This is a year by
year account of Hornby, providing not only a history of model
railways but also of British corporate developments.
The evolution of
Hornby it one of a long term the shift from making children’s toys
to high spec models for adult enthusiasts – what is fascinating is
the way that the brand “Hornby” has proved so flexible – in
particular that the mid-Sixties merger of Hornby and Tri-ang
essentially involved the discontinuing of the Hornby products and yet
in time it was the name Hornby and not Tri-ang that endured.
The shift of
production to China – which allowed the quality and detailing of
the models to increase – is another feature of the story that is
not really about the trains – Hornby, a “British” brand mainly
selling nostalgia for the golden age of British Steam hasn’t
actually manufactured anything in the UK for two decades – but that
clearly does not worry their customers.
It is a dangerous
book to read, as the temptation to follow up by buying models from a
popular online auction site is very great!
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