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EspañolJosfel, Barcelona Spain, model railway manufacturer trains information
Name: Josfel
Country:
Spain
- Barcelona
Founder: José Feliu
Defunct: 1951
Josfel history
Josfel was a model railroad company created in the early 1940s in Barcelona. Its name is an abbreviation of the name of its creator, José Feliu.
He was an old “llauner” from the Gràcia district of Barcelona. The “llauners” were dedicated to the creation of brass handcrafted objects, among which toys, obviously including trains.
José Feliu made small series of locomotives and wagons. He used to make about 200 wagons and 50 locomotives in each series. These were small series but of great quality, capable of competing with the great European brands of the time.
Josfel sold these trains to wealthy people who could afford to pay the high prices that were beyond the reach of most parents of the time. The trains were presented in luxurious boxes that incorporated trains, tracks and transformer, to be able to play from the first moment.
At the end of the 40's, in the middle of the post-war period, José Feliu decided to leave Spain to settle in South America (probably due to political problems). However, he left Jaime Gonzalez Forrellac, who had a long experience as an electric train salesman, in charge of JOSFEL. He had acquired this experience in the popular store (at that time) “El Áncora de Oro” (located near the church of Santa María del Mar in Barcelona), which was popularly known as “La casa de los trenes” (The house of trains).
After a while Jaime Gonzalez decides to take the leap and, helped by his partner Ignacio Cuatrecases, they make an offer to Jose Feliu to buy the totality of JOSFEL, offer that is accepted, becoming Gonzalez and Cuatrecases the new owners.
Josfel presents its first (and only) wagon in the new H0 scale. This scale at that time was beginning to make a hard competition to the larger scales that had reigned until then.
However, in 1951 Mr. Cuatrecases, due to personal financial problems, decided to leave the company.
It was at that time that Jaime González Forrellac decided to set up a new company dedicated to the manufacture of electric trains. The new company will be called Electrotren.
