It is difficult to identify just when I became interested in model railways. However, with three previous generations of my family involved in building steam locomotives for the Great Western Railway, perhaps there is a little something in the genes. My first introduction to the products of the most famous of Toymakers, Frank Hornby and his Meccano Company arrived in the form of a No2 Meccano Set at Christmas just as World War 2 broke out. Although the war years were difficult times I managed to acquire additional meccano parts and some old Meccano Magazines from a family friend. It was from studying the Meccano Magazines that I first developed a keen interest and a longing for Hornby O Gauge Trains. Unfortunately, the war years and those immediately following, interrupted manufacture when the factory and skilled precision engineers turned their skills to making fuses etc for bombs, shells and torpedoes. By the time manufacturing had got underway again my interests were fully taken up by study, exams, sport, National Service, girls and building a career. A decade or so later and with the arrival of two sons, my interest in Toy trains was re-kindled but, due to restriction on space and the fact that production of Hornby 0 gauge had now ceased and no longer available in the shops, the boys’ trains were “OO”. 1 did manage to acquire a few pieces of the larger gauge which languished in the attic. I continued to acquire bits and pieces of O gauge Hornby (particularly if they were GWR) over the next 20/30 years from friends neighbours and the occasional auction, together with samples of the many other products from the Meccano factory (but that is another story). These joined the other boxes of items in the roof space.

It was not until I had retired and found some spare time, space, and a keenly interested Grandson, that I was able to build a track and start bringing my assorted collection to life. I was pleasantly surprised how much I had accumulated over the years and how well it operated considering its age. Although production continued after the 2nd world war, the vast majority of manufacturing took place between 1920 and 1940 and it is from this period that I have acquired examples which now have an average age of about 75 years. Hornby 0 gauge trains are not models in the true sense in that they are not miniature copies of real trains but well engineered Toys in the general style and liveries of the trains of the time. Examples can be found in a wide range of condition, from virtual wrecks to very good and the occasional item almost mint. Whether they have been heavily played with by 4/5 generations or been stored in an attic or garage for 50/60 years, most of the electric and clockwork locomotive motors will work with a good clean and a spot of oil. On occasions a clip, new spring, new brushes or a cog may be needed. Similarly, the tinprinted or stove enamelled tinplate locomotives and rolling stock, clean up surprisingly well with the removal of the odd dent and touch in of scratches and perhaps a resprayed roof restoring their appearance to a very good condition. In addition to rolling stock and track, Hornby produced a whole range of accessories that helped bring the layouts to life. These included signals, signal boxes, stations, engine sheds, bridges and tunnels. The stations and sheds being very fine examples of the excellent tinprinting that were produced by the Meccano factory during the 1920/30s. From time to time, with a group of colleagues, we display and run these trains for charitable and fund raising events and find they still attract children of all ages, from 3 years to 83. 1 would not define my hobby as collecting Hornby trains – accumulating and restoring perhaps- more, preserving future for generations – well, that is my excuse!  Geoff Cox