Hornby Trains were an instant success and the company was quick to introduce more engines and accessories. In 1925 the first Hornby electric train was produced, operating from a mains supply of 100-250 volts. By 1929, Hornby had evolved a much safer system and electric models worked from a six volt DC source.

In 1938, Hornby Dublo (‘00’) was launched. This was approximately half the size of the ‘0’ gauge system except that the locomotives had cast metal bodies, not pressed metal, and the buildings were made of wood.

Production stopped during the Second World War (1939 - 1945) but Hornby Dublo soon reappeared once the war was over, although without a clockwork range. By the late 1950s, it was clear that Hornby Dublo was losing ground to its competitors and changed from a three-rail system to the established two-rail track system in 1959.

Hornby came under increasing pressure from rival company Tri-ang Railways, who had developed plastic bodied trains and carried out its manufacturing at a purpose-built factory in Margate, Kent. Hornby Dublo and Tri-ang Railways rivalled each other during the early 1950s and following the acquisition in 1964 of Meccano Ltd by Lines Brothers (the parent company of Tri-ang Railways), the companies were merged in 1965 to become Tri-ang Hornby.

Production of Hornby Dublo ceased in 1964 and some of the tooling was purchased by G&R Wrenn Ltd another division of Lines Bros.) to launch Tri-ang Wrenn in 1967.

The Tri-ang Group was disbanded and sold in 1971 and the model railway system which had 1972 been known as Tri-ang Hornby was renamed Hornby Railways in January . Even though the name changed, production continued at the Margate factory.

In 1980 the company, now known as Hornby Hobbies Ltd, became an independent company and on 29 October 1986 was floated on the Unlisted Securities Market, becoming a public company.

Today, more privatised companies using the railway system have brought a further choice of new and diverse liveries to model. All Hornby manufacturing was moved to China in 1995 and the first totally new ‘Far East’ model was a Rebuilt Merchant Navy Class locomotive, which was to become a benchmark of quality for future locomotives and rolling stock.

Hornby launched the first commercially produced ‘00’ gauge live steam locomotive in September 2003, paving the way for another product line to the company’s already expanding range, consisting of more than 650 current items.

Now simply called ‘Hornby’, the company justifiably retains the position it has held for more than 50 years as Britain’s leading model railway manufacturer.