What Are Hornby Trains and How Do You Get Into Collecting Vintage Hornby?

Updated

Hornby trains are the model railway products long associated with Meccano of Liverpool, and in collecting circles the name covers two main vintage lines: Hornby O-gauge tinplate trains and the later Hornby Dublo range. If you want to get into the hobby, the practical path is to pick which line interests you, learn to identify models from catalogues and reference pages, check values against auction-based price guides, and connect with a collectors' association and its events. The Dutch Hornby Railway Collectors Association (Dutch HRCA) is one entry point for that community, alongside the worldwide HRCA.

The two vintage Hornby lines collectors focus on

The distinction matters because the two ranges differ in scale, materials and the reference material you need.

Line What it is Why collectors care
Hornby O-gauge Vintage tinplate trains in O gauge, from the Meccano Liverpool era The core of traditional Hornby collecting and operating; the Dutch HRCA site is dedicated to it
Hornby Dublo A later Hornby range, also covered by the HRCA A separate collecting field with its own reference material and Facebook group

Later Hornby products are a different subject from the vintage ranges described by the HRCA. When you read about "Hornby trains" in a collecting context, check which line is meant before you compare models or prices.

Who the HRCA is and why it helps

The Hornby Railway Collectors' Association (HRCA) is a non-profit organisation devoted to collecting and operating Hornby O-gauge and Hornby Dublo. It was founded in 1969 and has about 2,500 members worldwide. As in the great days of Meccano Liverpool, it has overseas sections, of which the Dutch HRCA is one.

For a new collector, that structure gives you three things: a membership body with a shared focus, local sections that hold meetings, and a route into events and news. The Dutch HRCA site also publishes meeting reports with pictures, which show what a section gathering looks like before you attend one.

How to estimate what a vintage locomotive is worth

The Dutch HRCA site hosts a Price Guide to Hornby O-gauge locomotives, generated from a database containing thousands of prices from auction results, eBay sales, dealer lists and prices asked at sales shows. A 2026 version of the price guide is listed among recent updates.

Use it as a range-finding tool rather than a single answer:

  • Look up the specific locomotive model, not just the maker.
  • Compare the guide's figures with current auction and sales-show listings, since the database mixes realised prices with asking prices.
  • Treat dealer and show asking prices as upper references and auction results as a check on what buyers actually paid.

The site also links directly to online catalogues of the major auctions selling Hornby trains and Dublo, which is useful for tracking lots before a sale.

Where to find catalogues, history and model identification

Reliable reference material is the difference between a lucky find and an informed purchase. The Dutch HRCA site maintains dedicated pages for the Leeds Model Company (LMC), including LMC coaches, catalogues, locomotives, wagons and other items, plus pages on Biller Bahn and picture books from named collectors. These pages are updated over time, so check the update dates shown on the homepage.

For Hornby itself, the site's links page groups Hornby-interest sites by category, covering Hornby O-gauge, Hornby Dublo and HRCA-related organisations. Use these to cross-check a model's identity against catalogue entries before you buy.

Joining the community: groups, shows and video

Collecting is easier with other people doing it. The HRCA and the Train Collectors Society (TCS) have active Facebook groups you can join:

  • HRCA Hornby O Gauge Trains
  • HRCA Hornby Dublo Trains
  • Train Collectors Society Any Make Any Age Any Gauge

The site's latest news page lists train shows, collectors fairs and events of the (Dutch) HRCA and TCS. If you want to see vintage trains running before committing, the Dutch HRCA YouTube channel has videos of O-gauge Hornby and vintage model trains in operation.

A practical first sequence

  1. Decide whether Hornby O-gauge tinplate or Hornby Dublo is your focus.
  2. Read the relevant reference pages and catalogues to learn model names and variations.
  3. Check the price guide and current auction catalogues for the models you like.
  4. Join a Facebook group or contact the HRCA or Dutch HRCA to ask about meetings.
  5. Attend a show or section meeting, and watch the YouTube channel to see operating layouts.

The main pitfall is treating "Hornby" as one market: O-gauge tinplate, Dublo and later products have different references and different buyers, so confirm the line before you value or buy anything.