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Vote: Hornby Railway v Scalextric Cars
Back in the day when virtual reality and next-gen consoles were strictly, well, virtually next gen, we had to make do with more, how shall we put this, hands-on forms of entertainment: step forward the Hornby Railway and Scalextric!
The Hornby Railway sets have become a way of life for many. They’re not just toy models – these replica train sets were pioneers of the concept of virtual reality. And in Britain the model train manufacturer that every other bows down to is Hornby.
Ever since its iconic 12V Hornby Dublo, the company has thrilled kids and adults alike with its supremely-detailed model trains. And to this day, you get enthusiasts splurging their hard-earned on the model railways. The fact that Hornby still sells over 100,000 sets a year is testament to how it spans generational appeal.
The question is, though, do you want something slow and mind-relaxing? Or do you want fast and furiously revving cars? In that case, Scalextric is your model vehicle of choice. It was invented in the 1950s by Fred Francis, when he fitted his toy cars with electric motors and gave them a rubber track to race on. By 1968 it was so popular it was being televised in America. hell, even Elvis loved it! Hell, we even hold the world record for fastest Scalextric car! And now it’s gone digital, with lane changing, overtaking and even drifting, it’s as popular as ever.
So, two fantastic products with great histories. But is it the detail of the Hornby or the speed of the Scalextric that gets Jon’s vote? More importantly, do you agree with him? Have your say in the poll below…
User comments (4)
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Patricia07 August 2009
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often. Patricia http://lioneltrains.info
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Mumfie17 October 2009
I am fortunate enough to have both ... well, my son has the scalextric set! However my Hornby railway is a vintage hornby dublo set, some pre-war. I have built it up in to probably one of the largest collections around. You can use it for hours on end and it captivates the mind. The details are astounding and the craftsmanship is awesome. They made these items to last and some of my locomotives are around 60 years old and run as well as they did when they were first used. As far as I am aware, they have never been serviced. As the years progressed, so did Hornby. In the late 50's/early 60's they started to produce plastic models. Plastic enabled Hornby models to become more life-like. Plastic was utilised to give brilliant detail, something you struggled to achieve with metal models. However, plastic is certainly not as durable and is very brittle at times. The early plastic Hornby models are very collectable as probably very few remain in mint condition. The older metal models easily last longer, even if you do lose a bit of paint here or there, eith one exception. They do tend to rust if you leave them in an area exposed to damp. My Grandfather originally passed this railway down to me when he sadly passed away. I take great pleasure looking after it and building it in to the magnificent collection that I have today. I hope he is proud of me. I in turn can pass this down to my son (who is currently 3 years old). He is also captivated by this railway and it will give us endless enjoyment as the years pass. I can't really say that about the Scalextric set... fun that it is, its limitations are there for all to see and I am sure that it won't outlast the Hornby Dublo.
Report as inappropriateClaudia25 January 2010
I recently came accross your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I dont know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often. Claudia http://lioneltrains.info
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