Company Chronicle


1911 Oswald Noch founds his plumbers workshop in Glauchau (Saxony).

 1930 Erich Noch founds the "Engineering Office NOCH“ as a subsidiary of his father's workshop. 

 1935 The company moves to 5 Nikolai Street and starts distributing Märklin model railways.

 1936

NOCH starts selling model buildings manufactured by its resident carpenter Hecker.


 1940 As Erich Noch has been conscripted, he suspended the company in Glauchau until the end of the War.

 1945

After the War Erich Noch returns from the captivity and starts the company again. To earn money he builds complete model railway layouts for rich customers.

1949 The first NOCH Catalogue is published including its own products including tunnels and background models. At the end of the year the first NOCH model railway rolling stock is available.

 1953 First participation in the spring fair in Leipzig.

 1953

Under the pressure of the socialistic government of the GDR NOCH nearly collapses. But the company remains because of private loans.


 1956

In September Erich Noch escapes from the GDR and restarts the business in Maisach near Munich. Here he builds ready-made model railway layouts for private customers.

1956

 In Nuremberg NOCH presents his new product range at the Toy Fair for the first time. Except for the model railway rolling stock all of the products were designed in Glauchau.

 1961

The company NOCH relocates to Wangen in the Allgäu region. For the first time model railroad tunnels are manufactured using modern vacuum thermoforming technology,


 1963/64 Electrostatically covered grass mats are launched.

 1966/67

Peter Noch, the son of Erich Noch, develops highly detailed NOCH injection moulded trees. 

1971 Owing to its increasing success NOCH has an extension to its factory to enlarge the production.
1978 NOCH brings the model building series to an end.
1982

The development of an innovative hardfoam allows the first production of extremely realistic walls and tunnel portals. This new material enables NOCH also to start a new business with sales displays.

1984 NOCH simplifies the construction of model landscapes with its new TERRA-FORM system.
1989
 In the late 1970´s Peter Noch, Erich’s son, joined the company. Together, father and son managed the company until Erich died in 1989.
1997 The fourth generation, Dr. Rainer Noch, joins the company. He launches the NOCH model figures.

2005 NOCH introduces the revolutionary Gras-Master® that makes it possible for all to electrostatically cover model landscapes with grass fibres. 

 2007 The first series of delicate accessories manufactured with the modern Laser-Cut technology are produced.
2002
 A new office is built.

 2009
 Another new production hall ist added.
2010

30 years after the end of model buildings NOCH launches own model buildings. The Laser-Cut+ houses set a new quality benchmark.

2011
 NOCH celebrates its 100th anniversary

We thank Mr. Jens Riesner from the company Historica for his research about our company history.