The Collectors
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Thursday 22 September 2005
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This week’s passionate collector is Tom Dwyer.
He lives in what looks pretty much like a toyshop - boxed sets of vintage “O” gauge Hornby trains and rolling stock everywhere, brand new, wheels never been on a track - a train collectors’ paradise! And then there are the layouts!
Tom loves to track down old trains and is a compulsive collector of everything. He has had everything from military vehicles, fire arms to trains. His collection first started with a cheap Hornby train in 1939. Then Tom didnt collect anything until seven or eight years ago when he took it up again.
The first train his parents bought him was worth 7 and 6. Today it's worth over one thousand dollars!
Tom has 50 boxed train sets and 100 engines. The oldest one he ownsis from 1925. The first model train set was released in 1920.
The companies that made the old tin plate train sets no longer exist. Today most sets are made from plastic.
Frank Hornby patented his first toy, a crane, in 1901.
