Hornby opens part-time visitor centre Model train maker Hornby is opening a visitor centre in Margate for fans of tiny transport toys. But don't be trying to get in mid-week - opening hours are Friday, Saturday and Sunday. And you need to pre-book tickets too. And no unaccompanied kids under the age of 18 either. The centre promises "a fascinating journey through …
I looked at the their visitor centre site, and couldn't find an address.
I guess I'm supposed to wander around Margate to find it, which would be another limiting factor over and above needing a reservation.
Still another limiting factor -- I suppose -- is that I'm on the wrong side of the Atlantic. Maybe the lack of an address isn't such a limiting factor after all.
Yes, I plugged that into maps.google.co.uk before I posted. (Did you try that?)
Am I to understand that the visitor centre is really on Gordon Rd.?
If so, why not publish that? Is it a secret? Otherwise I'd expect to have to go to Westwood, then wander around and ask people on the street where to find Hornbys. Or maybe Hornbys is so big that I'll just get sucked into it's accretion disc and I shouldn't worry about whether I'll be able to find it, because it'll find me once I'm in the vicinity.
To me, Hornby's address would be like me listing my address as California, 93065-2159, instead of 1706 Cochran St, Simi Valley, CA, 93065. While California, 93065-2159 might theoretically be enough for the USPS to deliver mail, it's not particularly useful for normal people.
N.B. That's not my address, or even the address of anyone I know.
Nope sorry. Compared to many other model rail manufacturers Hornby make toys.
Once upon a time Hornby made very detailed models, whereas their rival Triang made less detailed toys. Triang proved more popular and in 1964 Triang's parent bought out Meccano and merged Hornby and Triang into one company ceasing production of the Hornby stuff and continuing production of the cheaper Triang gear. OK so detail did improve six years later when the parent copany went bust and Hornby-Triang was sold on, but it never came back up to the standards of before. You're still looking at a molded single piece clip on plastic body, but molding technology has improved since the sixties.
They are toys even though a lot of adults play with them. I would say that Corgi are models since they don't actually do anything. Scalextric is very definitely a toy, it's just that the adults who play with them have a lot more fun than the tedious gits who play with trains. <SHIELDS>
A "model" is defined as a smaller or larger physical copy of an object. Fits the description quite nicely, yes? :-) Technically my R/C F1 car is a model and a toy.
If you're in any doubt about the detail that Hornby go into these days, would suggest trying their Live Steam range - none of that electric motor nonsense!
http://www.hornby.com/livesteam/
Can't have the over 60's in there without a minder.
Either that or a ban on using certain phrases:
"I could put together a Spitfire in ten minues and that included painting it", "No-one else in my class at school managed to finish the Victory, it's the rigging y'know" , "It's not the same since the Japanese imports", etc.
- a bit like guitar shops that ban 'Smoke on the Water' and 'Stairway to Heaven'
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