Wenman Joseph Bassett-Lowke was born in December 1877 and was a member of the boiler making family, J.T.Lowke & Co Ltd. After the death of Tom Lowke, his wife had married one Absalom Bassett who adopted her son Joseph Tom Lowke. He got on well with his stepfather and when he married and had three sons of his own he gave them all ‘Bassett’ as their middle name. All three sons, however, grew up using the surname Bassett-Lowke. Wenman, for some reason took the name Whynne but was often referred to simply as ‘WJ’.

Whynne Bassett-Lowke trained in the family business but wanted to strike out on his own. With his father’s bookkeeper, Harold Franklin, he founded his own model engineering company in 1899 while still serving an apprenticeship with his father. This became a limited company in 1910 with a factory base in Northampton. The Company was never large although its output was considerable. This was achieved by contracting out work to other companies that Bassett-Lowke became associated with. One of these was Winteringham Ltd, which had been established by George Winteringham in 1908 as a subsidiary, and this became Bassett-Lowke’s main manufacturer.

In 1900 WJ had been to the Paris Exhibition and been much impressed by the products of German manufacturers such as Marklin, Carette and Bing. A year later, all three had agreed to manufacture models to Bassett-Lowke’s design for the latter to sell in the UK. The first supply arrived in 1901 and the first locomotive was a gauge 3 model of a LNWR 4-4-0 named ‘Black Prince’. WJ supplemented the supplies he received from Germany with models built in his limited facilities although, initially, these were mainly freelance subjects. By 1904 a range of 40 locomotives were being offered!

The German supplies ceased during the First World War but Bing and Marklin both produced models to Bassett-Lowke’s requirements after the war. However, by now, anti-German feelings were affecting sales and Bassett-Lowke Ltd were pushed into manufacturing more themselves at Northampton and through their associated companies such as those of Stuart Turner and John Claret

Model railways in gauges 0, 1, 2 and 3 were only part of the Bassett-Lowke business. They also made stationary engines, model ships and miniature railways. A man who came closely linked with Bassett-Lowke for many years was Henry Greenly and he was responsible for the design of some of their engines. Another famous name associated with Bassett-Lowke was the model maker E.W.Twining who illustrated catalogues for them and later joined the Company.

Year by year the Bassett-Lowke catalogue grew and was split into different interest sections. Besides a large range of railway locomotives, rolling stock, accessories, track and sets being offered, there were the drawings and parts to enable you to construct your own models in one of a number of gauges. Models were also available with a choice of power units; namely steam, clockwork or electric.

The range of locomotives available before and immediately after the First World War was considerable and some were available for many years. Amongst the favourites were the Precursor tank, ‘George the Fifth’, ‘Sydney’, Deeley Compound (which was also available as a kit from 1909), GNR Atlantic and the Great Central locomotive ‘Sir Sam Fay’.

In the early 1920s, Bassett-Lowke and Henry Greenly were instrumental in introducing 00 scale to Britain in the form of the Bing Table Top Railway. This started life as a clockwork system but was soon available with electric motors. In the mid 1930s they made a home at Northampton for the refugee Trix system, also from Germany.

A different approach to marketing had been made in 1927 through Godfrey Phillips B.D.V.cigarettes, when sons were encouraged to get their fathers to smoke themselves to death to collect enough tokens for the Bassett-Lowke model of the ‘Duke of York’! Bassett-Lowke made 30,000 locomotives for this promotion. It was in October this year that Bassett-Lowke opened a shop at 28 Corporation Street, Manchester.

As the years passed the demand for the larger gauges fell away and 0 gauge became the mainstay of Bassett-Lowke Ltd. Likewise, interest in electric traction grew and that in steam and clockwork lessened especially after the Second World War.

Some of the finest and most famous Bassett-Lowke locomotives were built during the late 1920s and 1930s; many designed by Robert Bindon Blood. Popular subjects included ‘Flying Scotsman’, ‘Royal Scot’, ‘Lord Nelson’, a Jubilee, ‘Princess Elizabeth’, a Duchess, a range of A4s with different names, a Midland Compound, the 0-6-0 and 0-4-0 Standard tanks and, of course, the much loved Moguls.

Production ceased during the Second World War and restarted sometime after the cessation of hostilities. The new British Railways livery made its appearance on a Bassett-Lowke model in 1950 and, the following year, the 4-4-0 ‘Princess Elizabeth’ returned as ‘Prince Charles’. Notable post-way locomotives were the Rebuilt Royal Scot, ‘Spitfire’ (Castle), ‘Britannia’, the Classes 5, 8F and 9F and ‘Deltic’.

The final catalogue was published in 1963 and trading ceased in 1965; although there was an unsuccessful attempt at reviving the Company in the late 1960s. The name and intellectual assets of the company were later acquired by Corgi; a fact which provided an interesting link with the past. Corgi had been a product of Mettoy, a company which started life in 1933 in the basement and ground floor of the Winteringham factory. At the time Winteringham Ltd was, of course, the production arm of Bassett-Lowke Ltd!

At the 2000 British Toy and Hobbies Fair at Olympia, Corgi Classics launched the first of a new range of Bassett-Lowke 0 gauge locomotives and the subject chosen for the relaunch was a steam powered Mogul. We wait with interest to see how successful these will be.

The standard work is ‘The Bassett-Lowke Story’ by Roland Fuller and published by New Cavendish Books (ISBN 0-904568-34-2). This is thought to be out of print but available through the public library service. A recently published book of value to researchers is ‘Wenman Joseph Bassett-Lowke’ by his niece Janet Bassett-Lowke and published by Rail Romances (ISBN 1-900622-01-7). This same publisher has also released a video tape showing footage taken by WJ himself which includes factory scenes.

The Bassett-Lowke Society caters for those who collect and operate Bassett-Lowke models. The Society publishes a quarterly magazine called ‘Lowko News’ and organises events to which members may take their stock to run. For further information about the Society, ring 0121 6021209.