Atlantic Coast Express

We're part of the team involving Network Rail (Lord Peter Hendy chair) and the Rail Delivery Group looking at a whole series of marketing led ideas for the major Railway 200 https://railway200.co.uk initiative which is planned as a national celebration for 2025. It is recognised that the model railway industry and the hobby enthusiast sector should be brought into this conversation. There are four main strands to Railway 200 with an overarching remit to influence young peoples’ awareness - specifically 8 to 18 year olds - in order to attract a new generation of the digitally savvy to consider a career within a multi-faceted railway industry. Model railways are always considered as one of the key touch points that attract and engage a younger demographic. This strand has been developed to elicit hobbyist views on how this might be best achieved? Would very much welcome RM web participants' views (and RM editorial) on this subject? There are already a number of ideas involving model railways that have been presented to UK television and audio commissioning editors.

Think that's still the case with some of the recent Corgi Cars reissues by Hornby Hobbies with 'fit the box' scaling. Most are meant to be 1:43 though.

Interestingly, the above advertisement was to launch the Dublo-Dinky range of vehicles that was used to promote the Hornby-Dublo 00 gauge and there were lots vehicles (cars, vans, lorries, buses and coaches) subsequently issued which all appeared to sell well at the time up until the demise of Meccano. The advert was purely illustrative artwork only and the vehicles featured were all 1:48 scale but never issued in the correct scale for 00 apart from the bus. There's a nice section in Michael Foster's Hornby-Dublo book on 'The Dublo Dinky Toys' pages 270 - 275. Plenty of brilliant 1:43 scale die cast vehicles around today for 0 gauge though. The IXO buses and the Oxford Diecast coaches in 1:43 are superb - see https://shamrocktrains.com/products/british-o-gauge/143-vehicles/buses-and-coaches/ and https://www.paintinghistory.co.uk/resin-coach-passengers

Part of my coarse scale 0 gauge layout which also acts as a pullout diorama to showcase 1:43 scale die cast vehicles. The ones shown here are in fact 1:48 scale and featured in the December 1957 Meccano Magazine advert - some originals and some Atlas reissues from 2017 - but the bus has been specially reconfigured from a Corgi Classics 1999 issue.

Three-rail simplicity made perfect just about sums up the appeal of the die cast and tinplate 0 gauge sector. Current key providers ACE Trains London and WJ Vintage really do provide the chance to create a small-scale layout where space is at a premium. Always appreciate what finescale modellers do in limited spaces as well, but currently building a layout in a coarse scale style that will incorporate the old Hornby-Dublo bridge replicated in 0 gauge. Have commissioned an all metal replacement from this sample provided by Paul at WJ Vintage.