Hornby Model Trains
Model railways have been popular for over a century. Hornby got into the industry back in 1920 when the aftermath of the Great War made German train models unpopular in the Commonwealth. Frank Hornby already owned Meccano, so he used the existing fasteners on his first line of clockwork trains. Later Hornby trains relied on electric motors and more conventional tabbed construction.
Model Train Scales and Gauges
Model trains run from as large as 1:20 scale to as small as 1:220 scale, with corresponding levels of detail. The largest trains run on 45 millimetre gauge tracks, which are for anything from 1:20 scale to 1:32 scale. The most popular large scale is 1:48 called O Gauge, using 32 millimetre tracks. Smaller scales include HO, so-called because at 1:87 scale and 16.5 millimetre tracks it's about half the size of O Gauge. Finally come the N and Z Gauge trains, which go down to a 6.5 millimetre track.
The Case of OO Gauge
Hornby's OO, or Dublo, line was the company's answer to competitors' HO trains. At 1:76 scale, the trains are a little larger than HO models, but Hornby OO scale model train tracks feature the same 16.5 millimetre gauge as HO so that tracks were interchangeable. The slightly larger scale was popular for collectors because it allowed for more detail without changing tracks.
Locomotives
Few things spice up your train set like Hornby OO scale locomotives. With Hornby's attention to detail these locos look good on any railway layout. Whether you prefer modelling diesels or going back to the Age of Steam these models look good in the box or on the track.
The Small Scale Advantage
One reason the smaller Hornby trains are so desirable is that the scale gives you plenty of room for the layout. While a simple loop can go in almost any room, the larger the scale the harder it is to pull off a bigger layout. For many train enthusiasts, the OO Hornby trains provide the perfect balance of size and detail.