PECO is a UK-based manufacturer of model railway accessories, especially trackwork, based at Pecorama,

Beer Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from cer ...

in South Devon,

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

. PECO is the collective name for the Pritchard Patent Product Company Ltd, Peco Publications and Publicity Ltd, and Pecorama. Founded in 1946 by Sydney Pritchard in a small cottage, PECO now distributes its products globally.

Products

The company supplies products for Z gauge, TT:120 scale, N gauge, 00 gauge, H0 gauge,

0 gauge O scale (or O gauge) is a scale commonly used for toy trains and rail transport modelling. Introduced by German toy manufacturer Märklin around 1900, by the 1930s three-rail alternating current O gauge was the most common model railroad sca ...

, Gauge 1, and

narrow gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller struc ...

products for N6.5/Nn3,

OO9 OO9, often also denoted as 009 or 00-9 is a model railway scale and gauge combination of 4 mm scale and gauge tracks, which models a prototype track gauge of . It is a common choice in the United Kingdom for the modelling of narrow-gaug ...

, H0m,

O16.5 On30 (also called On2, O16.5 and Oe) gauge is the modelling of narrow gauge railways in O scale on HO () gauge track in 1:48 scale ratio by American and Australian model railroaders, in 1:43.5 scale ratio by British and French model railroade ...

, SM32 and G scale. The primary product ranges are its track systems. Other product lines include ''PECO Trackside'' – building kits and scenic items in gauges O, OO, TT and N – and a small range of

rolling stock The term rolling stock in the rail transport industry refers to railway vehicles, including both powered and unpowered vehicles: for example, locomotives, freight and passenger cars (or coaches), and non-revenue cars. Passenger vehicles can ...

and locomotives, both kits and ready-to-run, for gauges N and OO9.

Track systems

There are two main types of PECO track system: PECO Set-track and PECO Streamline. Set-track consists of a range of rigid curves, straights, crossings and

points Point or points may refer to: Places * Point, Lewis, a peninsula in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland * Point, Texas, a city in Rains County, Texas, United States * Point, the NE tip and a ferry terminal of Lismore, Inner Hebrides, Scotland * Point ...

(turnouts), made to the standard British

geometry Geometry (; ) is, with arithmetic, one of the oldest branches of mathematics. It is concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. A mathematician who works in the field of geometry is c ...

. It is similar to the track components supplied with train-sets, and is designed for the needs of less-experienced modellers, or those experienced modellers who do not want to spend a lot of time building trackwork. However, where part of a desired layout cannot be built using Set-track parts, Streamline components can be utilised as required. PECO Streamline is for the more experienced modeller. The range includes a wider variety of points and crossings, at different radii. In 00 gauge it is available with a standard flat bottom rail profile and, since 2019 bullhead profile. Historically points and crossings have been available in the ''Electrofrog'' range, with live

frogs A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-frog" ''Triadobatrachus'' is ...

, and their ''Insulfrog'' range, with plastic insulated frogs. Since 2019 ''Electrofrog'' and ''Insulfrog'' are being phased out and replaced with their ''Unifrog'' range. ''Unifrog'' points have an electrically isolated metal frog, with the option to energise it via a wire connection. Plain track is supplied in 3 foot (914 mm) lengths (2 foot for Z gauge), to be cut to length as required. The track flexes allowing the modeller to use it for straight track or any radius curve, to suit the needs of the model. The Streamline range is supplied with different types of rail, identified by code numbers indicating the height of the rail in thousands-of-an-inch. For 00/ H0 track, 'Code 100' rail is the original type, and is designed for older ready-to-run models. 'Code 83' is designed to be compatible with North American track systems. 'Code 75' is designed for 'fine-scale' models, with smaller wheel flanges, to give a more-scale appearance. TT:120 PECO Streamline track is produced with code 55 rail. N gauge Streamline track comes in code 80 and code 55. The 00/H0 track is scaled for H0; this is commercially understandable as the product range is supplied to the smaller UK market (mainly 00) and larger European / US markets (mainly H0). The sleeper length, sleeper spacing and set-track '6 foot way' is not correct for modeling UK track in 00 gauge and this can exaggerate the error in the gauge when running 00 models. To support the track systems, "PECO''lectrics''" is the company

brand name A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create a ...

for PECO's range of electronic

control system A control system manages, commands, directs, or regulates the behavior of other devices or systems using control loops. It can range from a single home heating controller using a thermostat controlling a domestic boiler to large industrial ...

s, point motors and switches.

Wholly owned subsidiaries

PECO as a company owns several other well-known model companies: * Ratio * Wills * Modelscene (formerly 'Merit') * Parkside by PECO (formerly 'Parkside & Dundas')

Publications

Peco Publications & Publicity Ltd publishes the monthly magazines '' Railway Modeller'' and ''

Continental Modeller ''Railway Modeller'' is a monthly British magazine about model railways now published by Peco Publications in Beer, Devon. It has been in publication since 1949 with Vol. 1 No. 1 published as The Railway Modeller, being an Ian Allan Production ...

'', as well as a large range of booklets explaining wiring, scenics, baseboard construction, outdoor railways, and similar topics.

Pecorama

Pecorama is a

tourist attraction A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural ...

, and includes a display of many model railways, a shop, and the

Beer Heights Light Railway The Beer Heights Light Railway operates of minimum gauge railway, minimum gauge Rail tracks, track at Beer, Devon, Beer, Devon, England. It is part of Pecorama, an exhibition owned by Peco. Overview The official opening was by Rev. W.V. Awdr ...

. It is located in the village of Beer, Devon.

References

{{reflist

External links

*PEC
website
1946 establishments in England Toy companies established in 1946 Companies based in Devon Model railroad manufacturers British brands Model manufacturers of the United Kingdom