Scale model manufacturing company Hornby has marked the start of celebrations for its 70th anniversary in Margate with a layout sporting key parts of the town.
The model making firm has had a factory base in Margate since 1954.
There was a short break when the company sold its site in Margate for £2.25 million following a move of distribution to Hersden in 2014 and office functions to Discovery Park in 2015. However, Hornby returned to the Ramsgate Road site in January 2018 alongside Locomotive Storage which is based at the former factory site.
Today (July 19) is the first of a series of events that will run until the anniversary in September.
The Margate model layout is at Margate Railway Station and will remain there over the summer before a move to The WonderWorks in September.
The layout includes models of the Hornby site, Margate railway station, Dreamland’s Scenic Stage and Scenic Railway, the clock tower, main sands and the famous Jolly Boys outing coach (before it went up in flames!) from sitcom Only Fools and Horses.
Alongside the layout, Modelu were carrying out 3D scanning to allow people to have their own ’00’ scale mini-you in colour created. Some models will be placed on the Margate layout.
Cutting the ribbon for the layout, Hornby brand MD Martyn Weaver said: “Hornby dates back to 1901 when Frank Hornby patented educational toys which then became Meccano brand toys.”
In 1954, Lines Bros Ltd, the parent company of rival Tri-ang Railways, purchased Meccano Ltd., and merged Hornby and Tri-ang into Tri-ang Hornby at the Margate site.
Mr Weaver said: “The Lines brothers produced a state-of-the-art factory and development centre and that’s where it began. Hundreds of thousands of train sets have been developed at the site and in that time (we) became part of the community, providing tens of thousands of jobs.
“In more recent years the business centre and WonderWorks have contributed to bringing people into the county from a tourism perspective.
“Hornby could not be what it is today without the support of the community. Hundreds and thousands of toy train sets and Scalextric’s have been produced here over the years and these toys have gone out globally.”
Other brands that now are based at the Margate site include Airfix and Corgi.
Mr Weaver also thanked Southeastern for hosting the model layout and said it would be seen by the thousands of passengers using the train service at Margate station.
Station manager Eddie Goddard said the layout was an “amazing project” and said he was a huge Hornby fan and very happy that Southeastern was part of the celebrations.
The model, which has running trains triggered by motion sensor, can be seen in the station ticket hall.
Hornby will be running further public events and competitions during the summer.
Potted history
Hornby Railways’ roots date back to 1901, when founder Frank Hornby received a patent for his Meccano construction toy. The first clockwork train was produced in 1920 in Liverpool.
In 1938, Hornby launched its first 00 gauge train. Production was suspended in 1942, during the Second World War. Production resumed after the war but did not reach full capacity until 1948.
In 1954, Lines Bros Ltd, the parent company of rival Tri-ang Railways, purchased Meccano Ltd., and merged Hornby and Tri-ang into Tri-ang Hornby at the Margate site. The former Hornby line was discontinued in favour of Tri-ang’s less costly plastic designs.
The Tri-ang group was disbanded in 1971 and Tri-ang Hornby was sold to Dunbee-Combex- Marx, becoming Hornby Railways in 1972.
Hornby Railways became independent in the 1980s. Production continued at the Ramsgate Road factory until the 1990s, when it transferred manufacturing to Asia and the old factory became a warehouse.
In July 2010 the Hornby Shop And Visitor Centre opened. In June 2013 the firm announced that it was shifting its warehouse to Hersden, near Canterbury, and in May 2015 the remaining sections of the business moved to Discovery Park.
A restructure of top management in 2017 led to the welcome return in January 2018 of Hornby offices in Margate and the creation of a new showroom alongside Locomotive Storage which bought the site when Hornby moved out.
