Hornby Railways
Encyclopedia
Hornby Railways is the leading brand of model railway in the United Kingdom. Its roots date back to 1901, when founder Frank Hornby
received a patent for his Meccano
construction toy. The first clockwork train was produced in 1920. In 1938, Hornby launched its first 00 gauge train. In 1964, Hornby and Meccano were bought by their competitor Tri-Ang, and sold on when Tri-ang went into receivership. In the 1980s Hornby Railways became independent.
Hornby was at first a tradename for the railway productions of Meccano Ltd
and based in Liverpool
, which released its first train, a clockwork
0 gauge (1:48) model, in 1920. An electric train soon followed but was under-designed and the few that were made were sold out in France. In 1925, a much more successful electric model was introduced , operating on the high voltage of 110 volts AC
power. Safety concerns saw low voltage 4V and then 6V motors introduced, followed by a reliable 20V AC system, which was developed in the early 1930s. However, clockwork remained the mainstay of the Hornby 0 gauge trains until 1937 and became the only power available in Liverpool-made 0 gauge trains from 1949. Competitors in the UK were Leeds Model Company
and Bassett-Lowke
A factory was established in France, which developed its own range of French outline trains, but Liverpool dominated export activity elsewhere, with large numbers of Hornby trains exported to Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and Scandinavia. Even though the export models were often painted in 'foreign' liveries, Hornby trains looked very British. Hornby attempted to break into the American market by setting up a factory in 1927 in Elizabeth, New Jersey
, to make American-style trains. These were colourful and attractive, but low market and only clockwork. They probably would have failed in the marketplace because several established U.S. firms could undercut them and Hornby offered no better-class goods or electric models, but the Wall Street Crash precipitated matters. In late 1929, Meccano Ltd. sold its New Jersey factory to the A. C. Gilbert Company
and Hornby trains had vanished from the U.S. market by 1930. The leftover inventory was sold in Canada and in the UK and some of the tooling was reused for products in other markets.
Meccano introduced its 00 gauge trains in 1938 under the name 'Hornby Dublo'. The locomotives were diecast, and the carriages and wagons were generally made of tinplate. This was a very well planned range of electric (the original electric Hornby Dublo Locomotives ran on a third rail
electric system and clockwork models, successfully consolidating 12 V DC as the standard for 00 gauge and leading to the adoption of 00 gauge as a broadly accepted modelling standard in the UK, whereas much of the rest of the world adopted HO gauge. The range expanded quickly, but was curtailed from 1940 due to World War II
, production being completely suspended in 1942. Production resumed after the war but did not reach full capacity until 1948. Clockwork models were not produced in 00 gauge after the war. In 2008, a special commemorative model of LNER Class A4 4498 Sir Nigel Gresley
was produced, in period packaging, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of this introduction.
Like its counterparts Bassett-Lowke
and Exley
in the UK and Lionel
and American Flyer
in the US, Hornby thrived in the first half of the decade but struggled in the late 1950s. The company were slow to recognise the threat posed by rival manufacturers (particularly Triang-Rovex) and to realise the potential of plastic. In 1959, far too late, Hornby introduced two-rail track and moulded plastic rolling stock (the Super Detail series), but even then the system was complicated and difficult to use in comparison to its rivals. Meanwhile the company plugged on producing a range of very old-fashioned 0 gauge models, in 1957 completely retooling much of the range instead of taking the opportunity to discontinue it, indicative of major failings at management level.
In 1964, Lines Bros Ltd
., the parent company of rival Tri-ang Railways
, purchased Meccano Ltd
., and merged Hornby and Tri-ang into Tri-ang Hornby. The former Hornby line was discontinued in favour of Tri-ang's less costly plastic designs. The Hornby Dublo tooling was sold to G & R Wrenn
, which continued to make most of the loco range and 'superdetail' rolling stock. Remaining stocks of 0 gauge were either scrapped or sold to the local retailer Hattons.
The Tri-ang group was disbanded in 1971 when Meccano Ltd's owner Lines Bros. filed for bankruptcy. The former Tri-ang Hornby was sold to Dunbee-Combex-Marx, becoming Hornby Railways in 1972. By 1976 Hornby was facing challenges from Palitoy
and Airfix
, both of which were producing high quality detailed models. Detail on the models was upgraded to make the product line more attractive to adult hobbyists.
A multiple train control system named Zero 1 was introduced in the late 1970s. This control system was a forerunner to the Digital Command Control
(DCC) system, an NMRA open standard
, which appeared in the 1990s. Though an important milestone, Zero 1 was not very successful; both the controller units and the decoder modules required for the locomotives were expensive, the power control method used by the system gave rise to appallingly rough running, and locomotives equipped with a Zero 1 decoder could not be used on conventional systems, making it difficult to run one's locomotives on friends' layouts or club layouts.
In 1970s Hornby released steam-powered 3½" gauge locomotive, a model of the Rocket
By 1980 the market was extremely tough and Dunbee-Combex-Marx was liquidated, placing Hornby in receivership
.
In 1980 Hornby became Hornby Hobbies and in 1981 a management buyout saw the company back on a sound footing. It went public in 1986.
By the early 1990s Hornby again faced competition from newcomers like Dapol
and established foreign manufacturers, including Lima
and Bachmann Industries
. Manufacturing was moved to Guangdong
province in China in 1995, completed by 1999, cutting costs and improving quality. As part of the process Hornby also bought in some of Dapol's products and also some of the old Airfix moulds (by then owned by Dapol). Train sets based on Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends and Harry Potter
(the "Hogwarts Express") have been particularly profitable ventures. In September 2003 Hornby released its first steam-powered
00 gauge locomotive, a model of the record-breaking Mallard. Several other "Live Steam
" locomotives have now been produced.
Since then Hornby has bought Lima
, an Italian model railway equipment manufacturer that had previously acquired Jouef
, a French manufacturer. Some of the ex-Lima models appear in the main Hornby products list. This range is known as Hornby International. This acquisition also included the Rivarossi
line of HO-scale products, also originally from Italy, and the Arnold brand of N-scale products. They also took over the Spanish model railway company Electrotren. Electrotren had been the Spanish importer for Scalextric, sold in Spain as Superslot. The takeover was at the request of the Spanish company and was not due to obvious financial problems. They have remained independent outside of the Hornby International umbrella.
With competition mainly from Bachmann Industries
, and to a much lesser extent from minor and generally niche players such as the Danish model railway company Heljan
, Dapol
, Vi Trains and Peco
, Hornby Railways now (in 2008) produce a large range of highly detailed British steam and diesel locomotives, such as the BR 9F
, LNER Class A4
, SR Merchant Navy
, Class 60
, Class 50
, Class 31
and Class 08
.
In November 2006, Hornby Hobbies acquired Airfix
and Humbrol paints for the sum of £2.6 million.
The parent company, Humbrol
, had gone into administration earlier that year after cashflow problems. Airfix fans had been concerned that it could be the end of the brand, but just like the name Hornby was once a tradename of Meccano, Airfix is now a successful tradename of Hornby.
In May 2008, Hornby announced the acquisition of Corgi Classics Limited
, one of the world's oldest makers of collectable die-cast models of trucks, buses, cars and aeroplanes, from Corgi International Limited
for £7.5million.
Many of the models are similar to those of 'Lyddle End' (a range which followed 'Skaledale'), but these “N” Gauge buildings are produced to a smaller scale of 1:148.
The Skaledale range comprises station buildings, platforms, trackside accessories, shops, houses, churches, monuments and street furniture.
Forbes Outfitters and St. Andrews Church for example, provided the inspiration for their scaled down models, although others are adapted to suit a particular price point or subject. The station and trackside buildings are inspired by actual structures but again in some cases adapted to suit manufacturing constraints.
model railway
buildings for Hornby Railways. The buildings are created from high quality die cast resin
and are made to represent the fictional village of Lyddle End, somewhere in England. Most of the buildings are models of GWR
style buildings made out of red sandstone.
Hornby created these buildings thanks to the success of their 00 gauge buildings, which they call Skaledale. Many of the buildings are the same as their Skaledale equivalent, except in different scales, to save the cost of designing a new model. They are generally released about 6 months to a year behind their OO counterparts. When Hornby announced their 2010 range, Lyddle End was not mentioned, presumably ended.
.
May, who had previously identified the train set as his "absolute favourite" hoped that a train would run successfully along the length of the Tarka Trail
– a disused 37 miles (59.5 km) long railway line in North Devon
.
Hornby was heavily involved, providing the track and the prototype of their OO gauge British Rail Class 395 Javelin
train. Simon Kohler, marketing manager of Hornby model railways, said that the train which travels at just 1 miles per hour (1.6 km/h) failed two miles short of Bideford station; but he also told BBC news "Even though the last locomotive gave up the ghost at Instow, we did link the track – in fact I finished it at about 2230 – so we'll just need to wait and see what Guinness make of it.
In April 2011 James tried again, this time against the Germans. All the trains reached their destinations and the British team won.
Frank Hornby
Frank Hornby was an English inventor, businessman and politician. He was a visionary in toy development and manufacture and produced three of the most popular lines of toys in the twentieth century: Meccano, Hornby Model Railways and Dinky Toys...
received a patent for his Meccano
Meccano
Meccano is a model construction system comprising re-usable metal strips, plates, angle girders, wheels, axles and gears, with nuts and bolts to connect the pieces. It enables the building of working models and mechanical devices....
construction toy. The first clockwork train was produced in 1920. In 1938, Hornby launched its first 00 gauge train. In 1964, Hornby and Meccano were bought by their competitor Tri-Ang, and sold on when Tri-ang went into receivership. In the 1980s Hornby Railways became independent.
Early history: 1920–1938
Meccano Ltd
Meccano Ltd was a British toy company established in 1908 by Frank Hornby in England to manufacture and distribute Meccano and other model toys and kits created by the company...
and based in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, which released its first train, a clockwork
Clockwork
A clockwork is the inner workings of either a mechanical clock or a device that operates in a similar fashion. Specifically, the term refers to a mechanical device utilizing a complex series of gears....
0 gauge (1:48) model, in 1920. An electric train soon followed but was under-designed and the few that were made were sold out in France. In 1925, a much more successful electric model was introduced , operating on the high voltage of 110 volts AC
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
power. Safety concerns saw low voltage 4V and then 6V motors introduced, followed by a reliable 20V AC system, which was developed in the early 1930s. However, clockwork remained the mainstay of the Hornby 0 gauge trains until 1937 and became the only power available in Liverpool-made 0 gauge trains from 1949. Competitors in the UK were Leeds Model Company
Leeds Model Company
The Leeds Model Company was a model railroad company.The company made o gauge wooden coaches and wagons with lithograph sides and a very large range of model locomotives. Their quality was equal to that of most other companies at the time, including Bassett Lowke and Hornby Trains, which in the UK...
and Bassett-Lowke
Bassett-Lowke
Bassett-Lowke was a toy company in Northampton, England, founded by Wenman Joseph Bassett-Lowke in 1898 or 1899, that specialized in model railways, boats and ships, and construction sets...
A factory was established in France, which developed its own range of French outline trains, but Liverpool dominated export activity elsewhere, with large numbers of Hornby trains exported to Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and Scandinavia. Even though the export models were often painted in 'foreign' liveries, Hornby trains looked very British. Hornby attempted to break into the American market by setting up a factory in 1927 in Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568...
, to make American-style trains. These were colourful and attractive, but low market and only clockwork. They probably would have failed in the marketplace because several established U.S. firms could undercut them and Hornby offered no better-class goods or electric models, but the Wall Street Crash precipitated matters. In late 1929, Meccano Ltd. sold its New Jersey factory to the A. C. Gilbert Company
A. C. Gilbert Company
The A. C. Gilbert Company was an American toy company, once one of the largest toy companies in the world. It is best known for introducing the Erector Set to the marketplace....
and Hornby trains had vanished from the U.S. market by 1930. The leftover inventory was sold in Canada and in the UK and some of the tooling was reused for products in other markets.
Hornby Dublo era: 1938–1963
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
electric system and clockwork models, successfully consolidating 12 V DC as the standard for 00 gauge and leading to the adoption of 00 gauge as a broadly accepted modelling standard in the UK, whereas much of the rest of the world adopted HO gauge. The range expanded quickly, but was curtailed from 1940 due to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, production being completely suspended in 1942. Production resumed after the war but did not reach full capacity until 1948. Clockwork models were not produced in 00 gauge after the war. In 2008, a special commemorative model of LNER Class A4 4498 Sir Nigel Gresley
LNER Class A4 4498 Sir Nigel Gresley
London and North Eastern Railway A4 Class number 4498 , 7 and 60007 , namedSir Nigel Gresley is a preserved British steam locomotive.-Liveries:...
was produced, in period packaging, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of this introduction.
Like its counterparts Bassett-Lowke
Bassett-Lowke
Bassett-Lowke was a toy company in Northampton, England, founded by Wenman Joseph Bassett-Lowke in 1898 or 1899, that specialized in model railways, boats and ships, and construction sets...
and Exley
Exley
Edward Exley Limited is a manufacturer of model railway equipment, particularly ready-to-run coaches in 0 gauge and 00 gauge and a one-time major competitor to Hornby and Bassett-Lowke...
in the UK and Lionel
Lionel, LLC
Lionel, LLC is a designer and importer of toy trains and model railroads, based in Chesterfield Township, Michigan. Its roots lie in the 1969 purchase of the Lionel product line by cereal conglomerate General Mills....
and American Flyer
American Flyer
American Flyer was a popular brand of toy train and model railroad in the United States in the middle part of the 20th century.- The Chicago era, 1907–1938 :...
in the US, Hornby thrived in the first half of the decade but struggled in the late 1950s. The company were slow to recognise the threat posed by rival manufacturers (particularly Triang-Rovex) and to realise the potential of plastic. In 1959, far too late, Hornby introduced two-rail track and moulded plastic rolling stock (the Super Detail series), but even then the system was complicated and difficult to use in comparison to its rivals. Meanwhile the company plugged on producing a range of very old-fashioned 0 gauge models, in 1957 completely retooling much of the range instead of taking the opportunity to discontinue it, indicative of major failings at management level.
Tri-ang Hornby: 1964–1972
In 1964, Lines Bros Ltd
Lines Bros Ltd
Lines Bros Ltd was a British toy manufacturer of the 20th century, operating under the Tri-ang brand name.Lines Bros Ltd, at its peak, was claimed to be the largest toy maker in the world.-History:...
., the parent company of rival Tri-ang Railways
Tri-ang Railways
Tri-ang Railways was a British manufacturer of toy trains, one of the elements of the Lines Bros Ltd company who traded using the Tri-ang brand name...
, purchased Meccano Ltd
Meccano Ltd
Meccano Ltd was a British toy company established in 1908 by Frank Hornby in England to manufacture and distribute Meccano and other model toys and kits created by the company...
., and merged Hornby and Tri-ang into Tri-ang Hornby. The former Hornby line was discontinued in favour of Tri-ang's less costly plastic designs. The Hornby Dublo tooling was sold to G & R Wrenn
G & R Wrenn
G & R Wrenn was a toy company specialising in the manufacture of model railways. It was founded in 1950 by George & Richard Wrenn.- Origins :...
, which continued to make most of the loco range and 'superdetail' rolling stock. Remaining stocks of 0 gauge were either scrapped or sold to the local retailer Hattons.
Hornby Railways: 1972–1980
Palitoy
Palitoy was the name of a British toy company.It manufactured some of the most popular toys in Britain, some original items and others under licence...
and Airfix
Airfix
Airfix is a UK manufacturer of plastic scale model kits of aircraft and other subjects. In Britain, the name Airfix is synonymous with the hobby, a plastic model of this type is often simply referred to as "an airfix kit" even if made by another manufacturer....
, both of which were producing high quality detailed models. Detail on the models was upgraded to make the product line more attractive to adult hobbyists.
A multiple train control system named Zero 1 was introduced in the late 1970s. This control system was a forerunner to the Digital Command Control
Digital Command Control
Digital Command Control is a standard for a system to operate model railways digitally. When equipped with Digital Command Control, locomotives on the same electrical section of track can be independently controlled....
(DCC) system, an NMRA open standard
Open standard
An open standard is a standard that is publicly available and has various rights to use associated with it, and may also have various properties of how it was designed . There is no single definition and interpretations vary with usage....
, which appeared in the 1990s. Though an important milestone, Zero 1 was not very successful; both the controller units and the decoder modules required for the locomotives were expensive, the power control method used by the system gave rise to appallingly rough running, and locomotives equipped with a Zero 1 decoder could not be used on conventional systems, making it difficult to run one's locomotives on friends' layouts or club layouts.
In 1970s Hornby released steam-powered 3½" gauge locomotive, a model of the Rocket
By 1980 the market was extremely tough and Dunbee-Combex-Marx was liquidated, placing Hornby in receivership
Receivership
In law, receivership is the situation in which an institution or enterprise is being held by a receiver, a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights." The receivership remedy is an equitable remedy that emerged in...
.
Hornby Hobbies: 1980–2008
By the early 1990s Hornby again faced competition from newcomers like Dapol
Dapol
Dapol Ltd is a Welsh model railway manufacturer based in Chirk, Wales. The factory where design and manufacturing take place is just over the border in England.The Dapol trading name is known for its model railway products in N and OO gauges.-History:...
and established foreign manufacturers, including Lima
Lima (models)
Lima S.p.A was a brand of railway models made in Vicenza, Italy, for almost 50 years, from the early 1950s until the company ceased trading in 2004...
and Bachmann Industries
Bachmann Industries
Bachmann Industries is a Bermuda registered Chinese owned company, globally head quartered in Hong Kong; specializing in model railroading....
. Manufacturing was moved to Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
province in China in 1995, completed by 1999, cutting costs and improving quality. As part of the process Hornby also bought in some of Dapol's products and also some of the old Airfix moulds (by then owned by Dapol). Train sets based on Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends and Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
(the "Hogwarts Express") have been particularly profitable ventures. In September 2003 Hornby released its first steam-powered
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
00 gauge locomotive, a model of the record-breaking Mallard. Several other "Live Steam
Live steam
Live steam is steam under pressure, obtained by heating water in a boiler. The steam is used to operate stationary or moving equipment.A live steam machine or device is one powered by steam, but the term is usually reserved for those that are replicas, scale models, toys, or otherwise used for...
" locomotives have now been produced.
Since then Hornby has bought Lima
Lima (models)
Lima S.p.A was a brand of railway models made in Vicenza, Italy, for almost 50 years, from the early 1950s until the company ceased trading in 2004...
, an Italian model railway equipment manufacturer that had previously acquired Jouef
Jouef
Jouef was a French manufacturer that specialized in model trains and other vehicles. Jouef is one of the world's most famous hobby brands, perhaps only slightly less well-known than Schuco, Marklin, Lines Brothers or Lionel..-History:...
, a French manufacturer. Some of the ex-Lima models appear in the main Hornby products list. This range is known as Hornby International. This acquisition also included the Rivarossi
Rivarossi
Rivarossi was an Italian manufacturer of model railways. In 2004 it was acquired by Hornby Railways.-History:Rivarossi was founded in 1945 by Alessandro Rossi with a Mr. Riva.In the 1990s Rivarossi acquired Lima , Jouef and Arnold...
line of HO-scale products, also originally from Italy, and the Arnold brand of N-scale products. They also took over the Spanish model railway company Electrotren. Electrotren had been the Spanish importer for Scalextric, sold in Spain as Superslot. The takeover was at the request of the Spanish company and was not due to obvious financial problems. They have remained independent outside of the Hornby International umbrella.
With competition mainly from Bachmann Industries
Bachmann Industries
Bachmann Industries is a Bermuda registered Chinese owned company, globally head quartered in Hong Kong; specializing in model railroading....
, and to a much lesser extent from minor and generally niche players such as the Danish model railway company Heljan
Heljan
Heljan A/S is a Danish model railway company based in Søndersø. Originally specialising in decorations and accessories for model railways, it has now also developed a substantial range of rolling stock. It has diversified into modelling the British scene, and since 2002 have released several OO...
, Dapol
Dapol
Dapol Ltd is a Welsh model railway manufacturer based in Chirk, Wales. The factory where design and manufacturing take place is just over the border in England.The Dapol trading name is known for its model railway products in N and OO gauges.-History:...
, Vi Trains and Peco
Peco
Peco is a UK-based manufacturer of model railway accessories, especially trackwork, based at Pecorama, Beer in South Devon.Peco is the collective name for the Pritchard Patent Product Company Ltd, Peco Publications and Publicity Ltd, and Pecorama...
, Hornby Railways now (in 2008) produce a large range of highly detailed British steam and diesel locomotives, such as the BR 9F
BR standard class 9F
The British Railways BR Standard Class 9F 2-10-0 is a class of steam locomotive designed for British Railways by Robert Riddles. The Class 9F was the last in a series of standardised locomotive classes designed for British Railways during the 1950s, and was intended for use on fast, heavy freight...
, LNER Class A4
LNER Class A4
The Class A4 is a class of streamlined 4-6-2 steam locomotive, designed by Nigel Gresley for the London and North Eastern Railway in 1935. Their streamlined design gave them high-speed capability as well as making them instantly recognizable, and one of the class, 4468 Mallard, still claims the...
, SR Merchant Navy
SR Merchant Navy class
The SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
, Class 60
British Rail Class 60
The British Rail Class 60 is a class of Co-Co heavy freight diesel-electric locomotives built by Brush Traction. They are nicknamed Tugs by Rail Enthusiasts.-History:...
, Class 50
British Rail Class 50
The British Rail Class 50 is a diesel locomotive built from 1967-68 by English Electric at their Vulcan Foundry Works in Newton-le-Willows. Fifty of these locomotives were built to haul express passenger trains on the, then non-electrified, section of the West Coast Main Line between Crewe,...
, Class 31
British Rail Class 31
The British Rail Class 31 diesel locomotives, also known as the Brush Type 2 and originally as Class 30, were built by Brush Traction from 1957-62.- Description :...
and Class 08
British Rail Class 08
The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
.
In November 2006, Hornby Hobbies acquired Airfix
Airfix
Airfix is a UK manufacturer of plastic scale model kits of aircraft and other subjects. In Britain, the name Airfix is synonymous with the hobby, a plastic model of this type is often simply referred to as "an airfix kit" even if made by another manufacturer....
and Humbrol paints for the sum of £2.6 million.
The parent company, Humbrol
Humbrol
Humbrol Limited was a British manufacturer of model kits, toys and paints, producing under its own brand and the Airfix, Sky Marks, Young Scientist, 1st Gear, High Speed and W. Britain brands...
, had gone into administration earlier that year after cashflow problems. Airfix fans had been concerned that it could be the end of the brand, but just like the name Hornby was once a tradename of Meccano, Airfix is now a successful tradename of Hornby.
In May 2008, Hornby announced the acquisition of Corgi Classics Limited
Corgi Classics Limited
Corgi Classics Limited is a die-cast model manufacturer which has its origins in the Corgi Toys brand introduced by Mettoy in 1956.-The Corgi Toys era: 1956 to 1995:...
, one of the world's oldest makers of collectable die-cast models of trucks, buses, cars and aeroplanes, from Corgi International Limited
Corgi International Limited
Corgi International Limited is a company rooted in the old Welsh Corgi Toys started in the late 1950s. That company was later acquired by Mattel around 1990, then made independent. Today, Corgi consists of three distinct brands that manufacture movie prop replicas, die-cast collectibles, and...
for £7.5million.
Hornby Hobbies Limited 2009-Present
In 2009 the Hornby Shop and Visitor Centre was in development. Christmas 2009 saw the launch of the new Hornby Shop, with the visitor centre still in production. July 2010 saw the opening of the Hornby Shop And Visitor Centre, which has proved increasingly popular since the opening day.Collector and Enthusiasts' Groups
Pre 1964 Hornby trains have enjoyed a level of adult collector interest since the 1940s. In 1969 the Hornby Railway Collector's Association has existed to cater for this and currently enjoys a membership of something over 2000, producing 10 journals a year, as well as other literature. Publications on older Hornby and Meccano products are dominated by those published by New Cavendish Books as 'The Hornby Companion Series', in particular Chris & Julie Graebe's 'The Hornby Gauge 0 System' and Michael Foster's sister volume on Hornby Dublo. Triang-Hornby and later Hornby products are catered for by the Train Collectors' Association.Skaledale
‘Skaledale’ is a range of resin buildings and track accessories produced for 00 gauge railways by Hornby Hobbies Ltd. Production began in 2003 when an initial range of only 6 items were distributed into the market place. The interest and demand proved so positive that the range increased the following year to include new domestic style buildings plus the introduction of station and trackside buildings.Many of the models are similar to those of 'Lyddle End' (a range which followed 'Skaledale'), but these “N” Gauge buildings are produced to a smaller scale of 1:148.
The Skaledale range comprises station buildings, platforms, trackside accessories, shops, houses, churches, monuments and street furniture.
Forbes Outfitters and St. Andrews Church for example, provided the inspiration for their scaled down models, although others are adapted to suit a particular price point or subject. The station and trackside buildings are inspired by actual structures but again in some cases adapted to suit manufacturing constraints.
Lyddle End
Lyddle End is the range of N scaleN scale
N scale is a popular model railway scale/track gauge. Depending upon the manufacturer , the scale ranges from 1:148 to 1:160. In all cases, the gauge is . The term N gauge refers to the track dimensions, but in the UK in particular N gauge refers to a 1:148 scale with track gauge modelling...
model railway
Rail transport modelling
Railway modelling or model railroading is a hobby in which rail transport systems are modelled at a reduced scale...
buildings for Hornby Railways. The buildings are created from high quality die cast resin
Resin
Resin in the most specific use of the term is a hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly coniferous trees. Resins are valued for their chemical properties and associated uses, such as the production of varnishes, adhesives, and food glazing agents; as an important source of raw materials...
and are made to represent the fictional village of Lyddle End, somewhere in England. Most of the buildings are models of GWR
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
style buildings made out of red sandstone.
Hornby created these buildings thanks to the success of their 00 gauge buildings, which they call Skaledale. Many of the buildings are the same as their Skaledale equivalent, except in different scales, to save the cost of designing a new model. They are generally released about 6 months to a year behind their OO counterparts. When Hornby announced their 2010 range, Lyddle End was not mentioned, presumably ended.
In Media
An attempt to build the world's longest model railway formed the final episode of James May's Toy StoriesJames May's Toy Stories
James May's Toy Stories is a television series presented by James May. The series was commissioned for BBC Two from Plum Pictures. The first episode, "Airfix", was shown on BBC Two at 8:00 pm on Tuesday 27 October 2009....
.
May, who had previously identified the train set as his "absolute favourite" hoped that a train would run successfully along the length of the Tarka Trail
Tarka Trail
The Tarka Trail is a series of footpaths and cyclepaths around north Devon, England that follow the route taken by Tarka the Otter in the book of that name. It is a figure-of-eight route, based on Barnstaple, and covers some of path....
– a disused 37 miles (59.5 km) long railway line in North Devon
North Devon
North Devon is the northern part of the English county of Devon. It is also the name of a local government district in Devon. Its council is based in Barnstaple. Other towns and villages in the North Devon District include Braunton, Fremington, Ilfracombe, Instow, South Molton, Lynton and Lynmouth...
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Hornby was heavily involved, providing the track and the prototype of their OO gauge British Rail Class 395 Javelin
British Rail Class 395
British Rail Class 395 is a dual-voltage electric multiple unit used by train operating company Southeastern for its services along High Speed 1 and onwards to the Kent coast. The trains were built in Japan by Hitachi and shipped to the United Kingdom to operate new high speed domestic services...
train. Simon Kohler, marketing manager of Hornby model railways, said that the train which travels at just 1 miles per hour (1.6 km/h) failed two miles short of Bideford station; but he also told BBC news "Even though the last locomotive gave up the ghost at Instow, we did link the track – in fact I finished it at about 2230 – so we'll just need to wait and see what Guinness make of it.
In April 2011 James tried again, this time against the Germans. All the trains reached their destinations and the British team won.