Hornby Trains
History
Hornby Railways is the leading brand of model railway in the United Kingdom. Its roots date back to 1901, when founder Frank Hornby (1863 - 1936) received a patent for his Meccano construction toy. Frank Hornby was granted his patent and put the invention into production under the name ‘Mechanics Made Easy’. This led to the establishment of Meccano Ltd in 1907. Meccano production continued during the First World War.
Hornby, and his Meccano Ltd, based in Liverpool, released its first train, a clockwork 'O' gauge (1:48) model, in 1920. Hornby Trains were powered by a high quality clockwork motor, made of metal pressings held together by Meccano nuts and bolts. Hornby Trains were an instant success and the company was quick to introduce more engines and accessories. 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 high voltage (220-240V) 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 'O' gauge trains until 1937.
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