Why does my collection stop in 1976?

I run my model railway 2-rail layout on early track from the 1950s-1960s and that means running locomotives and wagons with large wheel flanges. I had intended to stop my collection at 1971, but the early Hornby years 1972-1976 have also been included. Most locomotives from the "Duchese of Sutherland" onwards (1977), tend to be fitted with fine scale wheels which can derail on crossings and points.

Other reasons for stopping in 1976 was the fact that the X04 motor was coming to the end of production and I was never a great fan of tender drive Ringfield motors or the later can motors. Nothing wrong with them, it is just that I never grew up using them. 

It was during the mid 1970s that last last of the iconic Triang rolling stock was being taken out of production, Princess 1974, Britannia 1975, Jinty 1976 and Dock Shunter 1977.

I love the Mk1 coaches which stopped in 1976, (although an exception was a Southern Railway coach which came out in 1977). Extending my collection into 1977 would mean collecting a whole new range of regional coaches (they do look lovely, but I already have too many items in my collection as it is).

However, I do own a few items post-1976, but they were mostly purchased before I decided to go for the early period of RTR model railways, I do have a few early kit-built locomotives too. I continue to add the old catalogues and these may continue into 1980 depending how much data space they take up.

Why do I start at 1947?

Although Triang had its roots in the December 1950 Princess locomotive, and the Hornby Dublo roots go back to the 1930s. I do have one 1938 locomotive, but I have concerned myself with the post-war period. Late 1947 saw the first post-war return of the Hornby Dublo N2 tank locomotives and the LNER A4 Pacific "Sir Nigel Gresley" in small numbers and mostly in boxed sets.

It was 1949 when the Trackmaster goods wagons came out and these are also well represented. My Gaiety pannier tank was in the shops from January 1950, so would have been on factory shelves in late 1949. So the late 1940s seemed like a good place to start.