Inserts and Foldouts

Catalogs

Foldouts are the single-sheet brochures that fold up into compact booklets which are then inserted into retail boxes. A typical BRIO foldout shows the complete line of BRIO products for the year in which it was printed, but because of space constraints does not provide product names: only product photos and catalog numbers are given. While there were a few Wooden Railway-specific foldouts printed in the 1980’s, the BRIO foldout as it is seen today first appeared in 1991. Foldouts have been produced almost every year since then.

Foldouts are undated, and the vast majority do not even have a printing or copyright date on them. Determining the catalog year of historical BRIO foldouts is educated guesswork based on the product lineup in the brochure. It’s also not uncommon to find labeling or photo errors inside, so it’s always a good idea to double-check product numbering and images against other sources.

Because foldouts tend to be very long strips, only the panels that have wooden railway products on them are included here and the cover image has been grafted on where necessary.

Vintage Inserts


Late-1950’s (estimated)
Catalog sheet from the late 1950’s, possibly very early 1960’s, showing accessories for the BRIO Miniature Railway #31405. Catalog sheet image courtesy of BRIO collector Tyme. JPEG, 472 KB.


Mid-1960’s (estimated)
Catalog sheet from the mid 1960’s, probably after 1964, showing accessories for the BRIO Miniature Railway #31405. Many of the 70’s accessories, and even some of the early 80’s ones, are descendants of these early designs. Catalog sheet image courtesy of eBay user andyt6674.


Late 1960’s or eary 1970’s
Probably from around 1970 based on the product lineup. Note that the harbor set is the original, unpainted version and trains with hook-and-eye couplers are still shown. Catalog sheet image courtesy of BRIO collector Tyme. JPEG, 500 KB.


Mid-1970’s
Probably from 1976 or close to it, based on the product lineup from the 1978-79 dealer catalog. JPEG, 457 KB.


1981-82 (estimated)
A trifold catalog sheet from the very early 80’s, most likely around 1982. Note that the transition to black wheel bases has begun, but curved switch tracks have not yet appeared. This brochure was provided by Dave Pecota. JPEG, 272 KB.

1983
Large foldout poster printed on heavy paper. Shows the original, rimless wheel styling, and the older product codes. Only one side is shown as the flip side just shows various layouts and my copy is heavily marked up. JPEG, 1.25 MB.

1987
A miniature version of the 1987 wooden railway booklet. JPEG, 1.09 MB.

Modern Foldouts

1991
One of the few foldout sheets that has a date printed on it. Also contains a couple of mislabeled product images, something that’s not uncommon with these inserts. JPEG, 922 KB.

1993 (estimated)
Introduces the rare Activity Train, #33510, which was made for the Early Learning Centre. One of the rarer foldout sheets. Scanned by Dave Pecota. JPEG, 258 KB

1994
Starting this year, these foldouts were produced annually (with only a couple of exceptions). JPEG, 745 KB.

1995
This is arguably the most prevalent of the foldouts from the 1990’s, as 1995 was a major year for new products in the wooden railway system. JPEG, 614 KB.

1996
Catalog scan courtesy of BRIO collector artheathen. JPEG, 873 KB.

1997
This was the first foldout to show double track. JPEG, 722 KB.

1998
Includes the rare and hard to find Water Tower and Windmill accessories, as well as the Middle Straight track. JPEG 899 KB.

1999
The transition to the 2000 product lineup begins. JPEG, 446 KB.

2000
Double track has disappeared. JPEG, 928 KB.

2001
The colored engine series appears, as do the Busytown, Curious George, and Bob the Builder themes. JPEG, 435 KB.

2002
One of the rarer foldouts. JPEG, 1.04 MB.

2003
One of the few foldout sheets with a copyright date on it. Includes Sky Train, Egypt, Pirates, Space, Curious George, and Bob the Builder themes. JPEG, 975 KB.

2004
Shows the later Sky Train accessories. JPEG, 517 KB.

2005
Features a number of Smart Track products. JPEG, 1.18 MB.

2006
The first year for the BRIO Network theme and rechargeable engines.

2007
Expansion of the BRIO Network theme.

2008
Last year for the BRIO Network theme. JPEG, 317 KB.


2010
This was a significant transition year for BRIO’s product line. JPEG, 616 KB.


2011
Introduces the metro and freight themes. JPEG, 767 KB.


2012
Introduces the farm theme. This foldout was used from 2012 to 2013. JPEG, 947 KB.


2014
Introduces the roller coaster set, and shows the airport and monorail themes from the previous year. JPEG, 802 KB.

Catalog Booklets

Catalogs

These are large catalog booklets, and BRIO has historically produced four basic varieties that covered the wooden railway system:

  • dealer catalog
  • consumer catalog
  • wooden railway catalog
  • wooden railway photo book

Consumer catalogs booklets were produced regularly in printed form through 2005. Beginning in 2010, BRIO’s consumer catalogs were move to digital publication at Issuu with limited printed in certain markets. As of 2017, the BRIO lineup is part of the Ravensburger catalog, reflecting Ravensburger’s acquisition of BRIO in 2015.

Consumer and Dealer Catalogs

BRIO produced both consumer and dealer catalogs, but collectors almost always refer to them generically as dealer catalogs since they are sent directly to retailers and dealers. A typical consumer catalog shows all products produced by BRIO for the specified year, has dozens of pages, and includes product photos, names, descriptions, and catalog numbers. These catalogs are almost always dated on the front cover, and prior to the early 1980’s may have spanned multiple years. Dealer catalogs show additional products that are of interest to retailers, such as display items, promotional materials and even information on future packaging and products.

Prior to the early 1990’s the dealer and consumer catalogs were not that much different, but beginning in the mid-90’s dealer catalogs became quite large and varied significantly from the consumer versions.

1978-79
This is a very small booklet, just under 4″ x 6″, so the print is tiny and hard to read. Shows the 70’s style Town Set and trees. Catalog book provided by BRIO collector Tyme. PDF, 539 KB.

1980-81
Also a small catalog booklet. PDF, 933 KB

1982
Scan provided by BRIO enthusiast Josh McMorrow-Hernandez. PDF, 999 KB.

1985
Also a small booklet with tiny text. PDF, 1.76 MB.

1987
Excerpt from a full catalog of two-page spreads. This was just before the major expansion of the wooden railway product lineup began. PDF, 1.71 MB.

1988
Similar in style to the 1987 consumer catalog. Includes rare, hard to find sets like the Hospital, Merry-go-round, and Helicopter. PDF, 1.04 MB.

1991
Includes rare, hard to find sets like the Prairie and Western sets. PDF, 2.12 MB.

2001
Includes the Curious George, Busytown and Bob the Builder themes. PDF, 2.08 MB

2002
One of the most prolific catalogs that is often seen for sale on eBay. Includes the Pirates and Space themes. PDF, 2.22 MB

2005
This was the last year for printed catalog booklets from BRIO until 2010. Includes the Smart Track line of products. PDF, 1.98 MB

Wooden Railway Catalogs

These show products from the wooden railway system but may occasionally have a page or two dedicated to another product line. Like consumer catalogs, these books included product photos, names, descriptions, and catalog numbers. The books were often labeled “Wooden Railway”, “Wooden Railway System”, “Wooden Railway Wishbook” or “Range Guide” (in the U.K.), and generally did not have a date on the cover. A printing or copyright date may or may not be present on the back cover. These catalogs also tended to feature sample layouts and railway system expansion ideas.

These were produced annually throughout most of the 1990’s and were often bundled with starter sets.

1993
Includes the very rare Blue Steam Engine. My copy is a little torn up so the last page and the back cover are courtesy of user catmatjess from the Thomas Wooden Railway Forums. PDF, 1.55 MB.

1994
Not much different from the 1993 catalog except for a couple of product changes. Oddly, products introduced in this year (e.g., the Great Western Railway engine) are not flagged as being new. PDF, 1.53 MB

1995
This was a major product transition year for BRIO. PDF, 1.59 MB.

1996
PDF, 2.05 MB.

1997
Introduction of double track and double track bridges. PDF, 1.64 MB.

Spring 1998 (addendum)
This is identical to the 1997 except for the cover image, and includes a four-page addendum in the middle listing new products for 1998. Only the addendum is shown here. PDF, 463 KB.

Fall 1998
This is the second of two 1998 wishbooks and it was printed later in the year. It shows the full product lineup for 1998. Catalog provided for scanning by BRIO collector Tyme. PDF, 2.48 MB

2000
Another major product transition year for BRIO. Includes the Theodore Tugboat and Busytown themes. PDF, 3.45 MB

Wooden Railway Photobooks

These booklets differ from the wooden railway catalogs in that they have only product photos and catalog numbers: there are no product names or descriptions, and the booklets contain limited text (more than likely this was to facilitate global distribution). Like the wooden railway catalog booklets, they are typically undated, and may or may not have a printing or copyright date on the back cover.

1985
The oldest known photobook, this was bundled with starter sets in the mid to late 80’s. There is a printing date on the rear cover. PDF, 1.60 MB.

1987 (estimated)
Arguably the most prolific photobook, this undated booklet was bundled with starter sets from the late 80’s until the very early 90’s. It is frequently seen on eBay either sold by itself or as part of larger lots. PDF, 1.38 MB.

1992
This book is undated, but dealer catalogs indicate it is from 1992. The product lineup is consistent with that. PDF, 1.05 MB.

1998
Includes some rare products: track A3, the X2000 Train, the Windmill and the Water Tower. PDF, 2.25 MB.

Catalog Spotting

Catalogs

The following are images of known BRIO catalog covers. Publication years for some of these are estimated.

Foldouts

Consumer Catalogs

Dealer Catalogs

Wooden Railway Catalogs/Wish Books

Wooden Railway Photobooks

Wooden Railway Range Guides

BRIO Catalog Archive

Catalogs

I have acquired a large number of BRIO catalogs from different time periods, and have digitzed the wooden railway sections—some catalogs have dozens of pages—and posted them here for download and viewing. BRIO produced a wide range of catalogs, ranging from the foldouts included in retail packages to full consumer catalog booklets to wire-bound flip books intended for display in retail stores. Old BRIO catalogs are more than just nastolgic: they can help you identify retired BRIO products.

Catalogs have been broken out into three sections: booklets, foldouts, and themed foldouts.

Catalog Booklets
Full BRIO dealer/consumer catalogs and wooden railway booklets.

Inserts and Foldouts
Foldout catalogs that are inserted into retail boxes.

Themed Foldouts
Foldout catalogs for product themes such as Sky Train, Thomas and Friends, and the Trains of the World.