets
Identifying & Dating Dorfan Company Toys
- Locomotives and rolling stock are marked "DORFAN" with "Newark, N.J." cast or lithographed in place, usually on the cab side or car sides.
- A die-cast rather than tinplate locomotive body from the 1920s in American O gauge is a strong indicator of Dorfan.
- Take-apart locomotives have visible assembly screws and a removable shell; the feature was advertised and is part of the identification.
Collector's Notes
- Inspect for zinc pest before anything else, and inspect closely: swelling along casting seams, hairline cracks around screw bosses, a slightly bloated look to the shell. Affected locomotives continue to deteriorate and cannot be stabilised.
- Because sound die-cast examples are scarce, lithographed tin Dorfan rolling stock is often in better condition than the locomotives it ran with.
- Original boxes and instruction leaflets are rare and worth having — the take-apart instructions in particular are a good period document.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When was Dorfan Company founded?
Dorfan Company was founded in 1924, based in Newark, NJ.
Is Dorfan Company still in business?
No. Dorfan Company ceased operations in 1934, after 10 years in business.
What is Dorfan Company best known for?
Dorfan Company is best known for Dorfan wide-gauge electric sets, Dorfan die-cast Locodite locomotives, Dorfan passenger car sets.
Where was Dorfan Company located?
Dorfan Company was based in Newark, NJ.
What kinds of toys did Dorfan Company make?
Dorfan Company is categorized under trains, electric toys.
Who founded Dorfan Company?
Milton and Julius Forchheimer, cousins of the Kraus family of Nuremberg, who brought the Fandor toy-train business to Newark, New Jersey and named the American company Dorfan — an anagram of Fandor.
How can you identify genuine Dorfan Company toys?
Locomotives and rolling stock are marked "DORFAN" with "Newark, N.J." cast or lithographed in place, usually on the cab side or car sides. A die-cast rather than tinplate locomotive body from the 1920s in American O gauge is a strong indicator of Dorfan. Take-apart locomotives have visible assembly screws and a removable shell; the feature was advertised and is part of the identification.
Are Dorfan Company toys valuable?
Inspect for zinc pest before anything else, and inspect closely: swelling along casting seams, hairline cracks around screw bosses, a slightly bloated look to the shell. Affected locomotives continue to deteriorate and cannot be stabilised. Because sound die-cast examples are scarce, lithographed tin Dorfan rolling stock is often in better condition than the locomotives it ran with. Original boxes and instruction leaflets are rare and worth having — the take-apart instructions in particular are a good period document.