7When talking of model railways, the name Hornby means different things to different people. To some, it is the large 0 gauge metal trains mainly of the interwar period. To others, it is the 00 scale Hornby Dublo trains which were at their peak in the 1950s. To modelers, it is the highly detailed models they find in shops today. While they share a brand name, they are all very different products. The Hornby brand has been owned by four different companies and while it has been carried by three quite different systems, they have had three things in common - they have been British, they have been quality products and they have all carried the name 'Hornby' with pride.

Here, in one volume, is an account of the fortunes, successes and occasional failures of the Hornby model railway brand. Unlike its competitors, Hornby has survived for a hundred years by out-witting every toy industry recession that came along. The story starts with the Hornby 0 gauge system, first introduced in 1920, and follows the Hornby name year by year, with pictures of many of the models that have been produced over the last century - including several which never made it into full production. It also contains a section at the end of each decade to summarize developments and to cover wider issues. The Hornby brand is a truly British icon.