Tri-ang Railways
British toy train manufacturer, part of the Lines Bros empire.
Tri-ang Railways was a British maker of toy trains and part of the Lines Bros Ltd group, which also sold toys under the brands Minic, Pedigree, and Frog. The Tri-ang Railways name was retired a few years after Lines Bros acquired the Hornby name, but most of the trains continued to be the original Tri-ang designs.
The Tri-ang name came from the three Lines brothers—William, Walter, and Arthur Edwin—who formed Lines Bros Ltd after World War I. Their father, Joseph Lines, had run G & J Lines Ltd with his brother George, making wooden toys in the Victorian era. Arthur’s son, Richard Lines, was the main force behind the Tri-ang Railways system.
Tri-ang Railways began in 1951 after Lines Bros bought Rovex Plastics Ltd, a firm founded in 1946 by Alexander Gregory Vanetzian. Vanetzian had been asked to develop an electric toy train set for Christmas 1950, and he did so, but the company, based in a former brewery in Richmond, was short of money. Lines Bros wanted to expand into railways and purchased Rovex. In 1954, the business—now called Rovex Scale Models Ltd—moved to a new factory built in Margate, Kent.
From 1966 to 1972, Tri-ang sold a battery-powered plastic 0 gauge range called Big Big train. Some of its moulds were later sold to other manufacturers, including Novo in the USSR and Lima in Italy. Alongside 00/H0 gauge, Tri-ang made TT gauge models from 1957 until at least 1967; the 3mm Society supports those who still model Tri-ang TT. J. H. Doyle, managing director of Rovex Scale Models, joined Rovex Plastics early on and was a key figure in developing the OO/HO range and starting the TT gauge.
Tri-ang also produced a garden railway system, the Tri-ang Minic Narrowgauge Railway (TMNR), a 10.25-inch gauge passenger-carrying line using two-rail electric pick-up with motors running at 40 volts DC. It was made in the early 1960s but sold fewer than 90 sets and was not a commercial success.
The success of Tri-ang hurt British rivals Trix and Hornby Dublo. In 1964, Hornby Dublo, a division of Meccano Ltd, stopped production, and Meccano Ltd asked Lines Bros to buy them out. Tri-ang bought the company and a large amount of stock. The combined toy railway was marketed as Tri-ang Hornby, with Tri-ang models continuing and a supplementary catalogue issued in May 1966 showing both Tri-ang and Hornby Dublo items.
- Founded
- 1951 (as Tri-ang Railways brand)
- Parent company
- Lines Bros Ltd
- Key person
- Richard Lines (responsible for Tri-ang Railways system)
- Gauges produced
- 00/H0, TT (1957–at least 1967), 0 gauge (Big Big train, 1966–1972)
- Factory location
- Margate, Kent (from 1954)
- Canadian incorporation
- Lines Bros. (Canada) Ltd., 24 March 1947
- Successor brand
- Hornby Railways (from 1 January 1972)
Lore & Background
Tri-ang Railways originated from the purchase of Rovex Plastics Ltd by Lines Bros in 1951. Rovex had been founded in 1946 by Alexander Gregory Vanetzian, who developed an electric toy train set for Christmas 1950. Lines Bros, seeking to expand into railways, bought the financially constrained company and marketed its products under the Tri-ang Railways name. In 1954, production moved to a new factory in Margate, Kent. The company produced 00/H0 gauge models and introduced TT gauge from 1957 to at least 1967. A battery-powered plastic 0 gauge range called Big Big train was sold from 1966 to 1972; some of its moulds were later sold to other manufacturers including Novo in the USSR and Lima in Italy. Tri-ang also manufactured a garden railway system, the Tri-ang Minic Narrowgauge Railway (TMNR), a 10.25-inch gauge passenger-carrying line using 40-volt DC power, produced in the early 1960s with fewer than 90 sets made.
Reader's Guide
Tri-ang Railways significantly impacted the British toy train market, contributing to the decline of competitors Trix and Hornby Dublo. In 1964, Lines Bros purchased the Hornby Dublo division of Meccano Ltd, and the combined line was marketed as Tri-ang Hornby. After the Lines Bros empire collapsed in 1971, the model railway business was sold to Dunbee-Combex-Marx group, and from 1 January 1972 the brand was rebranded Hornby Railways. The company produced models for international markets, including Australia and New Zealand (via Moldex in Melbourne and a factory in Auckland), Canada (through Lines Bros. (Canada) Ltd., which assembled sets from Margate), and South Africa (limited production in Durban). Canadian-specific models included representations of Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway trains. The Tri-ang name and its models remain collectible, with the 3mm Society supporting those who still model Tri-ang TT gauge.
Did You Know?
- The Tri-ang name came from 'three Lines'—the three brothers who formed Lines Bros Ltd after World War I.
- Tri-ang produced a garden railway called Tri-ang Minic Narrowgauge Railway (TMNR) with 10.25-inch gauge track.
- Some Big Big train moulds were later sold to Novo in the USSR and Lima in Italy.
- Canadian Tri-ang sets were assembled in Montreal from models shipped from the Margate factory.
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