Vintage Hornby and Hornby/Meccano trains and railway equipment

Frank Hornby (1863-1936) was a British inventor, entrepreneur, and toy maker, best known for creating the Meccano construction sets and the Hornby model trains.

Hornby was born in Liverpool, England, and worked as a bookkeeper before becoming interested in creating toys. In 1901, he introduced the "Mechanics Made Easy" construction set, which consisted of a series of metal strips, rods, and gears that could be used to build a wide range of models. This set was later renamed "Meccano," a name that Hornby trademarked in 1907.

The Meccano sets were an immediate success, and soon became one of the more... most popular toys in England and around the world. Hornby continued to innovate and expand the Meccano line, introducing new sets and accessories, including motors, engines, and remote controls. Meccano sets were used to build everything from miniature cars and planes to bridges and towers and were popular with both children and adults.

In 1920, Hornby expanded his toy-making business to include model trains, which he called Hornby Dublo. The trains were made to a larger scale than previous model trains and were sold with a range of accessories, including tracks, buildings, and scenery. The Hornby trains were an immediate hit and are still popular with collectors and model train enthusiasts today.

In addition to his success as a toy maker, Hornby was also an accomplished engineer and inventor. He held numerous patents for toys and other inventions, including a device for controlling the temperature of electric ovens and a machine for manufacturing perforated paper.

The Meccano and Hornby brands are still producing toys and models for enthusiasts around the world. less...

Frank Hornby (1863-1936) the inventor of 'Meccano' was also responsible for the introduction in about 1915-20 of the clockwork train sets that bear his name.

Electric powered Hornby trains first appeared in 1925. The Hornby trademark was used until 1940 when all construction of Hornby trains was halted with the onset of World War II.

Production of the toy trains resumed in 1946, though in the immediate post-war years, a general shortage of raw materials restricted production. Hence, new toy trains items were not introduced until the early 1950s.

By the late 1950s, when construction of plastic more... toys begun, sales began to decline, and in 1965, Hornby was taken over by Tri-ang (Lines Brothers), who incorporated some items from the Hornby line into its catalogue. less...

For those boys who grew up in the 1950s and 1960s, a Meccano set was the equivalent to today's Xbox or Nintendo.

Meccano Ltd was invented by Frank Hornby, a young clerk who worked for a meat importing company in Liverpool, after his idea in 1901 of a new toy - 'Mechanics Made Easy'. This very quickly became known as Meccano, and was soon on sale across the world.

'The Meccano Magazine' - a monthly newsletter - was introduced in 1916 and contained articles of interest to budding engineers. It included new plans for models which could be assembled with Meccano, often more... requiring the purchase of additional parts or a larger outfit.

At its peak The Meccano Magazine enjoyed a circulation of 50,000 and was published until 1980. Apart from development of new and modified components, Meccano underwent colour changes on many occasions - some of which reflected the mood of the time.

For example in 1936 it was produced in royal blue with gold cross-hatching to mark the coronation of King George VI following the abdication of his brother, Edward VIII; in 1939 with he impending World War, Meccano was produced in matt green similar to the colour of military vehicles then in common use.

By the end of the 1930's Meccano was being produced under license in France, Germany, Spain, and the USA.

The advent of television and then later, computers, made a serious dent in the popularity of Meccano (and many other practical hobbies) and Meccano ceased production at its Liverpool factory in 1979. The French producer of Meccano bought the worldwide rights, stepped up production and relaunched the company as Meccano SA.

Meccano is currently enjoying a worldwide resurgence of interest due, paradoxically, in large part to the computer and the internet. An internet search on the keyword 'Meccano' reveals a large number of web sites dedicated to the hobby and Meccano clubs are still found in many countries. less...