Hornby Railways
British model railway brand that pioneered OO gauge.
Hornby Railways is a British brand of model railway products, originating from the railway production arm of Meccano Ltd. It is notable for introducing OO gauge model trains in 1938 under the name 'Hornby Dublo', which helped establish OO as a broadly accepted modelling standard in the UK. The brand has undergone several ownership changes, including a merger with Tri-ang to form Tri-ang Hornby in 1964, and later became an independent company again in the 1980s.
Quick Facts
- Former Names
- Hornby Dublo / (1938–63) / Hornby Railways / (1972–80) / Hornby Hobbies Limited / (1980–2015)
- Fate
- Acquired by Tri-ang Railways in 1964, then other takeovers
- Founded
- 1901
- Founder
- Frank Hornby
- Industry
- Scale model
- Hq Location
- Margate, Kent, England
- Products
- Model railways / Model cars / Slot cars
- Operating Income
- £200,000 (2020)
- Net Income
- -£2.8 million (2020)
- Num Employees
- 191 (2020)
- Brands
- Bassett-Lowke / Corgi / Jouef / Lima / Pocher / Scalextric / Airfix / Humbrol / Rivarossi / Arnold / Electrotren
- Parent
- Phoenix Asset Management / (2017–present)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Hornby's roots trace back to 1901 when Frank Hornby patented the Meccano construction toy. The first clockwork train was produced in 1920, followed by electric models. In 1938, Hornby launched its OO gauge trains under the name 'Hornby Dublo', using diecast metal locomotives and tinplate rolling stock. The range expanded quickly but was curtailed during World War II, with production resuming fully in 1948. The company faced challenges in the late 1950s, slow to adopt plastic and two-rail track systems, which contributed to financial difficulties. In 1964, Meccano Ltd. was bought by Lines Brothers (Tri-ang Railways), merging the brands into Tri-ang Hornby. The former Hornby line was discontinued in favor of Tri-ang's plastic designs. After Lines Bros. filed for bankruptcy in 1971, the brand was sold to Dunbee-Combex-Marx and became Hornby Railways in 1972. In 1979, Hornby introduced Zero 1, a digital model railway control system that allowed simultaneous control of multiple locomotives and accessories, a forerunner to later digital command control systems.
Reader's Guide
Hornby Railways holds a significant place in model railway history for its role in establishing OO gauge as a standard in the UK, a scale that remains widely used today. The brand's introduction of the Hornby Dublo range in 1938 set a benchmark for quality and detail, though its later reluctance to adopt plastic and two-rail systems contributed to its decline in the 1960s. The merger with Tri-ang and subsequent revival under Hornby Railways in the 1970s saw upgrades in detail to compete with rivals like Palitoy and Airfix. The Zero 1 digital control system, introduced in 1979, was a pioneering innovation that predated later DCC standards, though it was not a lasting commercial success. Hornby's legacy includes its continued production of model trains and its acquisition of other iconic brands such as Airfix, Humbrol, and Corgi, cementing its position as a major player in the scale modelling industry.
Did You Know?
- Hornby's first train was a clockwork 0 gauge model released in 1920.
- The Hornby Dublo range, launched in 1938, used 12V DC as the standard for OO scale.
- Hornby introduced the Zero 1 digital control system in 1979, a forerunner to modern DCC.
- In 2008, a special commemorative model of LNER Class A4 4498 Sir Nigel Gresley was produced for the 70th anniversary of Hornby Dublo.
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