Our roots go back to 1940, when Micro-Trains® founders Keith Edwards and his twin brother Dale started making model train turnouts. They chose the name Kadee for their new enterprise. By the late 1940s, they had designed and patented the Magne-Matic® Coupler, which revolutionized model railroading. It provided a revolutionary new realistic looking and operationally superior coupler system. This HO scale coupler system soon became the standard by choice of the operational model railroader.
In 1972, they took the next logical step and introduced a complete freight car to the N scale line. At that point, Micro-Trains® Line, was formed as a separate division. Soon, Micro-Trains® was in full swing, specializing in N Scale model trains, Magne-Matic® couplers, and accessories. Eventually added to the product line, were cars and couplers in Nn3 scale, (narrow gauge N scale) and the even smaller Z scale (1:220).In 1990, after continued growth and expansion, the original Kadee Co. was physically divided into two separate corporations.Micro-Trains Line® Co. Inc., one of the two new companies, retained manufacturing rights to all products in N, Nn3 and Z scale.