Updated August 2023: Hornby Plc is a British toy company that owns a number of iconic toy brands.
Hornby has a long and rich history, dating back to 1901 when Frank Hornby patented his invention of the Meccano construction toy. The first Hornby train was released in 1920, and the company quickly became one of the leading manufacturers of model railways in the world.
Over the years, Hornby expanded its product range, buying other loved toy brands, including Scalextric and Airfix, which and are still enjoyed by children and adults alike today.
Brands and toy company owned by Hornby
- Hornby: Model railways
- Scalextric: Electric slot car racing
- Airfix: Plastic kits
- Humbrol: Paint and glue for craft and model-making
- Corgi: Diecast model vehicles, acquired 2008
Hornby also owns a number of other model and model railway brands and businesses, including:
- Hammant and Morgan, acquired 1985
- Bassett-Lowke: Model railways
- Jouef: Model railways
- Lima: Model railways, acquired in 2004
- Rivarossi: Model railways, acquired in 2004
- Arnold: acquired 2004
- Electrotren: Model railways
- Pocher: Automobile model kits
- Skaledale: OO scale model railway buildings
- Lyddle End: N scale model railway buildings
- MKD: Large scale model kits
In July 2023, Hornby acquired 25% of the tabletop war gaming business Warlord Games.
Andy is a lifelong modeler, writer, and founder of modelrailwayengineer.com. He has been building model railways, dioramas, and miniatures for over 20 years. His passion for model making and railways began when he was a child, building his first layout at the age of seven.
Andy’s particular passion is making scenery and structures in 4mm scale, which he sells commercially. He is particularly interested in modelling the railways of South West England during the late Victorian/early Edwardian era, although he also enjoys making sci-fi and fantasy figures and dioramas. His website has won several awards, and he is a member of MERG (Model Railway Electronics Group) and the 009 Society.
When not making models, Andy lives in Surrey with his wife and teenage son. Other interests include history, science fiction, photography, and programming. Read more about Andy.