Welcome to Shamrock Trains, home to the finest contemporary produced and ready to run traditional tinplate style toy trains and die cast model railways. Our extensive range of O gauge trains and accessories are made to exacting standards by the some of world’s best model manufacturers and represent the pinnacle of quality and value for money.

Fed up with the monotony of fixed track systems that comes with the smaller OO gauge? Then move up to the charm of O gauge and rekindle the romance of steam hauled trains with our range of evocative all metal and enamel coated locomotives, vibrantly coloured lithograph printed coaches together with rolling stock and lighting. Designed and manufactured by British companies such as Hornby’s Bassett-Lowke, Electric Train Systems (ETS) of the Czech Republic, Vintage Trains with the Darstaed brand but also by American firms like Lionel and MTH. What they all have in common is to produce locomotives that look and feel like the real thing.


Recreate for yourself the nostalgia and atmosphere of vintage style tinplate model railways of the past – it’s easier than you think with a superb range of modern two and three rail track systems suitable for either the home or garden. We pride ourselves in providing products with flair, creativity in design and safe in the knowledge that our model railways and accessories are manufactured with passion and coupled with 21st Century technology and know-how. So if you prefer to run O gauge trains rather than to look and admire them, then look no further than Shamrock Trains.


Some of the locomotives shown here are described as ‘coarse scale’ since they are a form of impressionist representation and reflect the early styles of Basset-Lowke, Hornby O Gauge and other vintage gauge O model train manufacturers from the 1920s to the 1950s. Increasingly, however, modern era manufacturers such as Darstaedt mirror the subtleties and emotions of running trains from the early to mid 20th Century whilst the Hornby owned Bassett-Lowke brand captures the provenance of model trains that move towards ‘fine scale’ production but with ready to run models that still capture the imagination and illusion of earlier railway times.


With all metal construction together with high-performance mechanical and electrical components our locomotives should provide many years of active service. Our trains are less prone to dust so are suitable to run on floors and outside garden settings. Bassett-Lowke, Darstaed, ETS and MTH are manufactured with a common British coupling system that makes it so easy to mix, match and run different combinations of coaches and rolling stock. Bassett-Lowke, Darstaed and ETS produce a variety of rolling stock and tin plate style passenger coaches produced in a variety of eras – pre 1923 companies, the big four groupings and early and late crest BR logos. ETS also produces a number of high quality tin-plate style continental coaches covering a number of railway periods.


Many model railway enthusiasts are choosing to upgrade to O gauge from OO and the even smaller N gauge and opting for three rail as it brings certain advantages and flexibility such as double-heading of locomotives without the need to for digital control. Collectors of vintage style model railways also use the three rail system because that is how original locomotives were designed to work. Most modern day locomotives however, come with two and three rail options as they can isolate the current between the wheels and therefore are able to run on just two rails. Garden railways are also the choice for many people as their preferred solution. Diecast locomotives and tin plate styles trains running on two and three rail tracks look perfect in garden settings. See our track page for further information on the various forms of track system available.


Whilst equally suitable for the model railway enthusiast and the active collector alike, Shamrock Trains’ range of British, Irish and continental ready to run all metal and tinplated locomotives and rolling stock are produced in smaller batches and some as very limited editions. Many items are unlikely to be produced again and may attain an immediate rarity value.


If you have childhood memories of the last years of steam in Britain then you’ll certainly remember Hornby Dublo - described as the perfect two and three rail table top railway. Many people new to the O gauge hobby remark that the modern range of locomotives, coaches and rolling stock now available reminds them of their Hornby railway. And it’s easy to see why as the classic outline die cast and tinplate models now reproduced in the larger scale are so similar in look and feel to their smaller OO gauge brethren. This is the ideal time to get involved in the O gauge ready-to-run hobby as the choice of products - British and continental - is really mouth-watering - it’s never been better. Coupled to this is an ever exciting range of popular die cast 1:43 cars and vans that create to so much authenticity and distinction for period setting O gauge railways.


Observing prices achieved at specialist auction houses suggests collectable trains may rise in value. Locomotives, coaches and running stock may offer the potential for long-term investment provided they are well looked after. Prices may also fall; specialist advice on including collectable trains as part of an investment portfolio should be sought from appropriate professional advisors. However, regularly maintained trains will provide years of enjoyment. Shamrock Trains is the place to be for tomorrow’s collectables now!


The images on this page are courtesy of Seven, Bristol Evening Post, 17th May 2008 and West Country Life, Western Daily Press, 24th May 2008.