Lima

Lavorazione Italiana Metalli e Affini (Lima) was founded in Vicenza in 1946. Its early work included repairs to railway rolling stock damaged during the war. By 1948, the company was producing metal toys, including aluminium cookware, motorboats, mechanical figures and doll prams. It later made other metal toys, including model cars, while moving into electric model trains. A Lima company history dates the start of N scale production to 1966; an outline chronology notes that the company’s early electric train dates are uncertain.

Lima developed into a maker of railway models in H0, N and 00 scales. Rivarossi Memory’s chronology records the first appearance of recognisable prototype locomotives in its range in 1962 and the start of N scale production in 1966. Rivarossi acquired Lima in 1992. In 2001, the Rivarossi group became Lima SpA, based in Brescia, and Hornby acquired the group in 2004. The Lima brand continues under Hornby, which currently offers Lima lines for experienced modellers and new entrants to the hobby.