The Northampton company Bassett-Lowke provided the premier model railways in the years before World War II.

The layout shows a selection of the products, dating as far back as the 1920's, with the newest ones being from the original company's final decade in the 1960's, at a time when O gauge was believed to be in terminal decline.

Additionally, a number of the passenger coaches are from the Derbyshire firm of Edward Exley, with which Bassett-Lowke closely worked.