Tri-ang Railways

Rovex Plastics Ltd was founded just after World War II in 1946 by Alexander Gregory Vanetzian, who made toys for Marks & Spencer.

He delivered the product but, although the company had found larger premises in a former Brewery in Richmond, it was constrained financially.

To give room for development they moved the company, now Rovex Scale Models Ltd, to a brand new factory built at Margate, in Kent, in 1954.

His responsibilities within Tri-ang were the development of the OO/HO range and he was "a prime mover in starting and promoting" the TT gauge.

This was a 10.25" gauge passenger carrying system using 2 rail electric pick-up with motors running at 40 volts DC.

B12 locomotive which had the new Magnadhesion, with magnets close to the wheels, to improve traction with Tri-ang steel track.

The Tri-ang Railways Transcontinental range of models was devised specifically with this in mind and by Christmas 1954 the first sets began to appear in the shops.

Historically, standard train sets were imported into Canada from the UK; initially only the Transcontinental range of models.

However, between 1957 and 1974, a number of sets were produced exclusively for the general Canadian market as well as some special sets commissioned by department store chains and / or mail order companies; including Simpsons and Simpsons-Sears, Eaton’s, Woodward’s and the Hudson’s Bay Company.

Of note were the representations of the transcontinental passenger trains which have become firm favourites with collectors of Tri-ang Railways.