Lima HO Scale Model Railroads & Trains

Model Railways of Lima was an Italian model railroad manufacturer. The company was founded in 1946 and supplied aluminum castings to the Italian State Railways FS. In 1948, once the FS-Italia was able to make its own aluminum parts, Lima switched its focus to the production of aluminum toys. Lima began to make affordable plastic model trains in 1954.

Initially, Lima only manufactured models of Italian locomotives and rail cars. Their early products were very simple and toylike and were not highly regarded by hobbyists. This began to change in the late '50s as Lima's product quality improved. They also expanded their model railroad products in 1962 to offer French, Belgian, German, and Netherlands railroad models. By the '70s, Lima was one of the largest model railroad manufacturers in the world. This included the introduction of British model railroad lines in OO scale.

Lima's model train quality peaked in the '80s. Their designs were colorful and attractive and their quality was often compared to rival Rivarossi. As the popularity of model trains declined, Lima was purchased by Rivarossi in 1992. The company was eventually acquired by Hornby in 2006. Hornby continues to offer Lima products through Hornby Italia, part of its international division. All modern Lima products are manufactured in China.

Quick Facts

• Lima produced model railroad products in HO and N scales, as well as the British OO scale. In addition, Lima manufactured a small line of O gauge model train products
• Lima routinely produced limited-edition models in small batches of as few as 500 units. Some of these Lima limited edition models have become highly collectible by model train enthusiasts
• The Cheltenham Model Center's d1015 Western Champion is considered the most desirable of the Lima limited edition trains