If you go back to the 1940s issues of MR, there are plenty of ads referring to shortages and delayed releases for components and kits. Numerous ads refer to selling what stock is available from pre-war production. Several speak about being occupied with war production and are like "we're already planning for victory and new products!" Lots of mentions of poor postal service due to war restrictions.
For instance, page 322 of the July 1944 issue has three ads. All three mentioned the war. The first mentions their plans for post war locomotive releases. The second is ad ad basically saying not to place orders with them because they can't fill their existing orders due to labor shortages. The third says they can still supply orders from their full line as depicted on a previous price list.
In the 1930s (pre-war), Model Railroading was nearly an all-scratchbuilding hobby. There were nearly no kits or even very many parts.
So, as a consequence, war rationing and limited supplies did not effect much as far as hobbiests would have noticed in the early 1940s. Model Railroaders were already building their models from scraps and bits as could be found.
Electric toy trains were probably effected directly by war production needs.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I ended up, after becoming more interested in the work of John Allen and his famous "Gorre & Daphetid," model railroad and after listening to a model railroading podcast epsiode, I learned not must more about his early start in the hobby, but the state of what the hobby was when he started out in the early 1940s. I learned that he started during his time as a professional photographer, taking photos & portraits of American servicemen, he became more interested in the hobby. I learned that during this time, factories where instead turning out materials & goods for wartime instead of model trains that where in production at the end of the depression, and became less of a priority due to wartime demand. I also learned that despite to wartime fears the hobby was alive and strong, something for people to turn too, as anything could happen, such as fears of invasion or the tide war turning against the allies. However something confused me. Due to strong encouragment to buy war bonds, and to contriubute as much scrap and material to the war effort, was the hobby discouraged?I mean if you wanted to buy wood to start the benchwork for a simple starter 4'x8' layout would you have gotten stares and be told you where not helping the war effort by contributing enough materials or being greedy?