Bassett-Lowke
Product brand
UnclaimedBritish model railway, miniature locomotive, ship-model and construction-toy brand founded in Northampton.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Bassett-Lowke was an English model and toy company founded in Northampton by Wenman Joseph Bassett-Lowke in 1898 or 1899. It became particularly associated with model railways, but its catalogue also covered miniature live-steam locomotives, model ships, boats, construction sets, traction engines, buses and other technical toys. The business began primarily as a mail-order and sales organization rather than as a fully integrated manufacturer. Bassett-Lowke commissioned or distributed products made by specialist firms, including Northampton manufacturers such as Twining Models and Winteringham, while also carrying products from German makers Bing and Märklin before the First World War. The company operated across several scales. Its miniature railway work included large live-steam locomotives for 15-inch-gauge railways as well as smaller Gauge 2, Gauge 1 and 0-gauge products. The early large locomotives were designed largely by engineer and model specialist Henry Greenly. Among the best-known examples was Little Giant, a quarter-scale 4-4-2 Atlantic tested on the Eaton Hall Railway in 1905. Bassett-Lowke also built John Anthony, a 4-6-2 Pacific completed in 1914 for Staughton Manor; it was not delivered as intended and later entered service on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway under the name Colossus. Bassett-Lowke was also involved in the development and promotion of miniature railways. In 1912, Bassett-Lowke, Robert Proctor-Mitchell and John Wills established Narrow Gauge Railways Ltd. The associated ventures included the railway at Luna Park in Geneva and the conversion and reopening of the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway to 15-inch gauge. The Fairbourne Railway followed as another notable 15-inch-gauge project. These activities gave the company a role in both supplying models and promoting full-size miniature railway attractions. During the 1920s, Bassett-Lowke introduced 00-gauge products and supplied custom-built layouts. The company’s railway interests were complemented by an important model-ship business. It sold highly detailed hand-crafted wooden and wire waterline models, commonly made to 1:1,200 scale, for collectors, displays and military applications. During the First World War, government censorship restricted the advertising and sale of highly accurate Royal Navy models. Bassett-Lowke responded by carrying less precise cast-metal naval models supplied by the Brighton Manufacturing Company, allowing a naval range to remain in its wartime catalogue while reducing the sensitivity associated with detailed recognition models. The company undertook unusual commissions as well. In 1939 it was asked to produce a working model of the British Cultivator No. 6 trench-digging tank. Its broader catalogue continued to reflect the period’s enthusiasm for mechanical and technical toys, combining educational value, engineering interest and display appeal. Bassett-Lowke declined from the late 1950s. Customers could use its free catalogues to identify products and then purchase comparable items elsewhere at lower prices, while interest in technically oriented toys weakened during the late 1950s and 1960s. The company ended retail sales in 1964, sold its shops, including the High Holborn premises in London, and ceased business in 1965. The Bassett-Lowke name and associated rights subsequently passed through several owners and revival attempts. Corgi acquired the name in the 1990s and later became part of Hornby in 2008. Hornby has retained the brand and used it for selected traditional model railway products, a steampunk-themed 00-scale range launched in 2020, and brick-based steampunk construction models marketed as Brickpunk from 2021.
History
Bassett-Lowke emerged in Northampton at the end of the nineteenth century under Wenman Joseph Bassett-Lowke. Its initial model was unusual for a toy company: it functioned substantially as a mail-order and sales organization, assembling a catalogue from products commissioned from specialist manufacturers and from imported suppliers. Before the First World War, the catalogue included goods from German makers Bing and Märklin as well as work from Northampton firms. The company therefore combined distribution, design, commissioning and selected manufacturing rather than relying on one factory-made product line. Its reputation grew through model railways and miniature locomotives. Bassett-Lowke supplied products in multiple gauges, from large 15-inch-gauge live-steam locomotives to Gauge 2, Gauge 1 and 0-gauge models. Henry Greenly was an important designer associated with many of the company’s large locomotive projects. Little Giant, tested on the Eaton Hall Railway in 1905, represented the company’s ambition to build miniature locomotives with the visual and mechanical character of main-line railway engines. Other locomotives were supplied to exhibition railways, estates and public attractions, and were often renamed when transferred between operators. Bassett-Lowke’s interests extended beyond individual models to the operation and promotion of miniature railways. In 1912, Bassett-Lowke joined Robert Proctor-Mitchell and John Wills in founding Narrow Gauge Railways Ltd. The organization promoted 15-inch railways, including a line at Luna Park in Geneva. In Britain, it was involved with the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, which was converted to 15-inch gauge and reopened in 1915, and with the Fairbourne Railway, which followed in 1916. These projects connected Bassett-Lowke with the expanding Edwardian and interwar market for miniature railway attractions. The company introduced 00-gauge products during the 1920s and supplied custom-built layouts. One Gauge 1 layout associated with the company survives in modified form at Bekonscot Model Village. Bassett-Lowke also retained a major presence in ship modelling. Its premium waterline ships were hand-crafted from wood and wire, often at approximately 1:1,200 scale, and were sold both to private collectors and to institutions requiring models for display or military planning. The business also carried more affordable cast-metal ship models made by the Brighton Manufacturing Company. During the First World War, censorship restricted detailed Royal Navy models, so the less exact cast-metal range provided a permitted way to represent naval vessels in the company’s catalogue. The catalogue’s technical character was not limited to railways and ships. Construction sets, model boats, traction engines, steam wagons, buses and other mechanical subjects reflected a wider period interest in engineering toys. In 1939 Bassett-Lowke produced a working model of the Cultivator No. 6 trench-digging tank, demonstrating its ability to undertake special technical commissions. The business weakened after the 1950s. Its catalogues generated interest but could also enable customers to locate similar products from cheaper sources. At the same time, technical toys lost some of their former appeal, a problem shared by other traditional model and toy companies. Bassett-Lowke stopped retail sales in 1964, sold its shops and closed in 1965. The name survived through later rights transfers and revival efforts. After a revival involving short-run white-metal models in the early 1990s, Corgi acquired the name in 1996. Hornby acquired Corgi in 2008 and thereby secured Bassett-Lowke rights. Hornby later used the name for selected 0-gauge and traditional sheet-metal products, revived it for steampunk 00-scale models in 2020, and launched Brickpunk construction models in 2021.
- 2021
Brickpunk range launched
[1]Hornby introduced brick-based steampunk construction models under the Bassett-Lowke branding.
- 2020
Steampunk 00 range launched
[1]Hornby revived the name for steampunk-inspired 00-scale railway models.
- 2008
Hornby acquires Corgi
[1]Hornby’s acquisition of Corgi brought Bassett-Lowke into the Hornby group.
- 1996
Corgi acquires the name
[1]Corgi acquired the Bassett-Lowke name and connected it with live-steam 0-gauge products.
- 1993
Brand revival with white-metal models
[1]A revival introduced short-run white-metal models including traction engines, a steam wagon, a steam roller and a London B-type bus.
- 1965
Original company closed
[1]Bassett-Lowke went out of business.
- 1964
Retail operations ended
[1]The company stopped retail sales and sold its shops, including the High Holborn store in London.
- 1939
Cultivator No. 6 model commissioned
[1]Bassett-Lowke was tasked with producing a working model of the Cultivator No. 6 trench-digging tank.
- 1920
00-gauge products introduced
[1]The company expanded into 00-gauge model railway products during the 1920s.
- 1914
John Anthony completed
[1]Bassett-Lowke produced the 4-6-2 Pacific John Anthony, later sold to the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway and renamed Colossus.
Products and positioning
Historically positioned around high-quality, technically detailed models for enthusiasts, collectors, educational use and miniature railway operators. In its modern Hornby-era use, the name is applied selectively to heritage-inspired, live-steam, steampunk and construction-model products.
Model railways · 1905
Miniature live-steam locomotives
Bassett-Lowke produced large miniature locomotives for 15-inch-gauge railways, including Atlantic and Pacific types, as well as smaller locomotives in Gauge 2, Gauge 1 and 0 gauge. These models were intended for private estates, public miniature railways, exhibitions and enthusiast use. Many were designed in association with Henry Greenly and acquired new names when transferred between railways.
Model railways · 1920
Model railway systems
The company sold model trains, track, accessories and complete layouts across several scales. Its move into 00 gauge during the 1920s broadened its appeal beyond the larger enthusiast formats, while custom-built systems demonstrated the company’s ability to design complete operating displays rather than merely sell individual rolling stock items.
Scale models
Waterline ship models
Bassett-Lowke’s ship business included highly detailed hand-crafted wooden and wire waterline models, often made at approximately 1:1,200 scale. The models depicted military and civilian vessels and were valued by collectors, museums and military users. The company also sold less expensive cast-metal naval models supplied by the Brighton Manufacturing Company, including boxed sets and broad representations of Royal Navy classes.
Construction toys
Construction sets
Construction sets formed part of the company’s wider technical-toy catalogue. They complemented trains, ships and mechanical models by allowing users to assemble engineering-themed structures and devices. In the modern Hornby-era revival, the Bassett-Lowke name has also been applied to brick-based steampunk construction products.
Construction models · 2021
Bassett-Lowke Brickpunk
Brickpunk is a modern, steampunk-themed construction range introduced under Bassett-Lowke branding. It is aimed at both younger builders and adults interested in display models, using the historic name to connect contemporary brick construction with the company’s earlier association with mechanical and railway subjects.
Model railways · 2020
Steampunk 00 railway models
Hornby revived Bassett-Lowke branding in 2020 for 00-scale steampunk-inspired railway models. The range drew on existing Hornby tooling while applying an alternative visual theme, extending the historic name into a contemporary fantasy and collector-oriented railway segment.
Brand decisions
2021
Extend the brand into brick constructionProduct launchBackground
Hornby broadened the revived identity beyond railway rolling stock and locomotives.
Action taken
Brick-based steampunk construction models were released as the Bassett-Lowke Brickpunk range.
Aftermath
The brand continued to address both children and adult hobbyists through construction products.
2020
Reposition the brand around steampunk modelsProduct launchBackground
Hornby retained the heritage name but used it for a contemporary themed product concept rather than limiting it to historical reproductions.
Action taken
Hornby launched a Bassett-Lowke-branded range of 00-scale steampunk railway models based on existing Hornby tooling.
Aftermath
The name gained a modern fantasy and collector-oriented application within Hornby’s model railway portfolio.
1996
Transfer the Bassett-Lowke brand to CorgiM&ABackground
After the original company had closed and later revival efforts had taken place, the historic name remained commercially valuable in model railways and live steam.
Action taken
Corgi acquired the Bassett-Lowke name and used it for selected model railway products.
Aftermath
The rights later passed to Hornby when Hornby acquired Corgi in 2008.
1964
End retail sales and dispose of shopsStrategyBackground
The company faced declining demand for technical toys and pressure from customers using its catalogues to find comparable products at lower prices elsewhere.
Action taken
Bassett-Lowke ceased retail sales and sold its shops, including the High Holborn premises in London.
Aftermath
The company went out of business in 1965.
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