The Toy Model Trains Blog

O scale model trains were originally created around 1900 by the German manfacturer Marklin and are commonly used as toy trains. 

By the 1930s, O scale trains were far and away the most popular in the US and this remained the case for another three decades. 

This is in contrast to Europe where demand for the scale declined prior to the second world war primarily due to the range of smaller scales available on the market. 

O scale model trains were most in demand when model trains were still thought of as toys - that is, when trains were built primarily for children with emphasis on them being durable and offering value for money. 

The focus at this time was not on detail and realistic recreation of trains, but this became increasingly important over the next few decades. 

O gauge trains are still popular in the US - particularly among those who are interested in running trains as opposed to other elements of model railroading. 

Many enthusiasts also particularly enjoy collecting O scale model trains. 

The situation in the UK is quite different from this - enthusiasts who are primarily interested in detail and in creating perfect models of trains seem to be most attracted to this scale. 

The OO scale tends to be more popular for those interested simply in running trains as opposed to recreating their precise detail.

This is mainly because of its lower costs and the fact that there are so many of these model trains available on the market. 

Lima model trains were a brand of model trains that were developed in Italy from the early 1950s until 2004 when company stopped trading. 

During its prime, Lima trains were an extremely popular brand that retailed at quite a reasonable price. They developed OO and N gauge trains for the UK, as well as more precise and detailed N and HO models for numerous other countries around Europe. 

Such models were also available in the United States and in Australia in addition to a small variety of O scale trains that they also produced. 

Lima has quite a recent history - it started in the mid 1940s where it produced a variety of different toys such trains, boats and cars. In the early 1950s it started producing a budget product range that had quite a basic design. 

Lima gradually added more detail to these models and a decade later were providing higher quality products to several different nations including Belgium, France, Netherlands, and Germany. 

Following this, Lima’s success continued and less than a decade later they were one of the biggest train model producers in the world shipping off toy model trains to large markets in Britain, Australia, South Africa, and the USA.

The early 1980s saw Lima move to more detailed and higher quality markets introducing a number o their own enhanced modeling mechanisms. 

Unfortunately, however, due to increased competition Lima struggled to continue with the success it had in previous decades, and in 2004 ceased trading.

Whilst Lima model trains are no longer being manufactured, they are still popular models for collectors and railroad enthusiasts. 

OO model trains are far and away the most popular toy trains in the UK. This scale was created by Bing in the early 1920s and ran on a track of 16.5mm scaled at 4mm to each foot. 

The first models of British trains were launched soon after this and were initially driven through clockwork, although were replaced by electric trains a year later. 

In the late 1930s Hornby produced a brand new range of OO models and this cemented the OO scale’s position as the most popular scale in the UK. 

In the US, Lionel Corporation did produce a range of OO models in the late 1930s - however, they lacked appeal and did not prove popular with enthusiasts ultimately resulting in them being dropped from the market in 1942.

The popularity of the OO scale in the UK is a strange phenomenon - it can potentially be attributed to the availability of “ready-to-go” starter packs. 

Hornby Railways and Bachmann Branchline dominate the field here, but there are also other distributors of “ready-to-go” starter packs such as Peco, ViTrains, and Dapol.

Except for the N scale, the majority of other scales do not have the wide range of ready-to-go products available on the market. 

This is perhaps what puts off UK enthusiasts from the other scales and keeps them attracted to OO model trains

Here are some great personal videos that people have posted onto YouTube showing the most classic model train of all time - Thomas The Tank Engine.

Check them out.

My model railroad. Rolling stock deliberately represents different eras of German railroad history.

Duration : 0:3:44

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