Toy Trains

20th Century Toy Trains

The 19th Century may have been the first machine age but in the 20th a whole industry was committed to creating toy machines that would span the transition from the steam age to the world of electronics. Like the real world, toy machines began the Century steam powered and clockwork, ending as mechanical constructions gave way to a new reality of microelectronic development. To make a model railway, construction and system skills were needed with a sense of purpose and the drive to make things work, without it, the train was doomed to going round in circles chasing it's tail.

Bassett-Lowke '0' gauge 12v. DC

Flying Scotsman B R blue c 1951, original tinprinted finish. The 'Scotsman' followed the Royal Scot as the most successful mass produced 'scale' model for the toy market priced at £4.50 in 1937. It was still in production in 1956 as the only scale tinplate express engine made in England, price £14.00. This B.R. experimental Blue version had a very short production run.

Bassett-Lowke '0' gauge 20v. AC

Royal Scot with Stanier Tender 1938-9, Hand painted and lined. This is the last version of the parallel boiler 'Scot' and is fitted with a powerful 20 volt motor and sprung buffers. The model was first introduced in 1930 as a low cost tinprinted production to sell at £3.75, the post war 'rebuilt' version cost £25 in 1956.

Lionel '0' gauge 14v AC

2020 'Turbomotive', original finish, although this model looks massive it is considerably under 7mm scale.

Hornby '0' Gauge, clockwork 1930

No 2 Special Tank (1784 was the number of 4-6-2,LNER Tank Locomotive)

The lower edge and steps of the body were originally painted green.

Hornby '0' Gauge, Clockwork 1924

'2711' An early 'Hornby' that was first designed as a constrution toy to intergrate with Meccano, sold at £1.15p

'0' gauge is believed to have been devised by the Nuremberg manufacturer Bing. It was first described in a Bassett-Lowke Catalogue as 1.1/4" gauge at 1/4" to the foot scale. It became established as 32mm gauge at 7mm to the foot scale. From 1920 till 1940 it was an International standard for most manufacturers although the 'scale' varied for ease of production. As more accurate scale models of express trains began to be produced the minimum radius of the track grew to such an extent that an '0' gauge layout needed a very large room and considerable wealth for just a simple circuit. The demand for a miniature Table Railway grew from 1921, in 1936 Trix was launched, followed by Hornby Dublo in 1938.

'0' '00' 'H0'

During the 1920's a half '0' gauge of 16.5 mm emerged in England without an agreed scale. In Europe it settled at 3.5 mm as H0 but in England 4 mm to the foot was established as '00' by the 1930's. In the UK makers failed to work to a common scale with models sometimes falling outside of '00' and 'H0' and this must have affected their export orders.

Royal Scot International !

'0' gauge by Bassett-Lowke 1938

'00' scale 'The Old Contemptibles' by 'Mainline' made in China 1980

'H0' scale 'Hector' by Rivarossi, Italy 1978

Photography and text by Mike Tilley © 2003 tel.0191 2615618

A CENTURY OF TOY TRAINS
a pre Christmas special for 2005. click for page three

Each a Glimpse and Gone......

AN EXHIBITION OF RAILWAY PHOTOGRAPHY

BY COLIN GIFFORD

	Bassett-Lowke '0' gauge 12v. DC Flying Scotsman B R blue c 1951, original tinprinted finish. The 'Scotsman' followed the Royal Scot as the most successful mass produced 'scale' model for the toy market priced at £4.50 in 1937. It was still in production in 1956 as the only scale tinplate express engine made in England, price £14.00. This B.R. experimental Blue version had a very short production run.
	Bassett-Lowke '0' gauge 20v. AC Royal Scot with Stanier Tender 1938-9, Hand painted and lined. This is the last version of the parallel boiler 'Scot' and is fitted with a powerful 20 volt motor and sprung buffers. The model was first introduced in 1930 as a low cost tinprinted production to sell at £3.75, the post war 'rebuilt' version cost £25 in 1956.
	Lionel '0' gauge 14v AC 2020 'Turbomotive', original finish, although this model looks massive it is considerably under 7mm scale.

	Hornby '0' Gauge, clockwork 1930 No 2 Special Tank (1784 was the number of 4-6-2,LNER Tank Locomotive) The lower edge and steps of the body were originally painted green.
	Hornby '0' Gauge, Clockwork 1924 '2711' An early 'Hornby' that was first designed as a constrution toy to intergrate with Meccano, sold at £1.15p
'0' gauge is believed to have been devised by the Nuremberg manufacturer Bing. It was first described in a Bassett-Lowke Catalogue as 1.1/4" gauge at 1/4" to the foot scale. It became established as 32mm gauge at 7mm to the foot scale. From 1920 till 1940 it was an International standard for most manufacturers although the 'scale' varied for ease of production. As more accurate scale models of express trains began to be produced the minimum radius of the track grew to such an extent that an '0' gauge layout needed a very large room and considerable wealth for just a simple circuit. The demand for a miniature Table Railway grew from 1921, in 1936 Trix was launched, followed by Hornby Dublo in 1938.	'0' '00' 'H0' During the 1920's a half '0' gauge of 16.5 mm emerged in England without an agreed scale. In Europe it settled at 3.5 mm as H0 but in England 4 mm to the foot was established as '00' by the 1930's. In the UK makers failed to work to a common scale with models sometimes falling outside of '00' and 'H0' and this must have affected their export orders.
	Royal Scot International ! '0' gauge by Bassett-Lowke 1938 '00' scale 'The Old Contemptibles' by 'Mainline' made in China 1980 'H0' scale 'Hector' by Rivarossi, Italy 1978