About Hornby
Hornby is a British household name and UK brand leader in model railways, founded by inventor Frank Hornby (1863-1936). Hornby applied for a patent in 1901 for 'Improvements in Toy or Educational Devices for Children and Young People', initially marketed as 'Mechanics Made Easy'. The first clockwork train was produced in 1920, followed by the first OO gauge train in 1938. The Margate factory site was constructed by Lines Brothers Ltd in 1953 as a state-of-the-art facility for Tri-ang Railways. In 1964, Hornby and Meccano faced financial difficulties and were acquired by Lines Brothers, becoming "Tri-ang Hornby". Following Lines Brothers' bankruptcy, the brand was sold to Dunbee-Combex-Marx and rebranded as Hornby Railways in 1972. Hornby became independent again in the 1980s and listed on the London Stock Exchange. After financial troubles in 2017, Phoenix Asset Management acquired majority ownership (55.2%) of Hornby Hobbies. The company relocated from Margate to Hersden and Sandwich before returning to the original 1954 Margate offices. Today, Hornby Hobbies Ltd is home to 15 collectible and scale model brands, including Hornby model railways, Scalextric slot cars, Airfix model kits, and Corgi die-cast vehicles. Hornby train sets range from starter sets for beginners to detailed OO gauge models for serious hobbyists. Products include locomotives, rolling stock, track, buildings, scenery, and digital control systems. Compare Hornby train sets and model railway products at Argos, John Lewis, Amazon and specialist hobby shops with Grocefully.























