| The Brio toys are from a wooden toy company that | | | | were non-motorized trains that could connect to other |
| has its roots in the village of Osby, Sweden. Toys | | | | cars by means of a magnet. This made it easy for |
| were not the original product from this company. It | | | | little hands to play with and control them. |
| was originally a basket making company. When the | | | | With the creation of Thomas the Train, Brio became |
| second generation of Bengtsson's began working in | | | | the European manufacturer and outlet for this new line |
| the company their focus changed to wooden toys and | | | | of wooden trains. This is why the Thomas the Train |
| a toy company was born. | | | | cars and engines are connected with magnets just like |
| The name Brio also has its origins from this unique little | | | | Brio' toy trains are. |
| village. 'Br' stands for the 3 brothers that were the | | | | Other than trains, Brio also manufactured the |
| second generation of this family that transformed this | | | | Theodore Tugboat line of toys. In this line were the |
| basket making company into a wooden toy company. | | | | tugboats Benjamin Bridge, the Dispatcher, Chester the |
| The 'I' is from the Swedish word for 'at' which is | | | | container ship and a couple of barges named |
| Ivarsson. The' o' is the simplest; it stands for the village | | | | Barrington and Bonavista. Unfortunately this line of |
| of Osby. | | | | wooden toys was discontinued in the year 2000. |
| The Brio wooden toy company became world | | | | In 2004 the product of the Brio toys was moved from |
| famous starting in 1958 when their toy trains became | | | | Sweden to china where it remains today. |
| very popular. These toys trains were distinctive. They | | | | |