The Toy Model Trains Blog

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