What Makes Hornby Model Trains So Popular With Many 00 gauge Model Railroaders

Hornby model trains are created by Hornby Railways, manufacturers of the 00 gauge Hornby model trains. Hornby Railways has been making stream train railway models since the 1900’s and is now the leading brand of model trains in the United Kingdom. Hornby also manufactures the Meccano clockwork 0 gauge models as well. Following World War II, Hornby began making their clockwork Hornby model train but stopped production in 1950. Another Hornby model train entered the market in the 1970’s, a steam-powered model of George Stephenson’s Rocket. In addition, a multiple locomotive controller program called Zero 1 was created during the 1970’s and was an early version for the DCC systems. The Zero 1 failed to work well, however, due to decoder modules and controller units being expensive, along with the fact the trains did not operate on other systems.

In the past twenty years, Hornby Railways has begun investing in creating train sets based on films like Harry Potter and the trains seen in it. In addition, Hornby has recently released the Mallard, which is its first steam-driven 00-gauge model locomotive.

Hornby model trains also market a TrakMat which is a scenic sheet you place under your trains as a base for the layout you select during the development of your train. TrakMats are useful in that they indicate where you should place the buildings, tracks and any other accessories you are using.  Before placing your TrakMat, however, make sure you have a sturdy, stable base on which to lay it. Most collectors make a baseboard out of insulation board for this purpose by additionally creating a supporting foundation of softwood battens.

The Skaledale and the Lyddle End are the two principle systems supporting Hornby model trains. The Skaledale provides track and street accessories and buildings resembling those offered by the Lyddle End but are built on a larger scale of approximately 1:76. Both the Skaledale and Lyddle End work with 00 gauge model trains, but the Lyddle End seems to be the more popular of the two among collectors.

Examples of scenic materials available for the Hornby train enthusiast are hedges, vegetation, grasses and gravel. Trees created with a great attention to details can also be purchased in a variety of sizes and design. For those collectors who need a large area filled with trees, Hornby also has trees which are more affordable than other trees.

Illuminating Hornby model trains and the scenes in which a collector is creating can be accomplished with assorted lighting products. With wires, bulbs and small extension blocks, the train enthusiast can light up any accessories used on a TrakMat. This is facilitated by each train set coming with a standard Hornby’s power system of transformer plugs which are put into a controller, then plugging the controller into the power clip and finally plugging the power clip into the track itself.

Hornby model train collectors frequently purchase another controller so they can maneuver two trains simultaneously on a different circuit. Hornby has created the Hornby HM2000 controller which is a transformer/speed control unit equipped with a control for two different trains in addition to being able to move trains in different directions. If you are interested in model trains, starting out with Hornby model trains is a delightful entrance into the world of model train collecting.

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