Hornby Visitor Centre, Margate.

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

As it's quiet, and there are more than a few modelling enthusiasts on the forum, I thought to post some photos which I took today at Margate's latest tourist attraction, the Hornby Visitor Centre. As far as I am aware, these are the only photos of it on the internet.

For decades, every Hornby train and every Scalextric car was manufactured here, along with track, accessories, the whole lot. In the 1980's Rovex- the parent company- was Margate's largest employer.


Course, it's a shame that production moved to China, I remember Rovex as a very busy place, but that's the way of the world I suppose. I do think this new visitor centre could become a major tourist attraction, it shares with our own vision a blend of heritage and history, the present and the future.

Anyway, it's well worth a visit, but do check opening times if visiting outside the school holidays.


































The last picture shows the original artwork from Hornby and Airfix boxes, fascinating stuff.

[jo.clarinet]

Thanks for the heads-up on this one - it looks great - and you're right, another attraction for the Margate area can only be a good thing!

[vince69619]

Great post Vince. At this rate, people might have to stay overnight to see all the attractions. Now there's a thought, people staying at the seaside for a few days, we should market that!

Vince.

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

It I had one criticism it would be the location- it is around two miles from Margate seafront, on the Ramsgate Road.

Obviously Hornby are housing it in their now largely redundant factory since they do not of course have to pay rent, and because of the ease of housing it there, but I imagine this would be a very much more popular attraction if it were to be re-sited to Dreamland if it was to re-open, and would fit in perfectly with the ethos.

Incidentally, I have now found some more photos on the internet, at http://www.modelrailforum.com/forums/in ... 3727&st=15 , about halfway down the page.

[barcrest]

Looks good but it also looks small, was there enough to see and do to occupy a couple of hours or was it really a 30 minute walk around and your done. I would like to go but if it's tiny it might not be worth the travel time.

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

We were in there for about 90 minutes I suppose, there is certainly enough there to keep an adult occupied for that long, there is plenty to read about the history of the company, the manufacturing methods etc as well as lots of dioramas.

For children there are a few interactive displays and the Scalextric track although only three people can use this at any given time and I personally think they will need an eight-lane track if it the Visitor Centre proves successful.

It's not really possible to say whether it is worth the travel time, I suppose it depends on personal circumstances.

[Susan]

Model train enthusiasts need to visit Crampton Tower at Broadstairs where there is a large collection and when I was there last year much of it was interactive - I had a lovely time playing with the trains as I have a soft spot for such things.
Regular members of this forum will know a little of the Friends of the Shell Grotto - there is a reciprocal agreement with Cramption Tower and production of your FoSG membership cards gains admission.

[Nick Evans]

Time for another model railway related plug everybody please!

Come to Whitstable Model Railway exhibition this Saturday 21 August at the town's United Reformed Church, just off the main High Street, between 10am and 4pm.

There you will see around 14 different layouts and a number of sales tables offering new, secondhand and collectible model railway goodies. The host club, East Kent Model Railway Society, will be launching its latest limited edition model too - its a tar wagon with a local name on the side and there's only 191 of them in the whole world!

[John Humphrey]

Solution to the visitor centre being 2 miles from Margate:- reintroduce the old number 52 bus! This used to start from Margate Harbour and turned left into Belgrave road at the Clock Tower and went right past the Rovex factory, then via Westwood and Ramsgate Station to Ramsgate Harbour. Instead of turning round, it then became a 49 or a 50 via Broadstairs, Cliftonville and Margate to Birchington. I think it was the 50 that went slightly inland from Broadstairs to serve the vicinity of Dane Valley before emerging on to Northdown Road in Cliftonville, while the 49 went via Northdown (or it may have been the other way round. At the opposite end of Northdown Road the 50 turned right by the entrance to the caves and came out on the seafront near the Lido, then via Margate Harbour to the clock tower, while the 49 turned left and went round by the gas works and into Cecil Square.

Incidentally, regarding Hornby heritage, many of us have fonder memories of Hornby Dublo and of Dinky Toys, so perhaps there should be a second heritage centre at the famous Binns Road (Liverpool) site.

[jo.clarinet]

Oh, I remember those bus routes SO well - I went to school and back on the 49 or 50 (whichever arrived at the bus stop first) for many years! And there were the 63 and 64 which went along Northdown Road too......

[Susan]

Interesting point John about Liverpool as the Margate factory was built for Triang trains, one of which I happen to have, and it was following mergers / takeovers / management buy outs etc that Hornby became the name over the door.

Whilst the site is a little outside the town it is part of the offer for visitors and
heritage of the area which sits well with the plans of the Dreamland Trust. Unfortunately the Meccano name is with others as it would be nice to tie that into the Hornby name again and have displays - I am sure many Dads and Grandads would have a ball.

[John Humphrey]

I vaguely remember the 63 and 64 buses from a visit to the area in the late 1960s. These routes were operated by large single deckers. Back in the 1950s the routes were numbered 53 and 53A and operated by sunken-gangway lowbridge double deckers; I assume that they went via the low bridge adjacent to the former Margate East railway station. Ramsgate-bound journeys on these routes ran along Northdown Road in the opposite direction from Ramsgate-bound journeys on the 49 and 50.

In the early 1950s these routes were operated with pre-war Leyland Titan TD4 or TD5 vehicles rebodied in the late 1940s, some with Eastern Coach Works bodies and some with Park Royal. Later in the 1950s, after a swap round, these routes were operated with 1946/7 Leyland Titan PD1 vehicles on which the bodywork was also by Leyland. However, I remember visiting Northdown Road in 1959, by which time there had been another swap round and the TD4 and TD5 buses were back. Incidentally, one PD1 (CJG 959) still exists and I understand that it can be seen in Dover Transport Museum.

The 49 and 50 used 1951 Guy Arab III vehicles with Park Royal bodywork and these were ousted from these routes in 1959 with a batch AEC Regent V (again with Park Royal bodies).

[Greg Pryce]

I too went to the Hornby visitors centre and thought it very good. Speaking to one of the employees there, he told me they want to make it larger and install a cafeteria, but it's only been open approximately 2 months. So hopefuly there will be even more to see in the future

[1234567890]

I would like to see Hornby visitors centre moved to central Margate, dreamland maybe, accommodated in the cinema some how. I am not sure how many visitors it gets at present, but I find it some how isolated on a industrial estate next to b&q. I am sure the museum would get a lot more visitors if it moved to a central Mecca tourist location, walking distance from other attraction.

[timj]

This is an excellent idea to make it central or even part of dreamland!

Tim