Hornby says it owes its sales success to older collectors

The group sold more than 100,000 train sets in the run-up to the festive period, outperforming sales of its Scalextric slot racing cars.

Hornby said all its ranges performed well, despite slow trading conditions in much of the retail sector.

It attributed this to a renewal of interest in model railways among people in their 40s and 50s.

People in this age group were turning to model trains as a serious hobby, the Kent-based firm said.

John Emerson, editor of British Railway Modelling magazine, said the hobby had always been popular among older collectors.

"It's never really been a young kiddies' thing. It's always been a hobby for people who have got a bit of money to spend," he said.

At the end of the day it's a pretty creative hobby and perhaps people just get bored of watching TV John Emerson, British Railway Modelling

"We are talking about very high quality detailed models. It's a world away from toy trains and they cost �70, �80 or �90 a throw every time you buy one, so they are quite expensive."

Mr Emerson said the market for manufacturers of small-scale models such as Hornby was "very buoyant".

But sales of larger model railways, many of which would need to be set up outdoors, also appeared to be going well.

He said: "At the end of the day it's a pretty creative hobby and perhaps people just get bored of watching TV."